5 Australian openers to hit century on test debut

No Australian opener has hit a century on test debut in the 21st century.

Australia were part of the first-ever official test match played in March 1877 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) with England. The Australian test cricket history is one of the most celebrated ones.

They have produced some of the greatest test cricketers of all time. More than 450 players have donned the revered ‘Baggy Green.’ Among them, 20 players etched their names in history by notching up a century on test debut. And among them, only five were openers.

Scoring a century on test debut as an opener is extremely tough, especially if you play your maiden test in Australia. Apart from the pressure of playing your first-ever test match, Australian conditions also present challenges for an opening batsman.

Below, we will talk about the Australian openers who recorded a century on test debut.

List of five Australian openers to hit century on test debut

1. Charles Bannerman – 165* vs England, Melbourne, 1877

Not just for Australia, Charles Bannerman was the first-ever batter to score a century in test cricket. He did it so while opening the batting for Australia on his debut game, which was the first-ever official test played between Australia and England at the MCG.

He scored 165 runs in the first innings and became the first batsman to hit a century in test cricket. His innings helped Australia beat England by 45 runs.

Bannerman played only three tests and scored 239 runs.

2. Herbie Collins – 104 vs England, Sydney, 1920

Herbie Collins became the fifth batsman and second opener from his country to raise a century on test debut. Collins played his first test against England at the Sydney Cricket Ground (SCG) in December 1920. He made 70 in the first innings and followed it up with a century in the second innings, scoring 104 runs.

His contribution helped Australia win the game by a massive margin of 377 runs. Collins represented Australia in 19 tests between 1920 and 1926, scoring 1352 runs at an average of 45.06 with four centuries.

3. Archie Jackson – 164 vs England, Adelaide, 1929

Archie Jackson became the third Australian opener to register a century on test debut. His maiden test was against England at the Adelaide Oval in February 1929. In the first innings, he scored 164 runs with 15 boundaries.

His innings helped Australia reach 369, but the hosts lost the match by 12 runs. Jackson had a career of eight tests, in which he scored 474 runs at an average of 47.40.

4. Kepler Wessels – 162 vs England, Brisbane, 1982

Kepler Wessels was one of the few cricketers who represented two countries in test cricket. He was South Africa’s first test captain after their return to international cricket in 1992. But before that, he played for Australia and scored a century on test debut.

Wessels played his first test for Australia in Brisbane in December 1982 against England. He scored 162 and 46 in the match to help Australia win by seven wickets. His performance helped him bag the MoTM award. Wessels played 24 tests for Australia and scored 1761 runs with four centuries.

5. Wayne Phillips – 159 vs Pakistan, Perth, 1983

Wayne Phillips was the fifth Australian opener to score a century on test debut. His first test was against Pakistan in Perth in November 1983. In his maiden test innings, Phillips scored 159 off 246 balls with 20 fours.

His innings helped Australia reach 436/9 before declaring the innings, and they eventually won by an innings and nine runs. Phillips played 27 tests between 1982 and 1986 and scored 1485 runs at an average of 32.28.

(List updated till 22nd November, 2024)

For more updates, follow Khel Now Cricket on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube; download the Khel Now Android App or IOS App and join our community on Whatsapp & Telegram.