Australia Cricket Players
Damien Martyn
Damien Richard Martyn (born October 21, 1971 in Darwin, Northern Territory) is a former Australian cricketer. He played for the national team sporadically in 1992-1994 before becoming a regular ODI player in 1999-2000 and a regular Test player in 2001 until his retirement in late 2006. He was primarily a right-handed middle-order as a batsman with a 'classical' technique, known in particular for his elegant strokemaking square of the wicket on the off-side and through the covers. Martyn was also an occasional medium-pacer and distinguished fieldsman primarily in the covers who was capable of creating spectacular run-outs. He also very occasionally kept wicket at first-class level. He was named man of the series in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2004, to help Australia defeat India on the subcontinent for the first time in more than 30 years, and was named in early 2005 as the Australian Test player of the Year at the annual Allan Border Medal presentatio He re-appeared at the start of the millennium when he replaced an injured Ricky Ponting on the tour to New Zealand in early 2000. Despite topping the averages in New Zealand he made way for Ponting for the home series against the West Indies in 2000/01. He played one test during that summer, replacing an injured Steve Waugh for Australia's victory at Adelaide where he made remained not out in both innings. He was selected on Australia's tour to India in 2001 and was considered unlucky not to replace a struggling Ponting. His chance to consolidate a permanent position came in the side came during the 2001 Ashes tour where he replaced fellow West Australian Justin Langer in the first test. He posted his maiden test century in the first test at Edgbaston. He was chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year as a result of his performances in The Ashes in the summer of 2001. Martyn subsequently put in regular appearances for Australia, becoming integral to the middle-order and eventually filling the void at no. 4 left by Mark Waugh's international retirement. His best form came over a twelve month period beginning in March 2004 where he scored two crucial centuries to help Australia to a 3-0 series whitewash in Sri Lanka. He was then man of the series in India when Australia claimed their first series victory on Indian soil in over 30 years. He made two centuries and narrowly missed out on becoming the first Australian batsman since Don Bradman to make three centuries in three innings when he was dismiseed for 97 in the second innings of the second test. Two centuries at home against Pakistan over the 2004/05 season and another in New Zealand in 2005 rounded out a stellar 12 months in which Martyn had made 1608 runs at an average of 61.84 in 12 months including 7 test centuries. Martyn was presented with the McGilvray Medal in 2005 as the ABC's Test cricketer of the year as well as being adjudged Test Player of the Year at the 2005 Allan Border Medal.Following a poor Ashes tour of England in 2005, where he recorded a total of 178 runs at an average of 19.77, Martyn was dropped from the Australian Test side to play in the ICC Super Series 2005. However, he was retained in the ODI side over the 2005/06 summer.
He was recalled to the Test squad at the expense of Brad Hodge for the three-Test series in South Africa in March and April 2006. Chairman of Selectors Trevor Hohns cited his experience as the major reason for his recall. His contributions in the first two tests were minimal but he repaid the selectors' faith with an important century in the second innings of the third test that helped guide Australia to victory.
In the 2006 Champions Trophy Tournament, Martyn won back-to-back man of the match awards against England and India. He also played an important unbeaten innings in the final against the West Indies to help Australia win the tournament for the first time. He was Australia's leading runscorer in the tournament.