Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Nathan Lyon: A New comer Australian Spinner

Nathan Lyon is a new Australian off-spinner, who born on November 20, 1987 in Young, New South Wales. He is a great spinner and gets fame within few months of entry in the Australian team. The journey of this 24-year-old cricketer is amazing. With only 4 first-class matches to his credit, the career of Nathan Lyon's took a massive jump when he gained a surprise call-up in Australia's Test squad for the tour to Sri Lanka. He had an excellent international debut as he took a wicket on the very first ball of his career. He likes to spend more time outdoors going to the beach or water-skiing rather than watching TV, movies, or playing computer games. As his area of expertise in the kitchen, he credits his skills at cooking 2 minute noodles.
Nathan Lyon: A New comer Australian Spinner

Entry in the Australian team

Lyon was chosen in the Australian Test squad on July 26, 2011 for their series against Sri Lanka. In the three day warm-up match at the Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu Stadium, he took two wickets for Australia against the Sri Lanka Board XI. In the history of Test cricket, he became the 14th bowler to take a wicket off his very first ball during the first Test against Sri Lanka at Galle on 31 August 2011, and the second Australian as Arthur Coningham who did it against England way back in 1894. In his first innings, he finished with 5/34 and became the 131st player to take 5 wickets on debut in a Test match.

As seventh number 11 batsman, he has the top score in his team's innings in November 2011 by scoring 14 in Australia's second-innings total of 47 in the 1st Test against South Africa. On December 1, 2011, he played his first test at the Gabba in Australia against New Zealand. Here also he made a record by taking 4/69 in the first innings while 3/19 in his second innings. Total of 7/89 is being the best Test match bowling figures at this location. The 24-year-old off-spinner has 22 Test wickets at an average of 24.59, and he is among the group those seeking to fill the spin vacuum left by Shane Warne's retirement.

Early days

Lyon hails from Young, positioned in southern New South Wales, a 2-hour drive from Canberra. He moved to Canberra at which he worked as a groundskeeper at Manuka to pay his way. Afterward he moved on for working as a groundskeeper at Adelaide Oval and for playing cricket. He played for ACT Cricket's under-17s and under-19s representative teams. In ACT Grade cricket, he played for Western Districts and University of Canberra Cricket Club and in 2008 debuted for the ACT Comets in the Cricket Australia Cup against the South Australian Second XI at which he claimed a wicket on day one. When he spent time with Comets, the captain and later captain-coach, Mark Higgs mentored him. Lyon had also kept contacts with Higgs after leaving the Comets for game purpose. Lyon moved to Adelaide in 2010 at which he played for the Prospect Cricket Club in the South Australian Grade Cricket League whilst continued playing for the Comets in the Futures League.

He gave a terrific performance in the 2010 Futures League Twenty20 for the Comets in Melbourne in December so he was chosen to play for the Southern Redbacks in the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash. To pulling on a Redbacks uniform for the KFC T20 Big Bash, one week Lyon was bowling for his grade club working at Adelaide Oval full time while on national television the next week. He collected a handy 11 wicket from his 7 matches and became the competition’s leading wicket taker. He earned “Man of the Series” award for his 11 wickets in that series. Thus, his drive and commitment paid him dividends. Selectors were very much impressed for such a great performance and they instantly called for his addition in the Test side. As well, Lyon has signed up for Adelaide in Australia's initial Big Bash League in 2011-12, which comes as a substitute for the primarily formed Twenty20 Big Bash.

Current News

Nathan Lyon stated that he is enjoying his role as the country’s frontline spinner. Since Shane Warne retired, Lyon is the 12th Australian Test spinner. Lyon has showed that he is not at all afraid of flighting the ball and using loop and drift to betray batsmen. Lyon claims that he doesn’t panic bowling to Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar and other star batsmen in the four-match Test series starting on December 26. In 1989, when Tendulkar made his debut against Pakistan in Karachi, Lyon was a two-year old toddler and this year till July he was just known for his job as a curator in Adelaide. Though Tendulkar has made more than 86,000 runs and 237 tons in all formats of the game since the last twenty years, the Australians think that off-spinner Lyon could have him in a spin. Harbhajan Singh (Indian off-spinner) had previously advised Lyon to be at his best if he desired to acquire the better of the Indian batsmen.

Nathan Lyon - 2010/11 Big Bash Highlights video from youtube:

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