Australian cricket season . 2006–07
The 2005–06 Australian cricket season took place from October 2005 to March 2006.
Honours Championship – Queensland Limited Overs KO Cup – New South Wales
Events The 2005–06 Australian cricket season began on 2005-10-05 with the first official ICC Super Series match, and the home season lasted until 2006-03-27 when the Pura Cup final concluded. The national team are, however, playing away matches until 2006-04-28. Australia played six home Tests during this season – three against West Indies and three against South Africa – and also hosted the three-team VB Series, between Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka. The team also toured New Zealand for One Day Internationals in December, played five ODIs and three Tests in South Africa in February and March, and visited Bangladesh for the first time in April. Also, the season included a new domestic competition, for the first time in 36 seasons – a Twenty20 tournament called the Twenty20 Big Bash was held in January 2006, with two groups of three teams and the group winners proceeding to the final.
Australia won both their home Test series in November and December, winning the Frank Worrell Trophy by virtue of a 3–0 whitewash of the West Indies before defeating South Africa 2–0. Meanwhile, in domestic cricket, New South Wales Blues assumed the ascendancy in both competitions, followed by the Victorian Bushrangers; at the beginning of the New Year, the Blues were four points ahead of the Bushrangers in the Pura Cup, and six points ahead in the ING Cup. The Blues beat the Bushrangers in a top-of-the-table battle in the ING Cup on 2 January, leaving the Bushrangers eleven points adrift in second place, but the Bushrangers came back later in the month with three unbeaten matches against the Blues in the space of a week; a win in the ING, was followed up with a draw with first-innings points in the Pura and finally a win in the Twenty20 Big Bash final.
The Blues only won two matches from then on, falling all the way to last place in the Pura Cup, but one of the two ING Cup wins was a one-wicket win in the final against the Southern Redbacks, which secured them one title for this season as well. Australia came from one match down in the three-match final of the VB Series to beat Sri Lanka 2–1, and shortly afterwards began their winter tour of South Africa. South Africa won the Twenty20 International and the first two One-day Internationals, but Australia came back to 2–2, before the fifth match where the record for highest team total was broken twice. South Africa won that, but were brought down in the Tests, where Australia won the first and declared in the second.
The Pura Cup was rounded off in March; Queensland Bulls qualified for their eighth successive final with a match to spare, while the Bushrangers and the Warriors fought for the last spot at the Junction Oval. The Bushrangers successively chased 360 in that game to book their ticket for Brisbane and the final, where they conceded 900 runs in the first innings to lose by an innings and 354 runs.
Domestic competition tables
Pura Cup Pos Team Pld W DWF DLF LWF L Pts 1 Queensland Bulls 10 5 2 1 0 2 34 2 Victoria Bushrangers 10 4 2 0 1 3 30 3 Southern Redbacks 10 4 1 2 0 3 26 4 Tasmanian Tigers 10 4 0 2 1 3 26 5 Western Warriors 10 3 1 2 0 4 24 6 NSW Blues 10 3 1 2 0 4 20
For an explanation of the points system, please see Pura Cup#Points system
Legend: W: Outright win DWF: Draws when first innings won DLF: Draws when first innings lost LWF: Losses when first innings won L: Losses ING Cup Pos Team Pld W NR/A T L BP Pts 1 Southern Redbacks 10 6 0 1 3 3 29 2 NSW Blues 10 6 1 0 2 3 25 3 Victoria Bushrangers 10 5 0 0 5 3 234 Western Warriors 10 5 0 0 5 2 22 5 Tasmanian Tigers 10 3 1 1 5 1 17 6 Queensland Bulls 10 3 0 0 7 0 12
For an explanation of the points system, please see Ing Cup's points system
Legend: W: Win NR/A: No result or Abandoned L: Loss BP: Bonus points Women's National League Pos Team Pld W NR L BP Pts 1 NSW Breakers 8 7 0 1 5 33 2 Queensland Fire 8 5 0 3 3 23 3 Southern Scorpions 8 5 0 3 1 21 4 Victoria Spirit 8 2 0 6 1 9 5 Western Fury 8 1 0 7 0 4
The same points system is used as in the men's ING Cup.
Legend: W: Win NR: No result L: Loss BP: Bonus points
Roll of honour
Test series:
ICC Super Series Test match: Australia beat ICC World XI by 210 runs Frank Worrell Trophy: Australia beat the West Indies 3–0 over three Tests to retain the trophy for the sixth time running South Africans in Australia: Australia beat South Africa 2–0 in three Tests Australians in South Africa: Australia beat South Africa 3–0 in three Tests Australians in Bangladesh: Australia beat Bangladesh 2–0 in two Tests in April 2006
ODI series:
Super Series: Australia beat the ICC World XI 3–0 Chappell–Hadlee Trophy (in New Zealand): Australia beat New Zealand 2–1 VB Series: Australia beat Sri Lanka 2–1 in the final series. South Africa finished third Australians in South Africa: Australia lost 2–3 to South Africa Australians in Bangladesh: A series of three ODIs in April 2006
Twenty20 International:
Australia won the one-off Twenty20 International at home to South Africa Australia lost the one-off Twenty20 International in South Africa
Pura Cup:
Queensland Bulls beat Victorian Bushrangers in the final and won the Pura Cup
ING Cup:
New South Wales Blues beat Southern Redbacks in the final and won the ING Cup
KFC Twenty20 Big Bash:
Victorian Bushrangers beat New South Wales Blues in the final and won the KFC Twenty20 Big Bash
Women's Test:
India women in Australia: Australia beat India in the only Test by an innings and four runs
Women's ODIs:
India women in Australia: Australia beat India 3–0
Women's National League:
New South Wales Breakers beat Queensland Fire 2–1 in the finals to win the National League.
October
Super Series ODIs
The first official match of the season was held on 5 October at the Telstra Dome between the ICC World XI and Australia, although there had been a one-day friendly match between the World XI and Victoria which did not have List A status three days earlier, and the Cricket Australia Cup begun on 26 September. The first ODI was won by Australia, who bowled the World XI out for 162 to win the first match by 93 runs, and on the second ground in the second ODI they batted to 328 for 4 on their way to a 55-run win and securing a series victory. The final, dead-rubber match was also played at the Telstra Dome, and once again Australia batted first, making 293 for 5 before bowling the World XI out for 137.
First ODI, 5 October: Australia beat ICC World XI by 93 runs Second ODI, 7 October: Australia beat ICC World XI by 55 runs Third ODI, 9 October: Australia beat ICC World XI by 146 runs to win the series 3–0
Supertest
The domestic competitions began on 14 October, with Queensland Bulls losing the first game as they posted 99 in reply to the NSW Blues' total of 243 for 7 in the one-day ING Cup, at the same day as the six-day Supertest between Australia and the World XI began at the SCG. Australia took care of the Supertest as well – after making their way to 260 for 4 due to 111 from Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist continued with 94 as Australia posted 345. The Aussies then dismissed six men in single figures, as the World XI were bowled out for 190 – Virender Sehwag making 76, while spinners Shane Warne and Stuart MacGill shared seven wickets – but Hayden and Ricky Ponting added 122 for the second wicket, and though Australia lost their last eight wickets for 47 runs, the World XI were set a target of 355 to win. Five World batsmen were then dismissed for ducks, MacGill took five for 43, and Australia completed a whitewash of the World XI with their 210-run win.
Supertest, 14 – 17 October: Australia beat ICC World XI by 210 runs to win series 1–0 ING Cup, 14 October: New South Wales Blues (6pts) beat Queensland Bulls (0pts) by 144 runs
Pura Cup begins, and first full ING round
On 17 October, the Pura Cup began, with the Bulls taking on the Tasmanian Tigers. Tasmania were effectively 17 for 7 in the second innings when rain intervened, ending the match in a draw. A day later, Victorian Bushrangers completed a four-wicket victory at the WACA Ground to go top of the Pura Cup table. The week-end from 22 to 23 October saw a full round of ING Cup games, the Blues beating the Southern Redbacks to go top of the table, while the Bulls and the Western Warriors also chased down targets to record wins.
Pura Cup, 17 – 20 October: Queensland Bulls (2pts) drew with Tasmanian Tigers (0pts) Pura Cup, 18 – 21 October: Victorian Bushrangers (6pts) beat Western Warriors (0pts) by four wickets ING Cup, 22 October: Queensland Bulls (4pts) beat Tasmanian Tigers (0pts) by two wickets ING Cup, 23 October: New South Wales Blues (4pts) beat Southern Redbacks (0pts) by three wickets ING Cup, 23 October: Western Warriors (4pts) beat Victorian Bushrangers (0pts) by five wickets
Last week of October
One Pura Cup game was played in the last week of October, the Blues facing the Redbacks at the Sydney Cricket Ground, and New South Wales prevailed for their fourth win of the season. They declared twice – in the first innings at 515 for 9, in the second at 187 for 2 – and took the 20 required wickets to win by 187 runs. The West Indies also started their tour with a drawn first-class match against the Bulls, where Marlon Samuels hit a career-best 257 before taking five for 87 in the second innings. Queensland led by 89 with one wicket in hand when the match ended.
The final matches of October saw the Bushrangers face the Warriors for the third time of the month, this time for an ING Cup clash at the Junction Oval in Melbourne, and the Bushrangers took advantage of home soil to win by eight wickets to go second in the table behind the Blues, whose one-day match with the Tigers was rained off.
Pura Cup, 25 – 28 October: New South Wales Blues (6pts) beat Southern Redbacks (0pts) by 187 runs Tour match, 27 – 29 October: Queensland drew with the West Indians ING Cup, 29 October: Victoria Bushrangers (5pts) beat Western Warriors (0pts) by eight wickets ING Cup, 30 October: New South Wales Blues (2pts) v Tasmanian Tigers (2pts); match abandoned without a ball bowled
November
First Test v WI
The first match in November was the Test match between Australia and the West Indies at the Brisbane Cricket Ground, which began on 3 November, and after a hundred in each innings from Australian captain Ricky Ponting, and five-wicket-hauls from Shane Warne (first innings) and Brett Lee (second innings), Australia hauled home a 379-run win. While the Test was on, the Redbacks recorded their first win of the season, beating the Bulls in the ING Cup after an unbeaten 109 from Mark Cosgrove, while the Blues' total of 309 for 8 was enough to beat the Warriors and widen the top-of-the-table in the other match on 4 November. The women's National Cricket League began the following day, with Southern Scorpions overcoming Queensland Fire, though the Scorpions' captain and number three batter, Karen Rolton, was dismissed for a golden duck. The following day, Rolton made 151 off 144 balls in chase of 254 in 50 overs, but the Scorpions still finished on 247 for 8 after Kirsten Pike took three wickets for the Fire.
First Test, 3 – 6 November: Australia beat West Indies by 379 runs ING Cup, 4 November: New South Wales Blues (4pts) beat Western Warriors (0pts) by 25 runs ING Cup, 4 November: Southern Redbacks (4pts) beat Queensland Bulls (0pts) by six wickets Women's National League, 5 November: Southern Scorpions (4pts) beat Queensland Fire (0pts) by five wickets Women's National League, 6 November: Queensland Fire (4pts) beat Southern Scorpions (0pts) by seven runs
Domestic matches, first half of November