Darren Lehmann
Encyclopedia : D : DA : DAR : Darren Lehmann
|
Darren Lehmann Australia (AUS) | ||
|
| ||
| Batsman>Batting style | Left-handed batsman (LHB) | |
| Types of bowlers in cricket>Bowling type | Slow left-arm orthodox (SLA) | |
| Tests | ODIs | |
| Matches | 27 | 117 |
| '''Runs scored | 1798 | 3078 |
| Batting average | 44.95 | 38.96 |
| 100s/50s | 5/10 | 4/17 |
| Top score | 177 | 119 |
|
Darren Scott Lehmann (born February 5, 1970 in Gawler, South Australia) is an Australian cricketer, primarily a left-handed batsman. His batting technique is quite unconventional; he takes guard outside leg stump, and, just before a ball is bowled, he steps back and across toward and sometimes past off stump. This peculiar technique means that if the ball is short in pitch, he needs not to step back any further. Possessing with a great eye, natural gift and substantial power generated by his large frame, Lehmann is noted for his play against spin, and is also a useful left-arm orthodox spinner himself, (as evidenced when he took six for 92 against Sri Lanka in Colombo). He is relatively accurate, but he has little ability to turn the ball. He is also a reasonable fielder, but his lack of fitness means that his agility is poor.
Contents
First Class SuccessLehmann burst onto the scene as a 17 year-old in the 1987/1988 season for South Australia, and scored a brutal 228 runs at the age of 19 in a match against Victoria in the 1989/1990 season. He has had enormous success both for Yorkshire in England and for his home state. He played a crucial role in Yorkshire's first County Championship for 33 years in 2001. In the Roses match against Lancashire he scored a blistering 252. Later in the same season in the National League he hit 191 off just 103 balls at Scarborough - a Yorkshire record for the competition. It is amazing that he did not play his first Test match until 1998, and he held the record for the most number of first-class cricket appearances and runs for an Australian before his Test debut, until recently surpassed by Michael Hussey. He is now the leading runscorer in Sheffield Shield/Pura Cup history and has a first-class batting average of over 56.Struggle to Make the Australian Side
 Despite all of his talent, he has only had limited opportunities at the international level, especially in Test cricket. Considered desperately unlucky not to have been an Australian middle-order regular throughout the '90s, he had to wait until he was 26 to get a berth in international cricket, and even then it was a long time before he managed to cement his place in the Australian Test and one-day sides. His body shape, relative lack of fitness and physical condition, while never dulling his run-scoring capabilities, meant he was never a favorite of the Australian hierarchy, and notably never saw eye to eye with former coach Bob Simpson in the early-mid 1990s and long-serving Australian captain Steve Waugh in later years. Only in later years did Lehmann have any sort of rapport with the selection panel. Lehmann hit the winning runs in the 1999 Cricket World Cup, but did not find a regular place in the Australian team until 2002 filling the shoes of the recently retired Mark Waugh. He was awarded Wisden Cricketer of the Year in 2001, a truly great honour. However, despite a Test average which hovered between 40 and 55 for most of his career, his stint in international cricket was short. Michael Clarke had an opportunity to debut in Bangalore on the 2004 India tour, when Ricky Ponting broke his thumb, and Clarke scored 151 in his first innings in Test matches. Thus on the return of Ponting, the Australian selectors were obliged to select Clarke, meaning that they would have to drop Lehmann or Simon Katich. Lehmann publicly offered to be dropped following a run of poor form, but the Australian selectors did not take the offer, and the less talented but younger Katich was instead dropped. Lehmann stayed on briefly but a shoulder injury and advancing age meant Katich was again promoted and left Lehmann unable to reclaim a spot, and he has since been left off Cricket Australia's contracted players list. Any last glimmering of hope for an injury-related Test or one-day spot opening has been squashed by Michael Hussey following his recent great form against England in the Natwest Series and Natwest Challenge. Controversies, Problems and MiscellaniesDuring his international career, he has evoked some controversy. He was suspended for five one-day internationals after making an uncharacteristic racist comment against the Sri Lankans, something which he has described as shameful. In January 2004, he found his life and focus on cricket affected after his mentor, David Hookes, passed away after being bashed in front of Lehmann, and had to testify later that year. In December 2004, he was labelled a 'snail' after losing a 100m sprint to New Zealand's slowest cricketer, Mark Richardson in his home capital of Adelaide. He has also released a book, Worth the Wait.
TriviaHis many nicknames include "Boof", "Darryl" or "Shrek". External links
From Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Original article here. Support Wikipedia by contributing or donating. | ||