Manuka Oval during the PM’s XI match in 2015. Photo: Cricket ACT.
More than the start of the international summer of cricket, the PM’s XI is a highlight in its own right and has provided the scene for epic battles and career-making feats for emerging superstars.
With the PM’s XI v Sri Lanka match this Thursday, 24 October at Manuka Oval, Cricket ACT is reliving some of the most spectacular moments from the PM’s XI.
1984
1984 marked the resurrection of the PM’s XI after a two-decade hiatus, the first edition of the reborn fixture since 1965. Of course, it was the work of cricket enthusiast Bob Hawke. Lead by test Captain Kim Hughes, the XI featured a powerful bowling attack with Thomson, Lillee and Chappell facing a West Indies line-up that included living legends like Desmond Haynes, Viv Richards and Clive Lloyd.
However, it was David Boon who stole the show and the man-of-the-match award with a superb innings of 134 from 136 balls, taking the PM’s XI to 281. It proved too much for the West Indies. A huge crowd of 15,000 breathed life into the PM’s XI and it’s been a fixture each year since.
2004
In 2004, a PM’s XI led by retired test skipper Steve Waugh took on a very in-form Indian side in a match that went down to the wire.
The Manuka match was Steve Waugh’s final game but he failed to make an impact with the bat, falling for 7. In fact, Waugh’s bowling proved to be more useful, bowling the second last over and taking 1 wicket for 5.
However, it was ACT player Cade Brown who made the 2004 match a Memorable Moment. In response to India’s 254, Brown scored 80, putting Australia within reach of India.
Chris Hartley almost won it for the PM’s XI with 45* (43) but his partner Andrew McDonald was caught on the second last delivery of the match, as they finished 50 overs just 1 run short of India’s total.
2013
The 2013 PM’s XI was one for the ages. Against a powerful West Indies side featuring the likes of Kieran Powell, Dwayne Bravo, Darren Sammy and Andre Russell, the hosts set a target of 333 in the Canberra farewell for retiring Ricky Ponting.
Opening the batting with Khawaja, our own Jono Dean smashed a half-century off 35 balls, rocketing him to a BBL career with the Adelaide Strikers. Ponting said Dean played beautifully, and Powell called him a “right-handed David Warner smashing everything to the boundary”. Despite the high total, the West Indies looked like they could chase it down in front of almost 10,000 at Manuka. That as before Powell retired hurt on 92, allowing for 2019 PM’s XI and Sydney Thunder player Fawad Ahmed to remove Darren Bravo before James Faulkner, Alister McDermott and Ashton Turner cleaned up the rest of the West Indians, ending their innings at 310 all out.
Tickets to the PM’s XI v Sri Lanka can be purchased via Ticketek.
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