Greg Matthews

Gregory Richard John Matthews (born 15 December 1959) is a New South Wales and Australian former cricket all-rounder (off-spin bowler and left-handed batsman).

He was popular with fans as "a tough, useful, determined little cricketer; a steady, flat, off-spin bowler; a staunch, correct left-hand bat; and a brilliant fielder.... also a cocky, slightly zany character."

During his youth Matthews attended Ermington Public School and played for the Rydalmere Cricket Club, where he won the Under 11s Northern Districts Cricket Association Cricketer of the Year Award in 1970–71 and 1971–72.

Coach Gordon Nolan was crucial to his early development.

When Australian cricket was in the doldrums in the 1980s "his dashing batsmanship and growing ability as a spin bowler suddenly elevated Matthews to a position of a national hero".

Prior to his cricket career taking off, Matthews played Colts (under 20s) Rugby for the Eastwood Rugby Club and was a pro for the Cumbrian side Whitehaven Cricket Club for three seasons, starring in the club's 1981 league championship victory.

At the conclusion of a successful season for Eastwood there was speculation that cricket may be put aside for Rugby, but he opted to play cricket.

Matthews made his first-class debut over the 1982–83 summer.

Scoring 123 and taking 3–48 for the state colts against Queensland saw him selected in the New South Wales side to play Western Australia in November 1982, replacing John Dyson, who was on test duty.

He took 3–41 for NSW in a day-night game against a touring New Zealand side.

Some enterprising runs from Matthews in a game against Queensland helped NSW get in the Sheffield Shield final.

Matthews played in the final, won by NSW—their first Sheffield Shield in 17 years.

He spent the 1983 winter playing club cricket in England.

Matthews was made 12th man for NSW's first game of the 1983–84 season—a delayed McDonald's Cup one day final.

However, poor bowling by Murray Bennett in that game saw Matthews take Bennett's place.

He took three wickets in a shield game against WA, then scored 86 with 13 boundaries against the touring Pakistan side.

He injured his hand while fielding in a game against Victoria.

However, Matthews was then picked to play in the Australian team against Pakistan.

He was chosen along with state teammate Murray Bennett.

Matthews had recently applied to go on the dole but was ruled out on a technicality when it was discovered that he was playing in a McDonald's Cup match that week.

"I don't care what money I get, man", Matthews said.

"It's the buzz of playing for Australia that's got me. I'm not worried about how much they pay ... I'd do it all for nothing just to wear that green cap."

However, there was some sad news for Matthews.

"My old coach from the Rydalmere junior days, Gordon Nolan, is dead and I owe so much to him that I wish I could have contacted him this morning as both our dreams came true."

Matthews was also picked to play in the Prime Ministers XI.

''Matthews is a tough, useful, determined little cricketer; a steady, flat, off-spin bowler; a staunch, correct left-hand bat; and a brilliant fielder.

He is also a cocky, slightly zany character.''

Early in his cricketing career Matthews was regarded "as a bowler who fielded energetically and could bat a bit" and a "complete extrovert, dressing to shock".

He was usually referred to as Greg, but his teammates nicknamed him 'Mo', "short for 'misère', which he always called when we played five hundred".

Matthews enjoyed clubbing and ignored the midnight curfew imposed by New South Wales fast bowler Geoff Lawson as "these were his socialising hours and the time he came to life", and his mantra was "'live each day as if it's your last'".

Matthews took 2/95 and 2/48 in his first test match, running out Zaheer Abbas in the first innings and bowling him in the second.

With the bat he made 75, joining Graham Yallop (268) on 354/7 and adding 185 together for the eighth wicket.

Australian captain Kim Hughes said he "thought that Matthews's innings was a remarkable performance as he is fiercely competitive which is typically Australian. His batting was great and his overall performance was outstanding."

However, there was controversy when Matthews was dismissed; he was given out lbw by umpire Tony Crafter and when he walked off he indicated that he thought the ball had come off his bat.

(Matthews later apologised to the umpire for the very public display of dissent. )

The Test was drawn and Matthews was kept for the Fifth Test, preferred to Murray Bennett as the spinner.

He made centuries in times of crisis against New Zealand and India in 1985–86, took ten wickets in the Tied Test at Madras and batted well against England in 1986–87.

Thereafter his career declined as the "effervescent and unorthodox" Matthews did not fit in with the rest of the Australian Test team.

As Australia rose to dominance in the 1990s Matthews proved to be "not good enough in either of the game's main departments to make a lasting impact as a Test all-rounder" and despite a century against England in 1990–91 he played only irregularly and was finally dropped in 1993.

He continued to play with success for New South Wales until he retired in 1997.