Greg Ritchie

Australia went on to lose the last two tests disastrously. However Ritchie was one of the few Australians to show fight – his second innings score of 20 off 102 balls almost helped Australia save the game. In the last test he made 64 in the first innings. In between the games he made 155 against Kent.

Ritchie was then left out of the Australian one day side and was made 12th man for the fourth test so Australia could play an extra bowler. (Alan Border later said he wanted Ritchie to play but was overruled by the selectors.)

In 2012, Ritchie caused controversy over racist and Islamophobic comments at a luncheon during the First Test between Australia and South Africa at the Adelaide Oval; after South African team officials complained (the team contained four Muslim and two black African players), Richie was effectively banned by Cricket Australia from functions for the rest of the 2012-13 season.

Ritchie redeemed himself in the second test, his first innings score of 94 helping lay the platform for an Australian victory. He went on to score a century in the third test. He took part in an partnership with Border in the 4th test that helped secure a draw.

Ritchie returned to first class cricket at the beginning of the 1991–92 season. After a slow start to the season he scored a century against Western Australia. Ritchie then retired again, this time for good.

In 1990 there were reports of moves to remove Ritchie as Queensland captain. Ritchie wound up retiring from cricket. Moves were made to get Ritchie to come back to the side by new coach Jeff Thomson and QCA chief executive Barry Richards.

His form was so good there was some talk Ritchie might make the 1989 Ashes squad. "I think it's not really up to me to give an opinion," he said. "It's like me saying 'you've done a good job as a journo, how do you rate your promotion prospects?' — you're not going to answer that... [But] I'm playing better cricket than I ever have before. This season I've gone out to simply enjoy the game and I don't really care about selections. In the past I've put too much pressure on myself and I've always felt like I had to perform to keep getting selected."

Alan Border stood down as Queensland captain at the beginning of the 1989/90 season in favour of Ritchie. "I've, been fortunate enough to have played under the best captains around. in A. B. [Border] and Greg Chappell, and hopefully I can draw on those experiences", said Ritchie. Highlights of the summer included 123 against the touring Pakistan side and 213 against South Australia. Queensland made the Sheffield Shield final but lost to NSW. Ritchie enjoyed a lot of success with the bat making 928 first class runs at an average of 54.

Ritchie was unable to force his way back into the Australian team. He broke a long century drought in January 1988 with 100 against New South Wales. That summer he also undertook a promotional walk while injured.

In 1988-89 Ritchie was appointed Queensland vice captain, and led the side on a number of occasions. He scored 114 in an FAI Cup match against Victoria and his innings of 60 in the Cup Final was crucial in helping Queensland win.

He was famously referred to by Allan Border at the 1986 Madras Tied Test versus India. Batsman Dean Jones was contemplating going off "retired ill" after vomiting at the crease and Border suggested that "a tough Queenslander" (Ritchie) could hack the conditions instead. Jones stayed on and scored a double century.

Ritchie arrived in New Zealand with the Australian squad in February 1986. He was injured during training after being hit on the toe from a ball by Craig McDermott. However he scored 66 not out in Australia's victory over Auckland.

Ritchie started the 1985-85 summer with a century against Victoria for Queensland. However he was overlooked for the first two tests against the West Indies. He was put on stand-by for the third test as a possible back up for Alan Border, who was injured – but in the end he managed to play.

Ritchie was picked in the Australian one day team. He was also selected to tour England in 1985.

Ritchie started the 1985-86 season well with 86 against Victoria and kept his place for the first test against New Zealand. He failed twice in Australia's defeat, but was kept on for the second test.

He was selected in the Prime Ministers XI and got back in the Australian one day team. He was also selected for the 1984 tour of the West Indies. Ritchie was injured towards the end of the summer and there was some doubt he might make the tour but he recovered in time.

Ritchie also batted in the famous 1984/85 Sheffield Shield final, narrowly lost by Queensland against New South Wales.

Ritchie undertook a fitness campaign over the winter and lost several kilos. He began the 1983–84 summer brilliantly scoring 196 for Queensland against the touring Pakistan side. He followed this with four half centuries, and at one stage his first class run tally for the season was 451 at an average of 112. He then scored centuries against Victoria and NSW.

Ritchie was affectionately known as "Fat Cat" due to his burly build. He was selected for Australia's 1982-83 tour of Pakistan as a middle-order batsman replacement for Greg Chappell. He scored his first century, 106 not out, in his second Test at Faisalabad. He was unable to force his way into the Australia side over the 1982–83 and 1983-84 summers but was picked on the 1984 tours of the West Indies and India and made the Australian side over the 1984-85 summer. He was a fixture in the middle order between 1985 and 1987 that included the 1985 The Ashes tour to England, where he scored his highest score 146 at Nottingham, the 1986 tours of New Zealand and India, and the 1986-87 England tour of Australia.

Ritchie was overlooked for the Australian tour to New Zealand in early 1982. However a century against Tasmania helped ensure his selection on the 1982 tour to Pakistan. Ritchie finished the season with 839 first class runs in ten games at an average of 59.

Ritchie impressed again during the 1981-82 season with 55 and 71 against the touring West Indies, then the best team in the world. 126 and 103 against South Australia saw him discussed again as a test candidate.

Ritchie played for Queensland between 1980 and 1992. He scored 10,170 runs in his first class cricket career at an average of 44.21 including 24 centuries and 54 fifties. In the year 2000 he was named as one of the seven greatest Sheffield Shield run scorers in Queensland history for amassing over 6,000 runs for his state.

Ritchie made his first class debut in 1980-81, playing for Queensland against Victoria. He batted once, scoring 7. However he impressed in his third match, a tour game against New Zealand, where his second innings 47 helped save the game. He then made 74 against South Australia and an innings of 75 against the touring Indians saw him discussed as a potential future test player. He followed this up with his debut first class century, 140 against Victoria.

Ritchie kept his place in the Australian team to play England in the first test. However also in the twelve was David Hookes who was in very good form. Despite 67 and 46 against Tasmania, Ritchie was made 12th man for the first test. Ritchie was picked in the side for the second test but was again made twelfth man. He was not picked in the squad for the remainder of the summer.

Gregory Michael "Greg" Ritchie (born 23 January 1960, Stanthorpe, Queensland) is a former Australian cricketer who played in 30 Tests and 44 ODIs from 1982 to 1987.