Greg Matthews

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.

Matthews was picked to play the First Test against New Zealand at the Woolloongabba. The selection choice came down to Matthews and Simon O'Donnell—Matthews was picked, with O'Donnell 12th man.

This test saw Australia lose their third Test in a row by an innings as Richard Hadlee took 15/123. Matthews was Australian's best bowler (3/110) and joined the Australian captain Allan Border at 67/5 in the second innings with 307 runs required to make New Zealand bat again. He made his first Test century—115 off 229 balls with 10 fours and a six—and most of the 197 runs added with Border (152), a record sixth wicket stand for Australia against New Zealand.

In the Second Test at Melbourne he came in at 109/5 and made 100 not out adding 46 for the last wicket with his New South Wales teammate Dave Gilbert (4)—who came in when Matthews was 59—to hoist the Australian total up to 262. Lacklustre Indian batting and late rain saved the match after Allan Border (163) and Gilbert (10 not out) made another rear-guard action in the second innings. Though they outplayed Australia in all three Tests this was the nearest India came to winning a Test and the series.

"He gives everything, he is flamboyant but not a ratbag", said Border. "I know Matthews is disappointed—he hasn't enjoyed the tour, he has been given a hard time by some elements here. He likes meeting people but has been prevented from mingling socially."

"If he finds the crowd harsh here then he must remember he asked for it." said Jeremy Coney. "But crowds just can't be neutral about him", he said. Some applaud his behaviour and others didn't. His behaviour polarises the crowds here and he must expect some sort of reaction from those who don't like it. I just feel neutral about him—when he is batting I want to get rid of him, when he is bowling I want to hit him around the park."

When I'm in Sharjah (United Arab Emirates), I don't put up my hand and say, 'Well, why aren't you girls allowed to walk around like Western Europeans'—because that's the way it is in their country. I'm sure a lot of women there don't like it but I don't see people jumping up and down.

"I have always believed I have been a good ambassador for Australia—that's what I enjoy most about touring—representing my country at the highest level", Matthews said. "There has never been a time in my career since I was picked for Australia eight years ago that I thought I couldn't get back into the Test team."

Matthews bowled well domestically that summer—he took 5–61 against Tasmania, 8–56 against WA. and six wickets against Victoria. His innings of 78 in the Sheffield Shield final was the turning point in the game helping NSW beat Queensland. However, Matthews was overlooked for the Australian tour of England in favour of Warne and May.

Greg's a very different character. I played with him on debut, I captained him, but he's never been my kind of person. I don't know that he's anybody's kind of person for that matter. But, when it came to playing the game, he could play—he's dedicated, talented and he got the job done. The selectors took a huge gamble in making him captain, a gamble that unequivocally didn't pay off ... I thought on the field he'd be a very astute tactical leader. He proved me very wrong in that regard. I know him as well as anybody. I went for him in the final washup and it was a huge error.

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

However, Matthews finished the summer strongly in the Sheffield Shield. He scored 87 and took 5–32 against Queensland, then scored his maiden century, 103 against Victoria. When asked about a possible return to the Australian side, Matthews said, "I think as little as possible about it. I used to lie awake thinking about it a lot but I don't want the disappointment of not going and besides, NSW has a lot to do."

In the One Day Internationals Matthews batted at number eight and hit the winning runs at Old Trafford (22 not out) and Lord's (29 not out) as Australia won the Texaco Trophy 2–1.

Alan Border was greatly pleased with Matthews performances that summer saying "Once he didn't feel part of the team, he fell he was a different sort of a character and others reacted that way to him. Now he feels accepted – his idiosyncrasies are not him being smart, we have found, and he now feels part of us."

Matthews played a key role in several Australian victories including 46 in a game against India and 1–27 against New Zealand.

In the First WSC Final Matthews was run out for 7 in Australia's 170/8, but returned an economical 9–0–27–3 to bowl out India for 159 to win by 11 runs.

In the Second WSC Final he took 10–0–37–2 to restrict India to 187 and saw Australia win the game by 7 wickets and the Finals 2–0 without the need for a third game. Matthews was voted Player of the Finals and it was a considerable boost to Australian confidence as the team completed a lap of honour round the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

"National selector – that's a big wrap, man", he said at the time. "It's a bit of added responsibility and I hope that I can handle it. I'm really happy that the people who are virtually my employers think I can handle the extra responsibility that goes with being a selector."

Rain ensured a draw in both the first two Tests and in the Second Matthews had the unusual bowling analysis of 3–3–0–1 when he caught and bowled Bruce Edgar in New Zealand's second innings of 16/1.

The Australian captain Allan Border threatened to resign if Australia did not win the four game One Day International series and then saw New Zealand go 2–0 up. Fortunately Australia won the last two games and Matthews was Man of the Match in the Fourth ODI at Eden Park, where he made 54, took 9–1–33–3 and held onto three catches in Australia's 44-run win. This allowed Border to announce that the team had improved enough for him not to resign, much to the advantage of Australian cricket.

Matthews did keep his place in the Australian one day squad. Highlights of the summer included 3–32 against the West Indies, 2–24 against England and 3–27 against England. Alan Border made a point of praising Matthews for his bowling in the one day matches at the end of the summer.

He wasn't fitting in with the team. On many occasions he had breakfast alone, and he wasn't one to spend more time at a bar with the boys when there was a disco on hand. The "minor" things were causing a rift – his eating habits, his hair-style, his choice of clothes, or whatever, seemed to be an extra reason why he wasn't one of the boys.

Matthews continued to play well for New South Wales, and his 5–56 against Tasmania was his fourth five-wicket haul in five games.

"I think the best balance is to play a spinner, which means that one of the quickies would have to miss out", Border said, adding that he was particularly impressed by Matthews' bowling in the Sheffield Shield final the previous summer. "He was a class above any one else I've faced for a long, long time – and that's anyone in the world."

He was omitted in favour of Peter Taylor for the one day team. However, when Taylor fell injured Matthews was called up in his place and played a number of games. Highlights included 3–54 against England. He was eventually dropped from the one day team when Taylor got better.

Australia won the series 3–0 and Matthews made 353 runs (70.60), his best Test series with the bat, though he only took 7 wickets (60.28). This effort earned Matthews selection on the 1991 tour of the West Indies.

Matthews began the West Indies tour well with 95 not out and 4–57 against Jamaica.

Matthews domestic form was excellent. In one game against Queensland he made 85 not out and 67 not out and took 6–63 and 5–70, making him only the seventh player to take more than ten wickets and score more than 100 runs in a Shield game. He was included in the initial 20-man squad for the 1992 World Cup. He took 5–61 against South Australia, 6–89 against Tasmania, and ten wickets against WA.

Matthews was picked in the Australian one day team. However, Shane Warne was drafted into the Australian 12 for the second test and although Matthews took 4–25 against South Australia for NSW in a Sheffield Shield game prior to the test Warne was preferred to Matthews for the final eleven. Warne's 7–52 in the second innings helped Australia win the game and saw him become Australia's first choice spinner.

He did keep his place in the one day team that summer. However, his place was threatened by the re emergence of Tim May as an international spinner. "They've both done a good job but I think Tim May is forcing the issue, he looks to be in really good form", said Border. "In Greg's favour is that he bats and fields better than Tim but we've got to make sure Tim is the man to take a few wickets in that middle section a la Peter Taylor. You'd have to say that Greg is better than Tim all-round, but that's probably not what we want from the position. We want the spin bowler to be an attacking one. Getting wickets in that middle session is almost as import ant as getting 0–20. I'd rather the wickets than 0–20." Matthews ended up being preferred to May for the one day final series. He bowled well but when it came time to pick the team for the fourth test, Matthews was overlooked in favour of May. May's excellent bowling in that test ensured he was picked over Matthews as Australia's off spinner for the tour of New Zealand.

He only played one game in the Benson and Hedges One Day Challenge. With The Ashes out of reach the selectors dropped David Boon and Craig McDermott for the Fifth Test, and made Matthews 12th man. The test was won thanks to the debutant spinner Peter Taylor and Peter Sleep.

Peter Taylor had not proved to be a long-term success and Matthews was the only Australian spinner in the side, apart from Allan Border. There was some talk Matthews would be made 12th man but Border favoured a spinner.

Matthews continued to play in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition for the University of Sydney team and had a bowling average of 11.04 for the 2008 season. On 24 January 2009, he bowled Australia opener Phil Jaques for 5 with his first ball when Sydney University was playing Sutherland. In 2009 he co-hosted SBS televisions coverage of The Ashes series alongside former Test players Stuart MacGill and Damien Martyn. In 2012 he began to coach part-time for The Sydney Grammar Cricket Club at all-age groups.

In September 1997 Matthews became the New South Wales representative of the Australian Cricketers' Association, which had been formed in August on the 1997 tour of England.

1997–98 was his last summer of first-class cricket. His last first-class game was against New Zealand; Matthews scored 71.

Greg Matthews was appointed captain of NSW for the 1996–97 season. Coach Geoff Lawson said:

Matthews continued to be an integral member of the NSW side during the 1995–96 season. "Cricket's my thing", Matthews said. "I just love playing it. What can I tell you—it's just my thing... The mind is very willing and the body is still pretty strong."

Matthews endured more controversy over the winter firing a toy pistol at a shop assistant. He was overlooked by NSW selectors at the beginning of the 1994–95 season. However, his club form was good and NSW struggled at the beginning of the season, so Matthews was recalled. Matthews had a reasonable summer, his form improving towards the end.

Shane Warne and Tim May were very successful on the 1993 Ashes tour, and making breaking back into the Australian team hard for Matthews.

At the beginning of the 1993–94 season he pulled out of the NSW one day team for personal reasons and was sacked from the Sheffield Shield side, the first time he had been dropped from NSW in a decade. However, he was soon back in the side and took 4–82 and 7–99 against Tasmania.

He was the first Australian player that century to score over 500 runs and take more than 50 wickets in one Sheffield Shield season. These efforts saw him voted NSW Cricketer of the year and earned him selection on the 13-man Australian squad to tour Sri Lanka in 1992.

Matthews began the 1992–93 summer controversially when he was fined 25% of his 1992 players contract for appearing in a magazine crushing a packet of Benson and Hedges cigarettes. He was talking about giving up smoking but Benson and Hedges were a major sponsor of Australian cricket. Matthews' fining was criticised by several anti-smoking activists.

Matthews was kept on as Australia's spinner for the First Test against the West Indies at the Gabba in 1992–93. "His performance over the past 12 months has been sensational", said Border. "He cops a lot of flak because his strike rate is not as high as some bowlers' but he's a 100 per cent man. It does come down to him taking wickets but I think he can do a job for us."

At the beginning of the 1991–92 series, Matthews said he thought he and Peter Taylor were the top spinners in Australia.

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.

Matthews was overlooked for the 1989 Ashes in favor of Tim May and Trevor Hohns. However, when May fell injured, Matthews was picked in an Australian one day squad to tour India. "I am just glad to be part of the scene again", he said. "I'm stoked."

Matthews struggled in the early part of the 1989–90 season and was made 12th man for NSW for some games. He eventually worked his way back into the side and had a strong season, highlights including 10–76 against Tasmania. His excellent bowling in the Sheffield Shield final against Queensland helped New South Wales to victory. "It's always nice to take wickets, the seven against Tasmania was a career best and a big turn on, and five in the final is a big turn on also", said Matthews. "They are all important."

Matthews was unable to force his way back into a test team for the first three tests against the West Indies. But 88 against Queensland helped see him selected in the side for the 4th test.

Matthews began the 1988–89 domestic summer strongly and there was some talk he would be able to get back in the test team.

He was recalled to the Australian one day team for the WSC finals series in 1988–89, as a third spinner. However, he bowled poorly, going for 0–62 off 7 overs. "I felt sorry for him in a lot of ways", said Alan Border, "because I gave him a pretty tough task, bowling in that first 15 overs, and then he had to bowl towards the end when their guys were wacking out."

The tour did not go well for Matthews who was fined $1,000 for disciplinary reasons. He was dropped from the squad to go to India and Pakistan for the 1987 World Cup in favour of Tim May, in what was described as "a shock omission".

Matthews performed strongly for New South Wales over the 1987–88 season, including a career best 6–97 with the ball against Victoria. However, Australian selectors preferred Peter Taylor, Tim May and Peter Sleep for their spin options.

Australia toured India at the start of the 1986–87 season. He and Ray Bright were the only spinners.

In addition to this, Matthews encountered embarrassment due to his association with the writer, Roland Fishman. Fishman had written a biography of Matthews in 1986 and accompanied him on the West Indies tour to write a book, Calypso Cricket. The result was highly controversial, speaking about previously-taboo items such as the sex lives of players.

Matthews was told he was recalled to the Australian side to tour Sharjah for a one-day tournament, then took part in the Sheffield Shield final, where NSW beat Qld by one wicket. He capped off the season with news he had been picked in the squad to tour England for the 1985 Ashes. "I just didn't think I would make it", said a delighted Matthews.

Matthews then went to England in 1985, where he proved popular in the county matches. Australia seemed determined to play an all rounder and Matthews was in competition with Simon O'Donnell.

Matthews started the 1985–86 summer well with 184 against Tasmania. He then took 5–22 against Victoria.

Australia toured New Zealand in 1985–86 and lost their second series against them in the same season despite several improvements.

By the 1985–86 season, Matthews's eccentric personality was seen as making him a very saleable commodity. With the Australian cricket coach Bobby Simpson as his manager, he soon became a wealthy man, endorsing a range or products, until he and Simpson fell out. He later set up cricket coaching clinics with Steve Waugh and Brad McNamara in 1991–92. However, the distraction of having agents and pushing products unsettled his career, and he was "not so good that he can succeed in high company with giving his game everything he has". In the mid-1990s, Matthews was employed as a high-profile spokesman for hair regrowth company, Advanced Hair Studio, featuring in a series of advertisements in which he popularised the catchphrase, "Advanced Hair, yeah, yeah!" Fellow cricketers Graham Gooch, Martin Crowe and Shane Warne later went on to spruik for the same company.

Matthews was omitted from the one day squad to tour India in 1984 and he was not offered a contract from the ACB for the following summer.

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.

Mathews was selected as one of two spinners on the 1983–84 tour to the West Indies.

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.

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.

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". 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.

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.

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

In the Second Test at the WACA England made 592/7 declared and Matthews batted for 190 minutes for his 45 and 14 not out to see out the draw. There was some talk Matthews would become 12th man for the third test but he kept his place.

He played the First Test at Madras, a huge concrete bowl which radiated the intense heat, which rose to 50 °C with 90% humidity. Allan Border won the toss and Australia declared on 574/7 on the third day when Matthews was out for 44. In the Indian innings he took 5/103, his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket and best Test figures, as he dismissed Sunil Gavaskar (caught and bowled), Krishnamachari Srikkanth, Ravi Shastri, Chandrakant Pandit and Kapil Dev as India were bowled out for 397. Australia batted again and Matthews made 27 not out in Australia's 170/5, which set India 348 runs to win on the last day. Matthews dismissed Srikkanth, Mohinder Amarnath and Pandit as India collapsed from 200/2 to 291/6. His 40th over was the last that could be played in the match, bowling to Ravi Shastri, with India's last man Maninder Singh at the bowler's end. India needed four runs to win from the 6-ball over with only one wicket remaining;