Colin McDonald (Australian cricketer) facts for kids
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| Full name |
Colin Campbell McDonald
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| Born | 17 November 1928 Glen Iris, Victoria, Australia |
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| Died | 8 January 2021 (aged 92) Melbourne, Victoria |
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| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Opening batsman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Relations |
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| National side | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Test debut (cap 191) | 25 January 1952 v West Indies | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 6 July 1961 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 1947/48–1962/63 | Victoria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: CricketArchive, 1 September 2008
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Colin Campbell McDonald AM (born November 17, 1928 – died January 8, 2021) was a famous Australian cricketer. He played in 47 Test matches for Australia between 1952 and 1961. He also played in 192 first-class matches from 1947 to 1963. Colin was born in Glen Iris, Victoria.
Contents
Colin McDonald's Cricket Career
Colin McDonald was an opening batsman. This means he was one of the first two players to bat for his team. He made his first Test match appearance in January 1952. This was the 5th Test against the West Indies in Sydney.
Early Days and Partnerships
Colin started his Test career alongside two other new players: George Thoms and Richie Benaud. Interestingly, Thoms and McDonald were also opening batsmen for their state team, Victoria. They even played for the same club team, Melbourne University. George Thoms later stopped playing cricket to focus on his medical career. After that, Colin formed a very successful batting partnership with another player named Jim Burke. Colin also played for the Melbourne Cricket Club at two different times in his career.
Key Matches and Achievements
One of Colin's most notable matches was the 1956 Test at Old Trafford. This game is famously known as Laker's Match. In this match, an English bowler named Jim Laker took an amazing 19 wickets. Even though Laker was incredible, Colin McDonald was the top scorer for Australia in both parts of the game, scoring 32 and 89 runs.
His career reached its peak during the Ashes series against England in 1958/59. In fact, he scored more runs than any other player in Test cricket during the whole year of 1959. He achieved his highest Test score of 170 runs in the 4th Test against England in Adelaide. He also scored another century (100 runs or more) in the 5th Test, which was played on his home ground in Melbourne.
Colin was also the captain of the Victoria team in 1958/59 and again in 1960/61. He stopped playing Test cricket in 1961 during a tour to England. This was because of a wrist injury.
Life Outside Cricket
Colin McDonald went to Scotch College Melbourne and Melbourne University. For a short time, he worked as a schoolteacher. Later, he became an insurance broker.
After his insurance career, he became the executive director of Tennis Australia. In this role, he played a very important part in building the National Tennis Centre. This famous tennis center is now known as Rod Laver Arena. Colin also worked as a cricket commentator for the ABC during the 1960s and 1970s.
Family Connections and Legacy
Colin came from a family of cricketers. His older brother, Ian McDonald, also played first-class cricket for Victoria. His mother's cousin, Keith Rigg, played for both Victoria and Australia.
In 2009, Colin McDonald published his own book of memories called CC, The Colin McDonald Story: Cricket, Tennis, Life. The famous cricketer Richie Benaud wrote the introduction for his book. Colin McDonald passed away on January 8, 2021, at the age of 92.
See also
- In Spanish: Colin McDonald (jugador de cricket) para niños
