Martin Kent facts for kids

Martin Francis Kent (born 23 November 1953) is a former Australian cricket player. He played in three Test matches and five One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Australia in 1981. Before that, he also played for the Australian XI team during World Series Cricket. Many people, including famous cricketer Greg Chappell, thought he was one of the best players from Queensland.

Martin Kent: A Cricket Journey

Early Life and Playing Days

Martin Kent was born in North Queensland, Australia. He spent his childhood in a town called Monto. When he was young, he thought he was a better bowler than a batsman. He even made the State Schoolboys team for Central Queensland.

When Martin was 14, his family moved to Brisbane. Soon after, he started playing top-level cricket for Sandgate-Redcliffe. For a short time, he even stopped cricket to play baseball.

Starting His Professional Career

Martin made a great start playing for Queensland in the 1974–75 season. He scored 140 runs in his very first game! He also scored 76 runs in a Gillette Cup match. He kept getting better, scoring 58 against Western Australia and 59 against South Australia.

The next summer, he hit two more centuries. He scored 103 runs against South Australia and 101 runs against Victoria. A century means scoring 100 runs or more in one game.

Touring South Africa

Martin Kent got a special chance to tour South Africa. He joined a team called the International Wanderers. This team had many famous players like Greg Chappell and Dennis Lillee. Martin was the only player who hadn't played for Australia yet. He even went on his honeymoon during this tour!

He played really well in South Africa. He scored 55, 67, 52, and a big 155 runs. He was the top scorer for the International Wanderers on that tour. Many people thought he would soon play for the Australian national team.

World Series Cricket Experience

Martin was offered a contract to play in World Series Cricket (WSC). This was a new cricket competition that changed the game. At first, Martin wasn't sure because it meant leaving his job. But his boss, who knew the WSC organizer, encouraged him to join. This allowed Martin to play cricket and keep his job part-time.

Martin played many exciting games for the WSC Australians. Some of his best scores included 40, 58, and 110 runs. He even got to play in the "Supertests" against the WSC West Indies team. He helped Australia win a game with scores of 43 and 40.

He also toured the West Indies with the Australian XI team. He played in five Supertests there. In one game, his score of 45 runs helped Australia win a famous match.

Back to Traditional Cricket

After World Series Cricket ended, Martin returned to playing for Queensland. He had a fantastic season in 1980–81, scoring 941 runs. He hit scores like 77, 171, and 68 against Tasmania. He also scored 78 and 101 against South Australia.

He helped Queensland win the McDonald's Cup Final with 41 runs. For this great effort, he won the Man of the Match award. He was also chosen to play for the Australian one-day team again.

The 1981 Ashes Tour

In 1981, Martin Kent was picked to tour England for the famous Ashes series. This is a big competition between Australia and England. At first, he was a "12th man," which means he was a reserve player.

He started playing well during the tour, scoring 92 runs against Worcestershire. This helped him get selected for the 4th Test match. He became one of Australia's best batsmen in the second half of the tour. He scored 171 runs, including a half-century (50 runs or more) as an opening batsman.

End of His Cricket Career

Martin started the 1981–82 season strongly. He scored 92 runs for Queensland against the touring Pakistan team. He was chosen for the Australian team's first Test against Pakistan. However, a serious back injury forced him to stop playing.

He decided to retire from cricket in August 1982. He later explained that while his back injury was real, it also made him think about his future. At that time, professional cricket didn't pay enough for a long-term career.

In his first-class career, Martin played 64 matches. He scored a total of 3,567 runs. He was also a very good fielder, catching 60 balls.

Life After Cricket

After retiring, Martin Kent briefly played cricket again in 1987 for a charity match. He scored 67 runs, but his back hurt a lot the next day.

In the early 1990s, he worked as an assistant coach for the Queensland cricket team. Later, he managed a pub and worked for the Queensland Cricketers' Club.