Nathan Lyon facts for kids
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Lyon in 2019
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name |
Nathan Michael Lyon
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| Born | 20 November 1987 Young, New South Wales, Australia |
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| Nickname | The Goat, Garry | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Batting | Right-handed | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Bowling | Right-arm off break | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Role | Bowler | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| International information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| National side |
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| Test debut (cap 421) | 31 August 2011 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last Test | 8 January 2025 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI debut (cap 194) | 8 March 2012 v Sri Lanka | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last ODI | 11 July 2019 v England | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ODI shirt no. | 67 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I debut (cap 77) | 29 January 2016 v India | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Last T20I | 28 October 2018 v Pakistan | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| T20I shirt no. | 67 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Domestic team information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2008/09–2010/11 | ACT Comets | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2010/11–2012/13 | South Australia | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011/12–2012/13 | Adelaide Strikers | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013/14–present | New South Wales (squad no. 67) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2013/14–2022/23 | Sydney Sixers (squad no. 67) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017 | Worcestershire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2024 | Lancashire | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Career statistics | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Source: ESPNcricinfo, 14 January 2025
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Nathan Michael Lyon (born 20 November 1987) is an Australian international cricket player. He is known as an off-spin bowler. This means he bowls the ball so it spins away from a right-handed batsman.
Nathan made his first Test match appearance in 2011. He plays for New South Wales in Australia. Many people think he is Australia's most successful off-spin bowler ever. He holds the record for the most Test wickets by an Australian off-spinner. In 2015, he passed Hugh Trumble's record of 141 wickets.
In January 2021, Nathan played his 100th Test match for Australia. As of December 2023, he is Australia's third-highest Test wicket-taker of all time. He is also among the top international players with over 500 Test wickets. Nathan was part of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final. He took the final wicket to secure the win!
Nathan has received many awards for his great performances. He has been named to the ICC Test Team of the Year three times. He also won the Shane Warne Men's Test Player of the Year award in 2019 and 2024.
Contents
Early Cricket Journey
Nathan Lyon was born in Young, New South Wales, Australia. He later moved to Canberra as a teenager. There, he played for junior cricket teams, including the ACT Cricket's under-17s and under-18s.
He played for local clubs in Canberra. In 2008, he joined the ACT Comets team. He even took a wicket on his very first day playing for them! During his time with the Comets, Nathan learned a lot from his captain, Mark Higgs. Higgs helped him improve his spin bowling. He taught Nathan how to bowl better and how to plan his game.
In 2010, Nathan moved to Adelaide. He worked at the famous Adelaide Oval as part of the ground staff. He also continued to play cricket for the Prospect Cricket Club. His excellent performance in a Twenty20 match caught the eye of a coach. This led to him being chosen to play for the Southern Redbacks team.
Playing for Teams in Australia and Beyond
In the 2010–11 KFC Twenty20 Big Bash tournament, Nathan Lyon was the top wicket-taker. His team, the Redbacks, won the competition. After this success, he played for South Australia in other big cricket tournaments. He also represented the Australia A team in Zimbabwe. There, he took 11 wickets and was named the best player of the series.
Nathan then joined the Adelaide Strikers for the first season of the Big Bash League. In 2017, he played for Worcestershire in England. In 2019, he signed with Hampshire for the 2020 season. However, this plan was cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In February 2021, Nathan took his 600th first-class wicket. This is a huge achievement in cricket! In August 2023, the Melbourne Renegades signed Nathan for three years in the Big Bash League. In November 2023, he also signed to play for Lancashire County Cricket Club in England for the 2024 season.
International Cricket Career
Nathan Lyon was chosen for the Australian Test team in July 2011. He made his Test debut against Sri Lanka on August 31, 2011. It was a very special start! He took his first Test wicket with his very first ball. This made him only the third Australian player to do so. He ended that innings with 5 wickets for only 34 runs. This is called a "five-wicket haul."
In November 2011, Nathan achieved something rare as a number 11 batsman. He scored the highest runs for his team in an innings, making 14 runs. He then played his first Test match in Australia in December 2011. He took 7 wickets in that match, which was a record for an Australian off-spinner at that ground.
In 2013, Nathan was the only spinner picked for the 2013 Ashes series against England. On December 28, 2013, he took his 100th Test wicket. He also got his first five-wicket haul in Australia during this match. He became only the sixth Australian off-spinner to reach 100 Test wickets.
In December 2014, Nathan was named "man of the match" against India. He took 12 wickets in that game. This was the first match Australia played after the sad death of Phillip Hughes. After taking the final wicket, Nathan knelt down and patted Hughes's Test number, 408, which was painted on the field.
In June 2015, Nathan took his 142nd Test wicket. This meant he passed Hugh Trumble to become Australia's top off-spin wicket-taker. He made his Twenty20 International debut for Australia in January 2016. In July 2016, he became the first Australian off-spinner to take 200 Test wickets.
During a Test series in 2016, a funny thing happened. Wicketkeeper Matthew Wade often yelled "Nice, Garry!" after Nathan bowled. This was a joke about a famous Australian football player. Fans loved it, and "Nice, Garry!" became a popular cheer for Nathan.
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In March 2017, Nathan had an amazing performance against India. He took 8 wickets for only 50 runs. These were the best figures ever by a visiting bowler in India. In August 2017, he reached 250 Test wickets. This made him the second Australian spinner, after Shane Warne, to do so. In September 2017, he took 13 wickets in a match against Bangladesh. This was the most wickets ever by an Australian bowler in Asia. He also took 22 wickets in that two-Test series, which was a record for an Australian.
Nathan finished 2017 by taking more Test wickets (63) than any other player in the world. In April 2018, he was given a national contract by Cricket Australia. He took his 300th Test wicket in March 2018. He was also the highest wicket-taker in the India–Australia Test series that year.
In 2019, Nathan won the Men's Test Player of the Year award. In April 2019, he was selected for Australia's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup. He was also part of the team for the 2019 Ashes series in England. In the first Ashes Test, his 9 wickets helped Australia win for the first time in 19 years at that ground. Australia went on to keep The Ashes trophy, which was a big achievement.
In November 2019, Nathan took seven wickets against Pakistan. He also took 20 wickets against New Zealand, helping Australia win the series 3–0. He ended that series with 10 wickets in the New Year's Test in Sydney.
On December 11, 2021, Nathan took his 400th Test wicket during the 2021–22 Ashes series. In March 2023, he became the highest wicket-taker in the Border–Gavaskar Trophy series against India. He took 11 wickets in one match and was named player of the match. He also broke the record for most wickets taken by an overseas bowler in India.
In the 2023 ICC World Test Championship Final, Nathan took 5 wickets as Australia beat India. In the first Test of the 2023 Ashes series, he took 8 wickets. He also helped Australia win by batting with Pat Cummins when his team needed runs.
In the second Test of that series, Nathan made history. He became the first specialist bowler to play 100 consecutive Test matches! This streak had lasted for ten years. Sadly, he got a calf injury during the match. Even though he was hurt and on crutches, he bravely came out to bat for his team. He received a standing ovation for his courage. The injury meant he missed the rest of the series, breaking his amazing streak.
Nathan returned to Test cricket in December 2023. He took his 500th Test wicket against Pakistan. Just two balls later, he took his 501st wicket! He finished that match with five wickets, helping Australia win by a lot.
Nathan Lyon also played in the 2024–25 Border–Gavaskar Trophy.
Personal Life
Nathan Lyon has two children with his former partner, Mel Waring. He married Emma McCarthy in July 2022. His older brother, Brendan, helps him with his batting skills. Nathan is also a big fan of the Canberra Raiders rugby league team.
Awards and Achievements
- ICC Test Team of the Year: 2018, 2019, 2022
- Australian Men's Test Player of the Year: 2019, 2024
- Sheffield Shield Player of the Year: 2020-21
See also
- List of international cricket five-wicket hauls by Nathan Lyon
