Matthew Elliott (cricketer)

{{short description|Australian cricketer}} {{Other people|Matthew Elliott}} {{Use dmy dates|date=September 2021}} {{Use Australian English|date=September 2012}} {{Infobox cricketer | name = Matthew Elliott | image = MatthewElliott.JPG | caption = Elliott playing for [[Southern Redbacks|South Australia]] in 2007 | fullname = Matthew Thomas Gray Elliott | birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1971|09|28}} | birth_place = [[Chelsea, Victoria]], Australia | nickname = [[Herb Elliott|Herb]] | family = [[Sam Elliott (cricketer)|Sam Elliott]] (son) | country = Australia | international = true | internationalspan = 1996–2004 | testdebutagainst = West Indies | testdebutdate = 22 November | testdebutyear = 1996 | lasttestdate = 1 July | lasttestyear = 2004 | lasttestagainst = Sri Lanka | testcap = 368 | odidebutdate = 25 May | odidebutyear = 1997 | odidebutagainst = England | oneodi = true | odicap = 164 | batting = Left-handed | bowling = Left-arm medium | role = Opening [[batsman]] | columns = 4

| club1 = [[Victoria Bushrangers|Victoria]] | year1 = {{nowrap|1992/93–2004/05}} | club2 = [[Glamorgan CCC|Glamorgan]] | year2 = 2000 | club3 = [[Yorkshire CCC|Yorkshire]] | year3 = 2002 | club4 = Glamorgan | year4 = 2004–2007 | club5 = [[Southern Redbacks|South Australia]] | year5 = 2005/06–2007/08 | date = 6 January | year = 2023 | source = http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/5130.html ESPNcricinfo }}

'''Matthew Thomas Gray Elliott''' (born 28 September 1971) is an Australian former [[cricket]]er, who played as a left-handed opening [[batsman]]. After he made his debut for [[Victorian Bushrangers|Victoria]] in the 1992–93 season, he soon established himself as one of the top opening batsmen in Australian domestic cricket.

==Test career== Elliott was called up to the [[Australian cricket team|Australian national team]] in the 1996–97 season, making his [[Test cricket|Test]] debut against [[West Indian cricket team|the West Indies]] in November 1996. Unfortunately for Elliott, in only his second Test match he was injured in a mid-pitch collision with teammate [[Mark Waugh]], resulting in the need for [[knee]] [[surgery]].{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

Elliott returned for the [[Australian cricket team in South Africa in 1996–97|1996–97 tour of South Africa]]. He retained his place for the [[Australian cricket team in England in 1997|1997 tour of England]], scoring two centuries in the [[The Ashes|Ashes series]], including a career-best 199. He also made his [[One Day International]] debut in 1997 in the [[Texaco Trophy]], but scored 1, making it his only appearance in a limited overs international. Elliott was named one of the [[Wisden Cricketer of the Year|Wisden Cricketers of the Year]] for 1998, although this wasn't enough for him to hold down a regular spot in the Australian team, and due to inconsistent performances after the Ashes series he slipped out of the national team in 1999. [[Steve Waugh]], in his autobiography, described Elliott as "technically gifted but temperamentally flawed" and "prone to serious bouts of self-doubt and a tendency to let injuries rule his thought processes." Waugh stated that "[Elliott] would have been a perfect candidate...[for] a sports psychologist."<ref name="Waugh">{{cite book | last=Waugh | first=Steve | authorlink=Steve Waugh | title=Steve Waugh: Out of my comfort zone - the autobiography | year=2005 | publisher=Penguin Group (Australia) | location=Victoria | isbn=0-670-04198-X | pages=418–419}}</ref>

Elliott continued to perform at domestic level for Victoria and on the English county scene, and in the 2003–04 season scored a remarkable 1381 runs in the [[Sheffield Shield|Pura Cup]], overtaking [[Graham Yallop]]'s previous record (which was succeeded the very next year in 2004–05 by [[Michael Bevan]]).{{citation needed|date=December 2024}} Rewarded with the [[Sheffield Shield#Player of the Year|Pura Cup Player of the Year]] award and a new [[Cricket Australia]] contract, he was recalled to the national team for the first time in five years. However, he played in just one unsuccessful Test against [[Sri Lankan cricket team|Sri Lanka]], where he batted at number 3 in place of [[Ricky Ponting]] (who was absent because of a family bereavement); batting outside his normal position, Elliott scored just 0 and 1.{{citation needed|date=August 2024}}

This performance dented hopes of a resurgence in his international career greatly. In addition to this, he also had a below-par season in the subsequent 2004–05 domestic season for Victoria, averaging in the mid-30s.{{citation needed|date=March 2025}}

==Move to South Australia== {{BLP unreferenced section|date=August 2024}} [[File:Matthew Elliott graph.png|right|400px|thumb|Matthew Elliott's Test career batting performance]] In April 2005, Elliott made a request to leave the Victorian team to join [[Southern Redbacks|South Australia]] as player-coach; this was originally rejected by [[Cricket Victoria]] although Elliott appealed their decision. On 5 May, a [[Cricket Australia]] grievance tribunal overturned Cricket Victoria's decision, freeing the way for Elliott to move.

In the 2005–06 season, Elliott struggled with injury and inconsistent form. The 2006–07 season was equally disappointing, with just 193 runs at 13.8 from seven first class games. As a result, he was axed from the South Australian state team. Curiously his form in the domestic one-day competition was much better with 465 runs at 51.6, highlighted by two centuries.

==English county cricket== On the English county scene, Elliott made a century at Lord's in the 2002 [[C&G Trophy]] final to win the title for [[Yorkshire County Cricket Club|Yorkshire]] - their first one-day trophy for 15 years. He signed a short-term contract for the 2007 season with Yorkshire as cover for Yorkshire's primary overseas player [[Younis Khan]], who was due to be participating in the [[2007 Cricket World Cup]]. However, following [[Pakistan cricket team|Pakistan]]'s untimely exit, Younis was able to take up his role at his new county from the start of the season, thus Elliott was left surplus to requirements. Following the cancellation, Elliott agreed to join [[Glamorgan County Cricket Club|Glamorgan]] on a four-week deal as cover for Australian left-handed batsmen [[Jimmy Maher]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/cricket/counties/glamorgan/6508993.stm |title=Glamorgan snap up Aussie Elliott|publisher=BBC Sport |date=29 March 2007 |access-date=29 March 2013}}</ref>

==Retirement== Elliott announced his retirement from first-class cricket in February 2008.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://news.smh.com.au/sport/matthew-elliott-fades-into-retirement-20080212-1rr2.html | work=The Sydney Morning Herald | first=Daniel | last=Brettig | title=Matthew Elliott fades into retirement | date=12 February 2008 | url-status=dead | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110522043156/http://news.smh.com.au/sport/matthew-elliott-fades-into-retirement-20080212-1rr2.html | archivedate=22 May 2011 }}</ref> He then played for the Chandigarh Lions in the [[Indian Cricket League]].

==Personal life== Elliott's son, Will Elliott, is an [[Australian rules football]]er who currently plays for the [[Northern Bullants]] in the [[Victorian Football League]] (VFL).<ref>{{cite web |title=Will Elliott, son of Australian Test cricketer Matthew Elliott, takes VFL mark of the year contender |url=https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/will-elliott-son-of-australian-test-cricketer-matthew-elliott-takes-vfl-mark-of-the-year-contender-c-14881409 |publisher=7NEWS |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611010514/https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/will-elliott-son-of-australian-test-cricketer-matthew-elliott-takes-vfl-mark-of-the-year-contender-c-14881409 |archive-date=11 June 2024 |date=2 June 2024}}</ref> He played for {{VFL Box}} in [[2023 VFL season|2023]], before joining the Bullants for the [[2024 VFL season]] after being overlooked at the [[2023 AFL draft]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Former Aussie cricketer Matthew Elliott's son to make AFL bid with Northern Bullants in the VFL |url=https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/former-aussie-cricketer-matthew-elliotts-son-to-make-afl-bid-with-northern-bullants-in-the-vfl-c-12977112 |publisher=7NEWS |access-date=11 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240611010653/https://7news.com.au/sport/afl/former-aussie-cricketer-matthew-elliotts-son-to-make-afl-bid-with-northern-bullants-in-the-vfl-c-12977112 |archive-date=11 June 2024 |date=21 December 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=AFL mid-season draft 2024 Will Elliott Northern Bullants |url=https://www.codesports.com.au/afl/afl-midseason-draft-clubs-eye-will-elliott-of-the-northern-bullants/news-story/d90c0332d0bc9df4bca486e2baed0fd1 |publisher=CODE Sports |access-date=11 June 2024 |date=7 May 2024}}</ref> Elliott's other son, [[Sam Elliott (cricketer)|Sam]] is a first class cricketer who also plays for the [[Melbourne Renegades]] in the [[Big Bash League]].

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== *{{cricinfo|id=5130}} *[http://www.howstat.com.au/cricket/Statistics/Players/PlayerOverview.asp?PlayerID=2075 HowSTAT! statistical profile on Matthew Elliott]

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