49 Facts About Bruce Laird

Bruce Laird was an opening batsmen who played in 21 Test matches and 23 One Day Internationals.

Bruce Laird was a part of the Australian squad which finished as runners-up at the 1975 Cricket World Cup.

Bruce Laird represented his home state of Western Australia in Sheffield Shield cricket, making his debut in February 1973 aged 22.

Bruce Laird opened the batting against a strong Victorian bowling line-up including Alan Thomson and Alan Hurst.

Bruce Laird started to be talked of as a future test player.

Bruce Laird scored 117 in a first wicket partnership of 203 with Wally Edwards.

Bruce Laird did not play in any of the Test matches but did play in nine first-class matches against the County sides.

Bruce Laird scored 488 runs in 9 matches at an average of 32.53, with a top score of 127.

Bruce Laird was unlucky not to be picked for the first Test match having made 207 runs in three County matches.

Peter McFarline thought Bruce Laird suffered from "unlucky and untimely dismissals" in the tour games.

Bruce Laird played all eight Shield matches but scored just one hundred and averaged only 28.07.

Bruce Laird's side struggled with the bat with no player scoring more than one hundred, but with top fast bowlers Mick Malone and Dennis Lillee they managed to win four matches.

Bruce Laird was in the running for a spot in the Australian team that summer, especially after scoring 171 against Queensland, but lost out to Ian Davis.

Bruce Laird was not selected on the tour for New Zealand and when Alan Turner was dropped from the test side for the Centenary Test, he was replaced as opener by Rick McCosker, who had been playing at number three, allowing Australia to select David Hookes.

Bruce Laird was signed up to Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket in 1977.

Bruce Laird was a regular in the Australian team, playing in 13 Supertests.

Bruce Laird was selected the second Supertest, against the West Indies, replacing Ian Davis.

Bruce Laird made 28 and 18, in a game best remembered for David Hookes' jaw being broken.

Bruce Laird played in the 3rd Supertest against the West Indies at Football Park, Adelaide.

Bruce Laird only made 25 in the first innings, but scored 106 in the second.

Bruce Laird gave a hint of what was to come in Sydney and now having capitalised with an international century he should go from strength to strength.

Bruce Laird scored 106 again in the first innings of the next Supertest, against the World XI at RAS Showground, Sydney.

Bruce Laird made just five in the second innings and the Australians lost by 4 wickets.

Bruce Laird missed the sixth and final game due to a broken finger.

Bruce Laird played in several one day games for WSC Australia with a highest score of 29.

Bruce Laird performed poorly in the one day games apart from 68 in a match against the West Indies.

Bruce Laird did enough to be selected for the WSC Tour of the West Indies.

Bruce Laird made 14 and 5 in the first, which the WSC West Indies won by 369 runs.

Bruce Laird was dismissed for 0 in the second innings but Australia managed to win the game by 24 runs.

Bruce Laird had limited returns for the next two Supertests, both drawn, making 6 and 13, and 2 and 29.

Bruce Laird scored 69 in the second innings of the second test however the Australians were thrashed by ten wickets.

Bruce Laird played his first ODI against the West Indies on 27 November 1979 scoring 20 from 38 balls as Australia won by 5 wickets.

Bruce Laird has always handled the fast men magnificently, but he used to strike trouble with the medium pacers and spinners.

Greg Chappell led the side and Bruce Laird partnered Graham Yallop at the top of the order in the first test in Karachi.

Australia scored 617 from 211 overs, but Bruce Laird missed out bagging a duck fourth ball.

Bruce Laird scored a half century and century against India for WA but then tore a Achille's tendon in a club game.

Bruce Laird missed three test series against New Zealand, India and the famous Ashes series in England in 1981.

Bruce Laird is a proven run getter in international cricket and a great fighter.

However although he had recovered his fitness and was playing Shield cricket again towards the end of the summer Bruce Laird was overlooked in favour of three other openers, Wood, John Dyson and Martin Kent.

Bruce Laird was picked for the next twelve tests to partner Wood at the top of the batting order.

Bruce Laird was selected on the 1982 tour of New Zealand which followed at the end of the Australian summer.

Bruce Laird made 27 in the rain shortened first test, 38 and 39 in the second, and 12 and 31 in the third.

In September 1982 Bruce Laird was selected in the Australian squad to tour Pakistan.

Bruce Laird was made the third selector on the tour, after Rod Marsh refused to do the job.

Bruce Laird played for Australian in the opening tour game, against the Patrons XI.

Bruce Laird missed the last ODI as he returned to Australia early due to complications his wife was having with the birth of their third child.

Bruce Laird scored 99 against Victoria in an early Shield game but was dropped from the Australian time for the first test, with the selectors choosing Graeme Wood and John Dyson.

Bruce Laird smashed 684 runs at 48.85 and captained Western Australia for the first time in Shield cricket against South Australia at Perth.

Bruce Laird was a hero because of his no-nonsense technique and great courage.