30 Facts About Damien Martyn

Damien Richard Martyn was born on 21 October 1971 and is an Australian cricket commentator and former cricketer, who played Tests and ODIs.

Damien Martyn was primarily a right-handed middle-order batsman with a 'classical' technique, known in particular for his elegant strokemaking square of the wicket on the off-side and through the covers.

Damien Martyn was an occasional medium-pacer and distinguished fieldsman primarily in the covers who was capable of creating spectacular run-outs.

Damien Martyn was named man of the series in the Border Gavaskar Trophy in 2004, to help Australia defeat India on the subcontinent for the first time in more than 30 years, and was named in early 2005 as the Australian Test Player of the Year at the annual Allan Border Medal presentations.

Damien Martyn moved with his family to Perth, Western Australia at the age of three, and was educated at Girrawheen Senior High School, before being selected for the Australian Cricket Academy in Adelaide in 1990.

Damien Martyn made his first class debut for Western Australia the following season, in which he scored 822 runs at 51.37.

Damien Martyn captained Australia A in the international ODI tournament of the same season.

On 1 September 2007, it was reported in the Daily Telegraph that Damien Martyn had joined the break-away Indian Cricket League.

On 19 January 2010, Damien Martyn was signed for US$100,000 to play for the Rajasthan Royals in the Indian Premier League.

Damien Martyn batted in the middle-order, scoring 36 and 15.

Damien Martyn played in all Tests in that season, apart from the Fourth Test at the Adelaide Oval where he was replaced by fellow Western Australian Justin Langer after sustaining an injury before the match.

Damien Martyn was a member of the ODI squad in that season, playing less regularly in only four of eleven matches, and aggregating 45 runs at 22.5.

Damien Martyn was dropped from the Test team in the early 1993 tour to New Zealand, until being recalled for the Third Test at Eden Park, Auckland after Mark Waugh was dropped, scoring 74.

Damien Martyn played in some of the subsequent ODIs on the New Zealand tour as well as on the 1993 Ashes tour to England, but was dropped from the Test team after Waugh scored centuries in the warm-up matches and had been the leading run scorer in the New Zealand ODIs.

Waugh was third in the Test batting averages, confining Damien Martyn to playing in tour matches against county teams.

Damien Martyn then attempted an airborne cover-drive off Allan Donald and was caught, and Australia lost the Test.

Damien Martyn was heavily criticised by the media who blamed him for the defeat.

Damien Martyn played three more ODIs in that season, before being dropped upon Waugh's return from injury.

Damien Martyn re-appeared at the start of the millennium when he replaced an injured Ricky Ponting on the tour to New Zealand in early 2000.

Damien Martyn played one test during that summer, replacing an injured Steve Waugh for Australia's victory at Adelaide where he remained not out in both innings.

Damien Martyn was selected on Australia's tour to India in 2001 and was considered unlucky not to replace a struggling Ponting.

Damien Martyn posted his maiden test century in the first test at Edgbaston.

Damien Martyn was chosen as a Wisden Cricketer of the Year as a result of his performances in The Ashes in the summer of 2001.

Damien Martyn was then man of the series in India when Australia claimed their first series victory on Indian soil in over 30 years.

Damien Martyn made two centuries and narrowly missed out on becoming the first Australian batsman since Don Bradman to make three centuries in three innings when he was dismissed for 97 in the second innings of the third test.

Damien Martyn was presented with the McGilvray Medal in 2005 as the ABC's Test cricketer of the year as well as being adjudged Test Player of the Year at the 2005 Allan Border Medal.

Damien Martyn was recalled to the Test squad at the expense of Brad Hodge for the three-Test series in South Africa in March and April 2006.

Damien Martyn played an important unbeaten innings in the final against the West Indies to help Australia win the tournament for the first time.

Damien Martyn scored a century on 13 occasions in Test cricket and 5 in One Day International matches, but has not scored a century in Twenty20 international.

Damien Martyn scored his first century, about 9 years after making his debut, in The Ashes, against England on 5 July 2001 at Edgbaston Cricket Ground, Birmingham scoring 105 runs in the process.