| Cricket in Australia | |
|---|---|
.jpg) TheMCG hosting the2015 Cricket World Cup Final between Australia and New Zealand | |
| Country | Australia |
| Governing body | Cricket Australia |
| National teams | Australia Men Australia Women Australia U-19 Men Australia U-19 Women Australia A Men |
| First played | December 1803, Sydney |
| Registered players | 541,743 (adult) 156,089 (child)[1] |
| National competitions | |
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| Club competitions | |
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| International competitions | |
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| Audience records | |
| Single match | Test (overall): 373,691 –Australia vIndia, 4th Test, December 2024,Melbourne Cricket Ground Test (day): 91,092 – Australia v England, Day 1 (26 December), 4th test 2013/14,Melbourne Cricket Ground ODI: 93,013 – Australia vNew Zealand, 29 March 2015,2015 Cricket World Cup Final,Melbourne Cricket Ground |
Cricket is a popularsport in Australia at international, domestic, and local levels. It is widely played across the country, especially from the months of September to April.[2] It was one of the first of Australia's mainstream sports to be established, having begun in theColony of New South Wales as early as December 1803. The peak administrative body for both professional and amateur cricket isCricket Australia.
Australia has approximately 8 million cricket fans, which is nearly one in three Australians.[3] Ausplay in 2024 reports that 541,743 adults and 156,089 children play cricket in Australia.[1] Less than a quarter of all players are female.[1] Separately, official audience data shows that 93.6% of Australians watched at least some cricket on TV in 2010–11 calendar year.[4]
As of February 2025, Australia is ranked first in the ICC Men's Test Team Rankings.[5] Australia is ranked first in the ICC women's ODI Team Rankings 2025 with a rating of 168.[6]
Cricket has been played in Australia for over 210 years. The first recorded cricket match in Australia took place in Sydney in December 1803 and a report in theSydney Gazette on 8 January 1804 suggested that cricket was already well established in the infant colony.Intercolonial cricket in Australia started with a visit by cricketers fromVictoria to Tasmania in February 1851.[7] The match was played in Launceston on 11–12 February with Tasmania winning by 3 wickets.[8]
The first tour by an English team to Australia was in 1861–62, organised by the catering firm of Spiers and Pond as a private enterprise. A further tour followed in 1863–64, led byGeorge Parr and was even more successful than the last.[9]
In 1868, a team consisting ofAboriginal cricketers became the first Australian team to tour England. The team played 47 matches, winning 14, drawing 19 and losing 14. The heavy workload and inclement weather took its toll withKing Cole contracting a fatal case oftuberculosis during the tour.[10]
Further tours by English teams took place in 1873–74 (featuring the most notable cricketer of the ageW. G. Grace) and 1876–77.[9] The 1876–77 season was notable for a match between a combined XI from New South Wales and Victoria and the touring Englishmen at theMelbourne Cricket Ground played on 15–19 March. This match, later to be recognised as the first Test match, was won by Australia by 45 runs thanks mainly to an unbeaten 165 byCharles Bannerman. The result of this match was seen by Australians and Englishmen as a reflection of the rising standard of Australian cricket.[11]
The rising standards of Australian cricket was further established during the first representative tour of England in 1878. A return visit in 1878–79 is best remembered for ariot and by the time Australia visited England in 1880, playing the first Test in England atThe Oval, a system of international tours was well established.[9] A famous victory on the 1882 tour of England resulted in the placement of asatiricalobituary in an English newspaper,TheSporting Times. The obituary stated that English cricket had died, and thebody will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. The English media then dubbed the next English tour to Australia (1882–83) as the quest to regainThe Ashes.[12] TheSheffield Shield, the premierfirst-class cricket competition in Australia, was established in 1892 by the Australasian Cricket Council, the first attempt at a national cricket board.[7]
The era from the mid-1890s to World War I has been described as Australian cricket'sgolden age. This era saw the emergence of players such asMonty Noble,Clem Hill and in particularVictor Trumper, who was idolised by the Australian public.[13]World War I led to the suspension of both international and Sheffield Shield cricket and the enlistment of many cricketers in theAIF.[7] After the war, a team consisting of cricketers enlisted in the AIF toured the United Kingdom.[9]
International cricket recommenced with a tour by a weakened England team in 1920–21. The strong Australian team, led by Armstrong and with a bowling attack spearheaded by Gregory andTed McDonald won the series 5–0, the first time this was achieved in an Ashes series.[7]Don Bradman, born inCootamundra and raised inBowral was 20 when he made his Test debut in the first Test of the 1928–29 series against England.[14] He would hold the records for the highest individual Test innings and the most centuries in Test cricket and when he retired in 1948 he had the highest Test batting average, the last a record he still holds. He scored 117first classcenturies, still the only Australian to score a century of centuries and wasknighted for services to cricket.[14]
TheBodyline controversy began whenBradman toured England with the Australian team in 1930. Bradman scored heavily, 974 runs at an average of 139.14 including a then world record 334 atLeeds, two other double centuries and another single.[9] Watching these displays of batting wasDouglas Jardine, playing forSurrey. Following discussions with other observers such asPercy Fender andGeorge Duckworth, he developed a tactic to limit the prodigious run scoring of Bradman and the others.[15] The tactic, originally called fast leg theory and later calledbodyline involved fast short pitched bowling directed at the batsman's body and a packed leg side field. Appointed captain of England for the 1932–33 series in Australia, Jardine was able to put these theories into practice. Combined with bowlers of the speed and accuracy ofHarold Larwood andBill Voce, the tactic required batsmen to risk injury in order to protect their wicket. In the third Test inAdelaide, Larwood struck Australian captainBill Woodfull above the heart and fracturedwicket-keeperBert Oldfield's skull.[16]
In December 1934, the Australian women's team played theEnglish women in the first women's Test match at theBrisbane Exhibition Ground. Despite a 7 wicket haul toAnne Palmer in the first innings, the English women were too strong and won by 9 wickets.[17]
Once again, war brought a stop to Shield and Test cricket as Australia mobilised for World War II. Immediately after theend of the war in Europe in 1945, anAustralian Services XI played a series ofVictory Tests in England. The team was captained byLindsay Hassett and it saw the emergence of the charismatic all-rounderKeith Miller. The series was drawn 2–2.[18] After the retirement of Bradman in 1948, Hassett, Miller and all-rounderRay Lindwall formed the nucleus of the Australian team. They were later joined byleg spinning all-rounder,Richie Benaud and batsmanNeil Harvey.
By the 1958–59 series, Benaud was captain of the Australian side and managed to recover the Ashes. The 1960–61 series at home against theWest Indies was widely regarded as one of the most memorable. A commitment by Benaud and his West Indian counterpartFrank Worrell to entertaining cricket revived lagging interest in the sport.[19] The gripping series, including the firsttied Test, saw Australia win 2–1 and become the inaugural holders of the newly commissionedFrank Worrell Trophy. The West Indian team was held in such affection that aticker-tape parade in their honour prior to their departure from Australia attracted a crowd of 300,000 Melburnians to wish them farewell.[20]
In the late 1950s and early 1960s, there was an ongoing controversy regarding illegal bowling actions. A number of bowlers, Australian and international were accused ofthrowing or "chucking" over this period including the South Australian pair of Alan Hitchcox and Peter Trethewey and New South Welshman, Gordon Rorke.[7] The controversy reached a high point whenIan Meckiff was recalled to the Australian team for the first Test of the 1963–64 series againstSouth Africa. Called on to bowl his first over, he wasno-balled 4 times by umpireColin Egar for throwing before being removed from the attack by his skipper, Benaud. As a consequence, Meckiff retired from all levels of cricket after the match and Egar received death threats from persons aggrieved at his call.[21]
The 1970s saw players and administrators once again come into conflict. Poor scheduling saw Australia visit South Africa immediately after a tour to India in 1969–70. This would be the last tour to South Africa prior to the application of international sporting sanctions designed to oppose the policy ofapartheid. The tired Australians came across a very strong South African team in conditions vastly different from thesubcontinent, and were subsequently beaten 4–0. A request by theAustralian Cricket Board for the players to play a further match in South Africa was met with resistance by the players, led by the captain,Bill Lawry.[22]During the following home series against England, Lawry was sacked as captain and replaced by the South Australian batsman,Ian Chappell. Lawry remains the only Australian captain to be sacked in the middle of a Test series.[22]
Greg Chappell, Ian's younger brother, succeeded him as captain in 1975–76 and led the Australian team in theCentenary Test in Melbourne in March 1977. A celebration of 100 years of Test cricket, Australia won the Test by 45 runs, the precise result of the corresponding game 100 years earlier.[23]
While Australian cricket celebrated, the Australian media tycoonKerry Packer was making plans to wrest away the television rights for Australian cricket. During the 1977 Ashes tour, the cricket world became aware that Packer had signed 35 of the world's top cricketers for a series of matches, including 18 Australians, 13 of whom were part of the tour party.[24]World Series Cricket, as the breakaway group was known split Australian cricket in two for nearly three years. Former Australian captain,Bob Simpson was recalled from retirement to lead an inexperienced team in a home series againstIndia in 1977–78, won 3–2 and then a tour to the West Indies, marred by an ugly riot.[7] For the 1978–79 Ashes series, he was replaced by the young Victorian,Graham Yallop. The subsequent thrashing, a 5–1 victory for England, and the success of World Series Cricket forced the Australian Cricket Board to concede on Packer's terms.[7]
The settlement between the ACB and WSC led to the introduction of a series of innovations including night cricket, coloured clothing and an annual limited overs tri-series called theWorld Series Cup. It also signalled the return of the champion cricketers Greg Chappell,Dennis Lillee andRod Marsh. Their retirement at the end of the 1983–84 season was quickly followed by a series oftours to South Africa by a rebel Australian team in breach of the sporting sanctions imposed on the apartheid regime. The combined effect was to leave Australian cricket at its nadir under reluctant captain,Allan Border, losing Test series at home (2–1) and away (1–0) toNew Zealand in 1985–86.[25]
The long road back for Australian cricket started in India in 1986–87. Border, along with Bob Simpson in a new role as coach, set out to identify a group of players that a team could form around.[26] These players showed some of the steel necessary in the famoustied Test at theM. A. Chidambaram Stadium inChennai. Returning to the subcontinent for theWorld Cup in 1987, Australia surprised the cricket world by defeating England atEden Gardens inKolkata to win the tournament with a disciplined brand of cricket.[27] By the1989 Ashes tour, the development of players such asSteve Waugh andDavid Boon and the discovery ofMark Taylor andIan Healy had reaped rewards. The 4–0 drubbing of England was the first time since1934 that Australia had recovered the Ashes away from home and marked the resurgence of Australia as a cricketing power.[28] Australia would hold the Ashes for the next 16 years.[29]
The most successful leg-spinbowler in the history of the game,Shane Warne, made his debut in 1991–92 in the third Test against India at theSydney Cricket Ground. He had an undistinguished Test debut, taking 1/150 off 45 overs, and recording figures of 1/228 in his first Test series. From this modest beginning, Warne dominated Australian cricket for 15 years, taking 708 wickets at an average of 25.41.[30] When the fast medium bowler,Glenn McGrath was first selected in the Australian team for thePerth test against New Zealand in 1993–94, the core of a highly successful bowling attack was formed. In 1994–95, under new captain Taylor, the Australians defeated the then dominant West Indies in the Caribbean to recover theFrank Worrell Trophy for the first time since 1978 and staked a claim to be considered the best team in the world.[31]
Following a disappointingWorld Cup at home in 1992, Australia then entered a run of extraordinarily successful World Cup campaigns; runners up toSri Lanka in1996 in the subcontinent, fighting back after early setbacks to win inEngland in 1999 and unbeaten on their way to anothervictory in South Africa.[32] The change in captain from Taylor to Steve Waugh made little difference in the success of the Australian team. Waugh made a slightly rocky start to his term as captain, drawing 2–2 with the West Indies in the Caribbean and losing to Sri Lanka 1–0 away. A victory in the Australian team's first ever Test match againstZimbabwe was the start of an unparalleled 16 Test winning streak. The streak was finally ended in 2001 in Kolkata with a remarkable victory by India after being asked tofollow-on. For Waugh, India would remain unconquered territory.[33]
Australia's success was not without its detractors. Accusations of racism were made against the Australian team, one incident leading to a suspension forDarren Lehmann in 2003.[34] Contacts between Warne and batsmanMark Waugh and illegalbookmakers, at first kept under cover by the ACB, were later revealed by the Australian press, sparking accusations of hypocrisy given Australian cricket's earlier attitude towardmatch fixing allegations.[35] Warne would later be suspended from all forms of cricket for 12 months after testing positive to banneddiureticshydrochlorothiazide andamiloride.[35] The brand of cricket played by the Australian team was praised for its spirit and aggressiveness but critics charged that this aggressive approach led to uglysledging incidents such as the confrontation between McGrath and West Indian batsman,Ramnaresh Sarwan at theAntigua Recreation Ground in 2003.[36] Tasmanian batsmanRicky Ponting would admit to analcohol problem after incidents in India and in Sydney.[37]
A rehabilitated Ponting would succeed Waugh as captain in 2004. While injured for most of the 2004–05 series against India, his team under acting captainAdam Gilchrist defeated India in India, the first Australian series win in India since Bill Lawry's team in 1969–70. A 2–1 defeat in the2005 Ashes series in England was quickly avenged at home with a5–0 thrashing of England in 2006–07. Thewhitewash was the first in an Ashes series since Warwick Armstrong's team in 1920–21.[38] Following the series, the successful bowling combination of McGrath and Warne retired from Test cricket, with a record that was hard to match.Australia won the2007 Cricket World Cup underRicky Ponting in the Caribbean and were unbeaten through the tournament. Australian cricketerMatthew Hayden scored the most runs in the tournament. The finals happened to beGlenn McGrath's last match and he was also the highest wicket taker of the tournament and the player of the tournament.
The2015 Cricket World Cup was jointly hosted by Australia andNew Zealand from 14 February to 29 March 2015. Fourteen teams played 49 matches in 14 venues, with Australia staging 26 games at grounds inAdelaide,Brisbane,Canberra,Hobart,Melbourne,Perth and Sydney. Australia defeated New Zealand by 7 wickets to win theirfifth ICC Cricket World Cup in front of a record crowd of 93,013. The winning captainMichael Clarke, retired from ODIs with immediate effect after thefinal match.[39]
Australia also hosted the2022 T20 World Cup from 16 October to 13 November. In total, 45 games where played across the nation, located in allcapital cities exceptCanberra, as well asGeelong.[40] Australia played 5 games, winning 3, losing 1 against New Zealand and having 1 abandoned. The country finished 3rd in their group, missing out on the semi-finals.[41]
TheCricket Australia (CA) is the principal national governing body of cricket in Australia. Its headquarters is situated at theJolimont,Melbourne. The CA is involved in talent development through grassroots programs and cricket academies. Its initiatives include infrastructure development, coaching, and player welfare programs designed to maintain and enhance Australia's competitive performance internationally.
The CA was established in 1905 as theAustralian Board of Control for International Cricket. It is incorporated as an Australian Public Company,limited by guarantee.[42]
TheAustralia national cricket team is governed by theCricket Australia (CA) and is a member of theEast Asia-Pacific. Since 1909, the CA has been affiliated withICC, the international governing body for world cricket.
The following list includes the performance of all of Australia's national teams at major competitions.
The Australian senior national team had several successes and is considered No. 1 team in Pacific and one of the best team in the world cricket. The national team's highest achievement is winning most number ofCricket World Cups.
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Men's Cricket World Cup | 8 out of 13 | 2023 | Champions (1987,1999,2003,2007,2015,2023) |
| ICC Men's T20 World Cup | 2 out of 9 | 2024 | Champions (2021) |
| ICC Champions Trophy | 2 out of 8 | 2017 | Champions (2006,2009) |
| ICC World Test Championship | 2 out of 3 | 2023–25 | Champions (2021-2023) |
| Commonwealth Games | 1 out of 1 | 1998 | Silver Medal (1998) |
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Women's Cricket World Cup | 9 out of 12 | 2022 | Champions (1978,1982,1988,1997,2005,2013,2022) |
| ICC Women's T20 World Cup | 7 out of 9 | 2024 | Champions (2010,2012,2014,2018,2020,2023) |
| Commonwealth Games | 1 out of 1 | 2022 | Gold Medal (2022) |
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup | 6 out of 15 | 2024 | Champions (1988,2002,2010,2024) |
| Tournament | Appearance in finals | Last appearance | Best performance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup | 0 out of 1 | 2023 | Semi-final (2023) |
| No. | Name | Represents | CEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cricket NSW | New South Wales | Lee Germon |
| 2 | Queensland Cricket | Queensland | Terry Svenson |
| 3 | South Australian Cricket Association | South Australia | William Rayner |
| 4 | Cricket Tasmania | Tasmania | |
| 5 | Cricket Victoria | Victoria | Nick Cummins |
| 6 | Western Australian Cricket Association | Western Australia | John Stephenson |
| No. | Name | Represents | CEO |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cricket ACT | Australian Capital Territory | Olivia Thornton |
| 2 | Northern Territory Cricket | Northern Territory |
Ausplay in 2024 reports that 541,743 adults and 156,089 children play cricket in Australia.[1] Fewer than a quarter of all players are female.[1]
The 2017–18 National Cricket Census showed 1,558,821 Australians engaged in cricket competitions or programs – an increase of 9% from the previous year. 30% of cricket's participants were female, and 6 in every 10 new participants were female, one of the highest participation growth figures. More than 2.3 million people attended the cricket during the 2017–18 summer, surpassing the record of 1.8 million set in 2016–17.[43]
| Region/state/territory | Registered adults 2023/24[1] |
|---|---|
 National | 541,743 |
 New South Wales | 162,180 |
 Victoria | 160,676 |
 Queensland | 81,240 |
 Western Australia | 58,618 |
 South Australia | 51,820 |
 Tasmania | 11,470 |
 Australian Capital Territory | 7,927 |
 Northern Territory | 7,813 |
TheAustralian national team is one of the most successful teams ininternational cricket. Along with England, Australia was recognised as one of the founder nations of the Imperial Cricket Conference, later theInternational Cricket Council. Australia generally plays a test series against a visiting team, and a one-day series between two other teams at home each summer, and tours overseas for the remainder of the year
Australia have been participating in international cricket since 1861 and competed in international tournament since the first ever the1975 Cricket World Cup. The Australia national cricket team has also provided some of the greatest players to the world, the biggest example of which is Don Bradman. Australian cricket has a rich history. The Australian men's national team is currently ranked No. 1 in Tests, No. 2 in ODIs and at 2nd position in T20Is. Australia had won six World Championship cups (most by any country). In1987 Australia won their first world cup under the captaincy ofAllan Border. Recently in2023, they had won their sixth title under the captaincy of Pat Cummins, which was won after a span of 8 years.
| Name of the trophy | Opponent | First played |
|---|---|---|
| ICC Test Championship | All Test teams | 2003 |
| The Ashes |  England | 1882 |
| Border–Gavaskar Trophy[46] |  India | 1996 |
| Frank Worrell Trophy[47] |  West Indies | 1960–61 |
| Trans-Tasman Trophy[48] |  New Zealand | 1985–86 |
| Benaud-Qadir Trophy[49] |  Pakistan | 2021–2022 |
| Southern Cross Trophy[50] |  Zimbabwe | 1999–2000 |
| Warne–Muralidaran Trophy[51] |  Sri Lanka | 2007–08 |
In late September 2021, Cricket Australia announced it would postpone its men's test match against Afghanistan indefinitely to prompt Afghanistan to rethink their approach to women's sports after media outlets reported that Taliban rulers would not allow women to play cricket. The match against the Afghan men's team was originally scheduled for Nov. 27 in Hobart.[52]
There are currently 290,566 female participants in cricket. TheAustralia national women's cricket team competes internationally and has won theWomen's Cricket World Cup five times, more than any other team.[57] As in men's cricket, Australia and England were the first two women's Test nations, playing in the inauguralwomen's Test in Brisbane in 1934. Australia compete with England forthe Women's Ashes, a cricket bat symbolically burned prior to the 1998 test series. The Australian team also compete in theRose Bowl series, a series ofone-day internationals againstNew Zealand. The Australian women's national team is currently ranked No. 1 in ODIs and at first position in T20Is.
On a domestic level, each of the six states has a cricket team.
Local club cricket is also popular, as well as social cricket which includes variations such asbackyard and beach cricket.
Nineteen different grounds in Australia have been used for international cricket (Tests,ODIs andTwenty20 Internationals). Five were only used once, during the1992 World Cup, while three (all inTasmania) only hosted games during 1980sWorld Series Cups. The main six used are:
| Stadium name | Capacity | City | State | First used | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melbourne Cricket Ground | 100,024 | Melbourne | Victoria | 15 March 1877 | England |
| Sydney Cricket Ground | 48,000 | Sydney | New South Wales | 17 February 1882 | England |
| Adelaide Oval | 53,583 | Adelaide | South Australia | 12 December 1884 | England |
| The Gabba | 42,000 | Brisbane | Queensland | 27 November 1931 |  South Africa |
| Perth Stadium | 60,000 | Perth | Western Australia | 28 January 2018 | England |
| Bellerive Oval | 19,500 | Hobart | Tasmania | 16 December 1989 | Sri Lanka |
Other grounds which have been used for Test cricket are:
| Stadium name | Capacity | City | State | First used | Opponent |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brisbane Exhibition Ground | 25,490 | Brisbane | Queensland | 30 November 1928 | England |
| WACA Ground | 20,000 | Perth | Western Australia | 11 December 1970 | England |
| Marrara Oval | 14,000 | Darwin | Northern Territory | 18 July 2003 |  Bangladesh |
| Cazaly's Stadium | 13,500 | Cairns | Queensland | 25 July 2003 | Bangladesh |
| Manuka Oval | 12,000[60] | Canberra | Australian Capital Territory | 1 February 2019[61] | Sri Lanka |
Grounds which have been used forOne Day Internationals only are:
| Stadium name | Capacity | City | State | First used | Team 1 | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| TCA Ground | 8,000 | Hobart | Tasmania | 10 January 1985 | Sri Lanka | West Indies |
| NTCA Ground | 10,000 | Launceston | Tasmania | 2 February 1986 | New Zealand | India |
| Devonport Oval | 14,000 | Devonport | Tasmania | 3 February 1987 | England | West Indies |
| Harrup Park | 10,000 | Mackay | Queensland | 28 February 1992 | India | Sri Lanka |
| Eastern Oval | NA | Ballarat | Victoria | 9 March 1992 | England | Sri Lanka |
| Berri Oval | NA | Berri | South Australia | 13 March 1992 | Sri Lanka | West Indies |
| Lavington Sports Ground | 20,000 | Albury | New South Wales | 18 March 1992 | England | Zimbabwe |
| Docklands Stadium | 53,359 | Melbourne | Victoria | 16 August 2000 | Australia |  South Africa |
Grounds in Australia which have been used exclusively for theTwenty20 Internationals:
| Stadium name | Capacity | City | State | First used | Team 1 | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stadium Australia | 82,500 | Sydney | New South Wales | 1 February 2012 | Australia | India |
| Kardinia Park | 27,000 | Geelong | Victoria | 19 February 2017 | Australia | Sri Lanka |
A red box around the year indicates tournaments played withinAustralia
| Champions | |
| Runners-up | |
| Semi-finals |
| Year | League stage | Final host | Final | Final position | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pos | Matches | Ded | PC | Pts | PCT | ||||||||
| P | W | L | D | T | |||||||||
| 2019–21[62] | 3/9 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 480 | 332 | 69.2 | Rose Bowl, England | DNQ | 3rd |
| 2021–23[63] | 1/9 | 19 | 11 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 228 | 152 | 66.7 | The Oval, England | Beat India by 209 runs | Champions |
| 2023–25[64] | 2/9 | 17 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 228 | 130 | 63.7 | Lord's, England | Q | In Progress |
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975 | Runners-up | 2/8 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1979 | Group stage | 6/8 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1983 | 6 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 1987 | Champions | 1/8 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1992 | Round-Robin stage | 5/9 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1996 | Runners-up | 2/12 | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1999 | Champions | 1/12 | 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 2003 | Champions | 1/14 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | Champions | 1/16 | 11 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2011 | Quarter-finals | 6/14 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2015 | Champions | 1/14 | 9 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 2019 | Semi-finals | 4/10 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | Champions | 1/10 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 6 titles | 13/13 | 106 | 78 | 25 | 1 | 2 |
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Semi-finals | 3/12 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Group Stage | 11/12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | Runners-up | 2/12 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Semi-finals | 3/12 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Super 10 | 8/16 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | 6/16 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
  2021 | Champions | 1/16 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | Super 12 | 5/16 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 2024 | Super 8 | 6/20 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 1 title | 9/9 | 48 | 30 | 17 | 0 | 1 |
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | Quarter-finals | 8/9 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
 2000 | 5/11 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2002 | Semi-finals | 4/12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | 3/12 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2006 | Champions | 1/10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2013 | Group stage | 7/8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2017 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | ||
| 2025 | Qualified | ||||||
| Total | 2 Titles | 8/8 | 24 | 12 | 8 | 0 | 4 |
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1998 | Runners-up | 2/16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 0 Titles | 1/1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Australia at theWomen's Cricket World Cup | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Finish | Rank | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | |
| 1973 | Runners-up | 2/7 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 1978 | Champions | 1/4 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1982 | 1/5 | 13 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 1988 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 1993 | Group stage | 3/8 | 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 1997 | Champions | 1/11 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2000 | Runners-up | 2/8 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2005 | Champions | 1/8 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 2009 | Super sixes | 4/8 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2013 | Champions | 1/8 | 7 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2017 | Semi-finalists | 3/8 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | Champions | 1/8 | 9 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 12 appearances, 7 titles | 93 | 79 | 11 | 1 | 2 | ||
| Source:[65][66] | ||||||||
| Australia at theWomen's T20 World Cup | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Finish | Rank | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | NR | |
| 2009 | Semi-finalists | 3/8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2010 | Champions | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 1/10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016 | Runners-up | 2/10 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2018 | Champions | 1/10 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2020 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2023 | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |||
| 2024 | Semi-finalists | 3/10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 9 appearances, 6 titles | 49 | 39 | 9 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Source:[67][68] | ||||||||
| Commonwealth Games record | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | L | T | NR | ||
| 2022 | Gold medal | 1/8 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Total | 1 Title | - | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Australia's U19 World Cup record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 1988 | Champions | 1st | 8 | 9 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1998 | Second round | 4th | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2000 | Semi-finals | 4th | 16 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2002 | Champions | 1st | 16 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2004 | First round | 10th | 16 | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2006 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 16 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2008 | Second round | 6th | 16 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| 2010 | Champions | 1st | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2012 | Runner-up | 2nd | 16 | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2014 | Semi-finals | 4th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | Withdrew | |||||||
| 2018 | Runner-up | 2nd | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Quarter finals | 6th | 16 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2022 | Semi-finals | 3rd | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | Champions | 1st | 16 | 8 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Australia U19's Twenty20 World Cup Record | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Result | Pos | № | Pld | W | L | T | NR |
| 2023 | Semi-finals | – | 16 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
 2025 | To be determined | |||||||
 2027 | ||||||||
| Total | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |||
In 2007,The Age reported that a survey by Sweeney Sports had found that 59% of the Australian public have an interest in cricket, second to none.[69] Cricket is also a mass participation sport in Australia: a census conducted on behalf of Cricket Australia found that in the 2003–04 season there were 471,329 participants in Australian cricket programs and competitions, including 47,780 female participants.[70]
In 2015–16, a record 1,300,000 Australians played formal, organised cricket during the year, an increase of nine percent over the previous year, making cricket Australia's biggest participant sport.[71]
The position ofAustralian Test cricket captain is regarded as one of the most important roles in Australian sport. It is often said that in Australia the office of Test captain is second in stature behind the office ofPrime Minister.[72][73][74] Reflecting this community perception, three Australian cricket captains have been named asAustralian of the Year by theNational Australia Day Council; Allan Border in 1989, Mark Taylor in 1999 and Steve Waugh in 2004.[75] In addition, Steve Waugh has been nominated as anAustralian Living Treasure by theNational Trust of Australia, as was Don Bradman prior to his death in 2001.[76]
Cricket plays an important role in Australia's national identity[citation needed], in particular its relationship towards the United Kingdom. The national team has been said to represent "de facto Australian foreign policy" particularly with respect to relations with Asian subcontinent nations.[77]
With both predominant winter sports,Australian rules football andrugby league, having largely regionally divided followings, cricket is the only one of the nation's three most popular sports to maintain a truly national following.[78][79]
Official audience data shows that 93.6% of Australians watched at least some cricket on TV in 2010–11 calendar year.[4]
Australia's victory over New Zealand in the2015 Cricket World Cup Final was, at the time, the most-watched sports match ever in Australia, peaking at 4.218 million viewers nationally. The second innings of the match, which saw Australia winning the match with seven wickets to spare, averaged 2.404 million in the five capital cities and 3.285 million nationally. A further 522,000 watched Australia's innings on pay-TV channelFox Sports 3, while 492,000 watched the first session.[80]
3.196 million viewers peaked in for the2015 Cricket World Cup semi-final between Australia and India, which was broadcast on theNine Network.[81]
Thefirst ever Day/Night test match between Australia and New Zealand attracted nearly 3.1 million viewers across the country during the first two days of the match at Adelaide Oval. The third and eventually the final day of the match, attracted a peak national audience of 3.19 million.[81][82]
An audience of 2.306 million viewers watched the Australia v EnglandTwenty20 match in 2007. It still remains the most watchedTwenty20 match in Australia on TV.[80]
In 2013, Ten paid $100 million for BBL rights over five years, marking the channel's first foray into elite cricket coverage.[83]Network Ten had previously covered theBig Bash League. In 2018 it was announced that theSeven Network andFoxtel had paid a combined $1.2 billion over 6 years for broadcast rights of all cricket competitions in Australia.
BBL coverage has become a regular feature of Australian summers and attracted an average audience of more than 492,000 viewers nationally in 2023-24 season,[84] including a peak audience of 952,000 viewers for the final.
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