early life australian test cricketer born december day international debut australian cricket team south_africa cricket team new_zealand age february eldest children emulated feats father playing cricket summer australian rules football winter breaking arm playing sport junior team year old educated state school system studying received bat sponsorship acclaimed best year old batsman coach seen years days class cricket debut tasmania breaking record youngest player represent state later season youngest score class century years days record years days season scored centuries match western_australia youngest player history played non international games national teams australia world series cup making australian debut birth born tasmania december eldest children brother drew years younger sister born uncle played cricket australia good club cricketer played australian rules state champion fiercely contested 1950s 1960s mix cricket baseball primarily played australian states tasmania new south wales queensland parents lived prospect south city centre moving working class area north central suburb near tasmania largest capacity stadium australian football league venue residents area generally known land previously swamp banks junior ranks introduced cricket father uncle able play team age january took day annual junior cricket competition monday struggled trouble bounced century tuesday wednesday saw continued form thursday friday scoring centuries days bat manufacturer gave sponsorship contract years old took form week long competition month later scoring century final day head said certainly equal level age best seen north technique application temperament excellent need progress australian rules football big sporting life winter played junior football possible sporting option broke right arm playing arm badly damaged pinned told endure week lay played competitive football later wrote stage concerned arm injury stop playing cricket doctors pretty good job pinning bones hasn bothered said love play australia look sheffield shield matches ground served assistant surrounding class international leaving school end year year old began work private school sponsored attend fortnight training adelaide weeks turned year scholarship acclaimed best year old batsman academy coach seen playing games tasmania tournament scored runs earning selection man national development squad upcoming tour south_africa australian cricket team official tour country team south_africa banned international sport soon government policy 1990s australians played day day games winning drawing scored runs average later recalling excitement experience wrote fitted traveling uniform represent country hit home proud moment life real representative tour felt like wasn gathered airport got real rush excitement sixteen year old kid play cricket strange country told conditions like experienced excited prospect taking told wickets bouncy fast similar strip perth early australian domestic career scoring club match youngest player appear tasmania match breaking record days november age years days batted number order south_australia adelaide oval despite scoring run partnership prevent defeat scoring tasmania second innings match tasmania time new_south_wales contributed draw scoring western_australia narrow loss match sydney marked debut future australian opening bowler end day play tasmania player resist reaching eventually reached figures morning having endured rain breaks minutes century youngest score class century years days record years days day spoke achievement knew patient wait come wasn nervous night bit nervous morning dismissed total scored boundaries half hour stay impressed saw excellent innings classical stroke play way freely good solid innings showed potential realised indication like extra step performances lead list debut december victoria devonport struggled scoring balls tasmania defeat form nonetheless remained strong class cricket scoring half century scored centuries western_australia perth nation fastest wicket youngest batsmen shield history score centuries match setting goal scoring class runs season finished runs form list games strong matches hit unbeaten balls touring england season end aged played seven day games scoring runs speculation ignited outsider selected australian squad tour england speculation said start season wondering play shield cricket year sudden talk papers chance australian tour england think way reach like south australian scored class centuries ahead thought handle experience lot attention affects different people different ways rounded young hasn changed told enjoy attention keeps sure cope success imagine achieve eventually chose western australian batsman tour selected academy squad captained toured india sri_lanka seven games august september australian success limited wins batsman scored century reached day game finished tour second highest run start sheffield shield season spoke goals summer got goal making runs season hopefully stay middle long worry people expectation don care written press like read doesn far head tasmania final round robin match season needed defeat south_australia outright qualify final set runs win overs joined score scored run partnership ended tasmania needing runs victory despite tasmania losing quick wickets dismissal won wickets hand repeat performance final new_south_wales scored tasmania defeated innings runs season saw score runs close run goal month final selected academy squad limited overs matches touring indian team captained australian included australian keeper australia victory match canberra scored making victory sydney match successful home team required bat started campaign century eventual shield champions queensland brisbane performance impressed queensland captain retired international cricket leading national team decade border said outstanding prospect thing like aggressive plays shots equally home foot foot cuts pulls drives don ability foot foot play equally speculation arose selected upcoming tour west_indies tasmania played western australia oval november stumps century fifth successive triple figure score western_australia sir batsman score consecutive centuries state shield history continued sharing run stand captain process days double century named australian play england oval match practice fringe australian players upcoming series west_indies future australian representatives selected drawn match compiled half century scored century fourth team introduced world series cup australia time australian teams players stepped team main australian team vice versa competition depending performance australian captain fan innovation field ultra competitive attitude teams spurred sic australia supporting australia firing course gave australia guys chance break australian team focus summer beating england tests winning world series beating australian mates despite negative feedback concept gave chance international stage scored runs half century weeks world series selected squad upcoming day tri series involving south_africa india hosts new_zealand trent bouts cricket writer australian said selection age normally represent bold youth talents amounts routine progression debut south_africa basin reserve wellington february
Early life of Ricky Ponting