A fan of the game, and a keen traveller too? Here’s where your favourite Australian cricketers come from, and what charms their states hold
Daniel Brettig23-Feb-2017New South Wales1:45
Know your opponents – New South Wales
Australia’s captain Steven Smith hails from the Sutherland Shire to Sydney’s south, near the beaches of Cronulla, the gateway to the south-east of the state and its host of natural beauty. Mitchell Starc emerged from the west of the city, an area of enormous growth in recent years and also the inner suburban cultural centre of Newtown and Enmore. David Warner’s Matraville upbringing stationed him in the east of Sydney, near the opulence of the suburbs ringing the SCG and the picturesque beaches stretching from Bondi to Coogee via Tamarama, Bronte and Clovelly. Steve O’Keefe’s home grade club is Manly-Warringah, over the other side of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and opening the way to the northern beaches beloved by many in New South Wales. Sydney’s bright lights and many central attractions open out from Circular Quay, taking in the Botanic Gardens, Mrs Macquarie’s chair and its unrivalled harbour views, Wolloomooloo and then Elizabeth Bay and Double Bay next door.Some five hours’ drive to the north of Sydney sits Tamworth, the birthplace of Josh Hazlewood and also the country music capital of Australia. The town’s annual awards ceremony and attendant festival attract thousands each year, the throng converging on a community that sits more or less halfway between Sydney and Brisbane. A host of other substantial towns in rural NSW provide a rich vein of cricket talent for Australia and countless opportunities for exploration – a little under four hours drive to the north-east is Coffs Harbour, a coastal town of considerable charm. Nathan Lyon, meanwhile, grew up in Young, several hundred kilometres to the south-west and near towns such as Bathurst, Goulburn, Wagga Wagga and Canberra, the national capital.Victoria1:51
Know your opponents – Victoria
Victoria’s attractions centre upon the capital Melbourne and its unrivalled place as the arts and cultural hub of Australia. Glenn Maxwell and Peter Handscomb, the two Bushrangers in the squad, both grew up to the east of the city – Maxwell in Belgrave South and Handscomb in Mt Waverley. Around halfway between is Malvern, the suburb in which Ashton Agar went to school before moving west. To the south-east is many a great sight, as the Great Ocean Road stretches from Torquay to Allansford. Cricketing paths converge at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, the mighty arena that played host to the 1956 Olympics in addition to countless memorable moments in cricket, Australian Rules Football and numerous other sports besides. Across the train line sits Melbourne Park, host venue for the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament, and a January entertainment hub par excellence.A glance towards the west along the Yarra River will offer the striking visage of the Melbourne Arts Centre, its Parisian spire stretching into the skyline and heralding those interested to a rolling feast of creative pursuits, both at the centre and in the nearby Hamer Hall. Cross the river and find the city itself, branching out in all directions from Flinders Street Station and its iconic clock. The city’s grid offers up a rich supply of experiences, most notably in its many laneways and side streets, host to countless bars and restaurants. To the north-west sits the Queen Victoria Market, where a wide array of sellers offer their wares, and on Wednesday nights over summer the night markets heave with food, drink and live music.Queensland2:00
Know your opponents – Queensland
While Usman Khawaja, Mitch Swepson and Matt Renshaw all call Brisbane home, the capital is far from the only thing to write home about Australia’s second-most voluminous state. It starts at the Gold Coast, famed for long sandy beaches, surfing and a host of attractions such as Dreamworld, Sea World and the inland hiking afforded by Lamington National Park. Brisbane itself sits astride the river bearing the same name, and offers a mix of cultural and entertainment experiences such as the Queensland Museum, and the state’s gallery of modern art. The city’s Botanic Gardens art nestled around the peak of Mt Coot-tha.Continue up the coast to find the Sunshine Coast’s more leisurely pace, on to Hervey Bay, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay, Townsville, Cairns and Port Douglas. Offshore the Great Barrier Reef stands as the world’s largest single living thing, while the Whitsunday islands to the south are a much loved place of relaxation and recreation. North-west of Cairns is the widely known Daintree National Park, encompassing kilometres of mountainous rainforest, beaches, cliffs and gorges.Western Australia1:43
Know your opponents – Western Australia
Wandering, a tiny farming town in the West Australian wheat belt, was home to the farm on which Geoff Marsh grew up, before fathering the two WA products in Australia’s squad – Shaun and Mitchell Marsh. Moving north-west to the capital of Perth was a decision necessary to further cricket careers, and to take in the opportunities afforded by a city that has grown and evolved a great deal over the past 20 years or so. The Swan River divides the city from its southern offshoots, while the port of Fremantle sits around half an hour’s drive to the south-west. Perth is as expansive as any Australia city, its suburbs sprawling out in all directions while Kings Park sits by the river and the Botanic Gardens offer an impressive vista from Mt Eliza. WA’s enormity means a network of towns dotted all the way up the west coast of the continent, from Broome in the north down to Geraldton and Cervantes nearer Perth. Towards the state’s south-west tip, the likes of Bunbury, Busselton and Margaret River offer an abundance of surf beaches, wineries and craft breweries.
