| |
Date |
Test |
Venue |
Opp. |
1st |
2nd |
Ct |
Result |
| |
01/12/79 |
1 |
Brisbane |
WI |
92 |
75 |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
14/12/79 |
1 |
Perth |
Eng |
0 |
33 |
0 |
won by 138 runs |
| |
29/12/79 |
2 |
Melbourne |
WI |
16 |
69 |
1 |
lost by 10 wickets |
| |
26/01/80 |
3 |
Adelaide |
WI |
52 |
36 |
1 |
lost by 408 runs |
| |
01/02/80 |
3 |
Melbourne |
Eng |
74 |
25 |
0 |
won by 8 wickets |
| |
27/02/80 |
1 |
Karachi |
Pak |
6 |
23 |
0 |
lost by 7 wickets |
| |
06/03/80 |
2 |
Faisalabad |
Pak |
0 |
dnb |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
18/03/80 |
3 |
Lahore |
Pak |
17 |
63 |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
28/08/80 |
1 |
Lord's |
Eng |
24 |
6 |
1 |
Match Drawn |
| |
13/11/81 |
1 |
Perth |
Pak |
27 |
85 |
0 |
won by 286 runs |
| |
27/11/81 |
2 |
Brisbane |
Pak |
44 |
3* |
2 |
won by 10 wickets |
| |
11/12/81 |
3 |
Melbourne |
Pak |
35 |
52 |
1 |
lost by an inns & 82 runs |
| |
26/12/81 |
1 |
Melbourne |
WI |
4 |
64 |
1 |
won by 58 runs |
| |
02/01/82 |
2 |
Sydney |
WI |
14 |
38 |
2 |
Match Drawn |
| |
30/01/82 |
3 |
Adelaide |
WI |
2 |
78 |
2 |
lost by 5 wickets |
| |
26/02/82 |
1 |
Wellington |
NZ |
27* |
dnb |
0 |
Match Drawn |
| |
12/03/82 |
2 |
Auckland |
NZ |
38 |
39 |
1 |
lost by 5 wickets |
| |
19/03/82 |
3 |
Christchurch |
NZ |
12 |
31 |
0 |
won by 8 wickets |
| |
22/09/82 |
1 |
Karachi |
Pak |
32 |
3 |
1 |
lost by 9 wickets |
| |
30/09/82 |
2 |
Faisalabad |
Pak |
8 |
60 |
2 |
lost by an inns & 3 runs |
| |
14/10/82 |
3 |
Lahore |
Pak |
28 |
6 |
1 |
lost by 9 wickets |
Summary of all matches
| M |
Runs |
HS |
Ave |
100s |
50s |
W |
BB |
Ave |
5w |
Ct |
| 21 |
1341 |
92 |
35.29 |
0 |
11 |
0 |
0-3 |
n/a |
0 |
16 |
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Photograph of Bruce Laird playing for Australia taken in 1980 by George Herringshaw. ©
| The West Australian opening bat Bruce Laird was the only newcomer to
make his reputation in Kerry Packer's World Series, rather than in the
weakened Test teams of the era. In fact the constant battering of the
fast bowlers suited Laird's game. He was less secure against spin and
while there were some world-class spinners in the World Series, most of
the bowling in the top games was done by the battery of fast men. Laird
had toured England in 1975 without playing a Test and when he was signed
by World Series it was as one of a number of fringe players who were
expected to spend their time playing country matches. In fact he quickly
replaced Ian Davis as Australian opener and in 1977-78 scored 106
against West Indies in the Supertest at Football Park Adelaide and 106
against the World XI at the Sydney Showground. He was the only non-Test
player to find a place in the Supertests and continued to open for WSC
Australia in 1978-79, taking part in the World Series tour of West
Indies and scoring 122 in the Trinidad Supertest. He kept his place when
the team went back to official Test cricket, making 92 and 75 against
West Indies on his debut and 74 against England at Melbourne. He played
on for three more seasons, scoring 85 against Pakistan at Perth in
1981-82 and making three half-centuries against a 1982-83 West Indians,
and finished his Test career with the respectable average of 35.28 from
21 Tests. (Bob Harragan) |