Craig McDERMOTT

Craig McDermott, the red-headed fast bowler from Queensland, started his Test career strongly but faded away so much that by the end of the 1980s his career looked to be over. It can have done little for his confidence that most people remembered him for being hit back over his head for 6 by Ian Botham, who bashed the first ball with the new ball into the pavilion at Edgbaston. McDermott first played for Queensland in 1983-84 and was hurried into the Test side the next season, appearing at Melbourne in the fourth Test against the West Indies. He took 3-65 even though he was not given the new ball and followed up with four wickets in a spinners' match at Sydney. Despite his harsh treatment by Botham and later the three Gs, he looked impressive in England in 1985, taking 6-70 at Lord's and 8-141 at Old Trafford in an innings when only nine wickets fell.

He was the spearhead in Australia's successful World Cup campaign of 1987, taking 4-56 against India at Madras and 5-44 in the semi-final against Pakistan at Lahore. In the final he was sent in to bat as a pinch hitter at number four, though his early batting promise was never fulfilled. A successful series against New Zealand in 1987-88 followed, with 5-97 at Melbourne, but then his career went into decline and the likes of Bruce Reid and Merv Hughes were preferred by the selectors. Geoff Lawson was also brought back to spearhead the attack in 1989 against England, ahead of the younger McDermott. (Bob Harragan)

A couple of years in exile at The Gabba worked wonders for McDermott. When he got his Test place back in the last matches of Graham Gooch's Ashes tour of 1990-91 he was almost unstoppable. He had shortened and straightened his run up and was doing far more with the ball. He took 5-97 in Adelaide on his come-back, then 8-97 and 3-60 in Perth. Even his batting was given an airing as he thumped 42 not out. In West Indies immediately afterwards he took 19 wickets in the series and in 199l-92 tormented India with 5-54 and 4-97 in Brisbane and 5-76 and 5-92 in Adelaide. He was again Border's spearhead in the disappointing World Cup campaign on Australia's home grounds which followed.

Yorkshire chose him as their first ever overseas player, but injury forced him to pull out of the deal. He took 18 wickets against the West Indies the following season and was expected to continue his dominance of England batsmen in the Ashes series of 1993, but a minor niggle in the second Test turned out to be a life-threatening twisted bowel. After an emergency operation he had to fly home to convalesce with four Tests still to play. McDermott showed the force he could have been in his swansong against England in 1994-95. He took 6-53 in Brisbane, 5-42 in Melbourne, 5-101 in Sydney and 6-38 in Perth. (Bob Harragan)