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Full name Wayne Bentley Phillips
Born March 1, 1958, Adelaide, South Australia
Current age 50 years 262 days
Major teams Australia,South Australia
Batting style Left-hand bat
Fielding position Wicketkeeper
Other Coach, Commentator
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
Tests
27
48
2
1485
159
32.28
2
7
171
5
52
0
ODIs
48
41
6
852
75*
24.34
994
85.71
0
6
42
7
First-class
114
199
16
6907
260
37.74
13
33
154
7
List A
83
75
11
1804
135
28.18
1
13
70
8
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
Tests
27
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
ODIs
48
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
First-class
114
29
13
0
-
-
-
2.68
-
0
0
0
List A
83
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
Career statistics
Test debut
Australia v Pakistan at Perth, Nov 11-14, 1983 scorecard
Last Test
New Zealand v Australia at Auckland, Mar 13-17, 1986 scorecard
Test statistics
ODI debut
Pakistan v Australia at Karachi, Oct 22, 1982 scorecard
Last ODI
New Zealand v Australia at Auckland, Mar 29, 1986 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class span
1977/78 - 1990/91
List A span
1977/78 - 1990/91
Profile
South Australia's Wayne Phillips was a rakishly built left handed batsman
and wicketkeeper who represented both state and country over the course of a
first class career that spanned the thirteen year period between the 1977-78
and 1990-91 seasons. Despite an unusual grip on the blade (one hand was
placed close to the top of the handle and the other near to the bottom),
Phillips was a natural strokemaker and one who was particularly confident
when executing horizontal bat shots. It was this confidence - as well as a
willingness to sacrifice himself for the good of his team - which was
integral in his emergence as a successful opener for the Croweaters in the
early 1980s and in his elevation to Test level at the start of the 1983-84
international season. Phillips enjoyed a meteoric rise to the top flight:
his commanding 159 against Pakistan in Perth made him only the fourteenth
Australian in Test history to compile a century on debut. But it was not
long before the same sense of selflessness that had inspired his
transformation from a middle order player into an opening batsman acted as a
millstone around his neck. In mid-career, he was asked to become a
wicketkeeper on the basis of his experience as a gloveman at underage and
club level and as a response to the development of a gaping hole in the
Australian team following Rod Marsh's departure. While the move was not
without some short-term benefits - his sound wicketkeeping skills and a
courageous second Test century on tour in the Caribbean in 1984 encouraged
hopes of a long and fruitful stint in the role - it effectively spelled the
beginning of the end for his international ambitions. His productivity with
the bat waned so steadily thereafter that his Test and ODI careers were both
over within a mere three years. He subsequently remained a key player in
the South Australian team for a number of seasons but his career never again
touched the same heights as it had done previously. Ultimately, Phillips
became involved in full-time coaching work at the Australian Cricket Academy
in Adelaide, a role in which he still functions today. He can also
occasionally be heard as a television commentator on the Nine Network.
John Polack
