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Shaun Graf

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Shaun Graf
Personal information
Full name
Shaun Francis Graf
Born (1957-05-19) 19 May 1957 (age 69)
Somerville, Victoria, Australia
BattingRight-handed
BowlingRight-arm fast-medium
International information
National side
ODI debut (cap 62)23 November 1980 v New Zealand
Last ODI24 November 1981 v West Indies
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
1979Wiltshire
1979/80–1982/83Victoria
1980Hampshire
1983Cornwall
1983/84Western Australia
1984/85Victoria
Career statistics
Competition ODI FC LA
Matches 11 55 41
Runs scored 24 1,559 300
Batting average 4.00 25.14 15.00
100s/50s 0/0 1/8 0/0
Top score 8 100* 37*
Balls bowled 522 9,220 2,033
Wickets 8 124 51
Bowling average 43.12 33.91 25.58
5 wickets in innings 0 1 0
10 wickets in match 0 0 0
Best bowling 2/23 5/95 4/15
Catches/stumpings 1/– 30/– 7/–
Source: Cricinfo, 26 February 2013

Shaun Francis Graf (born 19 May 1957) is an Australian former international cricketer who played eleven One Day Internationals (ODIs) for Australia in the early 1980s as a bowling all-rounder. He played his domestic cricket at first-class level predominantly for Victoria, but also spent a season with Western Australia. Graf also played domestically in England, at first-class level for Hampshire and at minor counties level for Wiltshire and Cornwall. He later became a prominent administrator with Cricket Victoria.

Cricket career

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Early life and career

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Shaun Francis Graf was born on 19 May 1957 in Somerville, Victoria.[1] He was educated at St Bede's College in the Melbourne suburb of Mentone.[2] He made his grade debut at the age of 19 for St Kilda Cricket Club as a fast bowling all-rounder in the 1976–77 season.[3] In 1979, he played minor counties cricket in England for Wiltshire, making five appearances in the Minor Counties Championship.[4] Alongside minor counties cricket, he spent time in Bristol playing club cricket for Knowle.[5] Returning to Australia after his minor counties stint, Graf made his debut in first-class cricket for Victoria against New South Wales at the Sydney Cricket Ground in the 1979–80 Sheffield Shield, with him playing a further five Shield matches that season.[6] He scored 135 runs in his debut first-class season,[7] in addition to taking 17 wickets with his right-arm fast-medium bowling at an average of 27.88.[8] In the same season, he debuted in List A one-day cricket, making four appearances in the McDonald's Cup, the forerunner of the modern-day Dean Jones Trophy;[9] he played in the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG), taking 2 for 34 to help Victoria win the match.[10]

In December 1979, he joined Hampshire ahead of the 1980 season.[11] He made his debut for the county in a 1980 County Championship fixture against Warwickshire at Southampton. Graf made 15 first-class appearances in 1980, including against the touring Australians.[6] In these, he scored 284 runs at a batting average of 20.28,[12] in addition to taking 20 wickets at an average of 44.45.[13] He made 12 appearances in one-day cricket,[9] taking 17 wickets at an average of 18.23.[14]

International call-up

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Graf's first-class form was better in the Australian 1980–81 season. In his first Sheffield Shield game of the season, against Western Australia, he scored 34 and 64 and took four wickets.[15] Later in the season, he scored his maiden first-class century against the same opponents at the MCG.[16] Across the season, he made eight first-class appearances,[6] scoring 286 runs at an average of 40.85;[7] with the ball he took 20 wickets at an average of 30.30.[7] His Shield form led to Graf being selected in the Australia squad for the second Test match of their home series against New Zealand, at a time when the Australian selectors were seeking an all-rounder.[17] Commenting on Australia lacking a true all-rounder, their captain Greg Chappell said at the time: "Shaun Graf is an up-and-comer in this area and he is possibly what Australia needs – not only in one day cricket but in Test matches as well".[18] He did not end up playing in the Test series, with a back injury ruling him out, and Trevor Chappell replacing him in the side for the third Test.[19] He did make his One Day International (ODI) debut against New Zealand at the Adelaide Oval in the first match of the Australia Tri-Nation Series which followed.[20] He played in nine ODI matches during the series, that also included India,[21] with Graf taking eight wickets at an average of 31.87;[22] he was omitted from the four-match final against New Zealand. Alongside the ODI series, Australia played India in a Test series, with Graf replacing Trevor Chappell in the squad for the first Test, but he did not play.[23] He was replaced in the second Test by Bruce Yardley.[24]

The following season, he made two further ODI appearances in the second and third matches of the Tri-Nation Series against Pakistan and the West Indies, having been called up to replace the injured Dennis Lillee.[25] During the 1981–82 domestic season, Graf made eight first-class appearances scoring 230 runs at an average of 19.16,[7] while with the ball he took 17 wickets at an average of 39.47.[8] In one-day cricket, he made three appearances in the McDonald's Cup.[9] The following season, he made six first-class appearances, scoring 155 runs at an average of 19.16,[7] and with the ball he took 14 wickets at an average of 30.50;[8] playing against Western Australia at the WACA, he took the only five-wicket haul of his first-class career with figures of 5 for 95 in the Western Australia second innings, having taken 4 for 53 in their first innings.[26] He also played three one-day matches during the season.[9] Graf returned to England for the 1983 season, playing minor counties cricket for Cornwall.[27] He made eight appearances in the Minor Counties Championship,[4] and returned to Bristol to play for Knowle when he wasn't required by Cornwall.[28]

Move to Western Australia

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Graf moved to Western Australia for the 1983–84 season, being selected to play in the Sheffield Shield match against Victoria as a replacement for injured batsman Wayne Andrews.[29] In his only season with Western Australia, in which they won their ninth Sheffield Shield,[30] he made 11 first-class appearances, scoring 420 runs at an average of 35.[7] With the ball, he took 32 wickets at an average of 32.75.[8] He also made four one-day appearances in the McDonald's Cup,[9] with Graf playing against South Australia in the final of the competition at the Adelaide Oval. He came close to guiding Western Australia to victory, with a late unbeaten cameo of 37 runs from 33 balls, but Western Australia ultimately fell eight runs short.[31] He returned to Victoria the following season, making one appearance in the Sheffield Shield against Queensland.[6]

Playing style and statistics

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Described as an athletic all-rounder by the cricket journalist Christopher Martin-Jenkins,[32] Graf made 55 first-class appearances, scoring 1,559 runs at an average of 25.14;[1] described by Martin-Jenkins as possessing a wristy action and able to consistently bowl away-swinging deliveries,[32] he took 124 first-class wickets at an average of 33.91.[1] In one-day cricket, he made 41 appearances, scoring 300 runs at an average of exactly 15, whilst with the ball he took 51 wickets at an average of 25.58.[1]

Later life

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After retiring, Graf continued to play Grade Cricket for St Kilda until 1999, making 243 appearances for the club across 24 seasons, scoring 4,200 runs and taking 382 wickets.[3] He became a selector for the Victoria cricket team during the 1990–91 season, and became the cricket operations manager of the Victorian Cricket Association (later Cricket Victoria) in 1995.[33] He retired from his role with Cricket Victoria in July 2022.[33]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "Shaun Graf". ESPNcricinfo. Archived from the original on 13 September 2025. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  2. ^ "The St Bede's College Old Collegians Cricket Hall of Champions". www.stbedes.catholic.edu.au. Archived from the original on 12 March 2026. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  3. ^ a b "St Kilda Cricket Club". www.stumptostump.com. 26 August 2021. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Minor Counties Championship Matches Played by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  5. ^ "Drew Hammers Unbeaten Ton". Bristol Evening Post. 23 April 1979. p. 10. Retrieved 19 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  6. ^ a b c d "First-Class Matches Played by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  7. ^ a b c d e f "First-Class Batting and Fielding in Each Season by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  8. ^ a b c d "First-Class Bowling in Each Season by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  9. ^ a b c d e "List A Matches Played by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  10. ^ "Victoria v New South Wales, McDonald's Cup 1979/80 (Final)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Pocock is New Captain". Grimsby Telegraph. 28 December 1979. p. 12. Retrieved 19 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  12. ^ "First-Class Batting and Fielding For Each Team by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  13. ^ "First-Class Bowling For Each Team by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  14. ^ "List A Bowling For Each Team by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  15. ^ "Western Australia v Victoria, Sheffield Shield 1980/81". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  16. ^ "Victoria v Western Australia, Sheffield Shield 1980/81". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  17. ^ "Cricket - Graf Named in Test Team". The Canberra Times. 8 December 1980. p. 20. Retrieved 5 December 2014 – via Trove.
  18. ^ "Cricket - Graf Could Get Chance". The Canberra Times. 6 December 1980. p. 50. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  19. ^ "Graf to Miss Test". The Canberra Times. 24 December 1980. p. 18. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  20. ^ "Cricket - Walters, Chappell in One-Day Team". The Canberra Times. 18 November 1980. p. 26. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  21. ^ "ODI Matches Played by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  22. ^ "ODI Bowling in Each Season by Shaun Graf". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  23. ^ "Cricket - Test Drawn After NZ Run Chase Falters". The Canberra Times. 31 December 1980. p. 20. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  24. ^ "Yardley a Prospect for Tour". The Canberra Times. 22 January 1981. p. 28. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  25. ^ "Graf Comes in to Fill Gap". The Canberra Times. 20 November 1981. p. 18. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  26. ^ "Western Australia v Victoria, Sheffield Shield 1982/83". CricketArchive. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  27. ^ "Shaun Signs". West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser. Truro. 5 May 1983. p. 33. Retrieved 19 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  28. ^ "Shaun Back to Lift Knowle". Western Daily Press. Bristol. 15 April 1983. p. 13. Retrieved 19 September 2024 – via British Newspaper Archive.
  29. ^ "SA Shield Sponsor". The Canberra Times. 12 October 1983. p. 44. Retrieved 19 September 2024 – via Trove.
  30. ^ "Queensland Fails in Final WA Wins its Ninth Shield". The Canberra Times. 14 March 1984. p. 44. Retrieved 11 December 2014 – via Trove.
  31. ^ "South Australia v Western Australia, McDonald's Cup 1983/84 (Final)". CricketArchive. Retrieved 7 November 2017.
  32. ^ a b Martin-Jenkins 1996, p. 42.
  33. ^ a b "Shaun Graf to Call Stumps in 2022". Cricket Victoria. 9 February 2022. Archived from the original on 20 September 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.

Works cited

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