Glenn McGrath

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

McGrath was born in Dubbo to Beverly and Kevin McGrath. He grew up in Narromine, New South Wales, where he first played cricket, and his potential was spotted by Doug Walters. He moved to Sydney to play grade cricket for Sutherland and made his debut for NSW during the 1992–93 season. McGrath capped his rapid rise in the next Australian summer with selection in the Test team after only eight first-class matches. His Test debut was against New Zealand at Perth in 1993–1994. In Australia's 1995 Test series victory McGrath took the approach of bouncing the West Indies team, including the bowlers, which had not happened before. McGrath played for Worcestershire in the 2000 English County Championship, proving both successful on the field and popular with the county's supporters. In 14 first-class games he took 80 wickets at 13.21, including an outstanding innings return of 8–41 against Northamptonshire, as well as making his first-ever first-class half-century (55 against Nottinghamshire). He also played a few games for Middlesex in 2004; although accurate, he could manage only nine wickets in four first-class appearances for the county. During the first Test at Lord's in the 2005 Ashes series McGrath became the fourth bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets with the dismissal of Marcus Trescothick. This wicket was also the start of a productive spell of 5–2 that led to England being bowled out for 155. McGrath took 4–29 in the second innings and was named man of the match in a comprehensive Australian victory. McGrath trod on a cricket ball and injured his ankle the morning before the start of the second Test at Edgbaston and was unable to play in the match, in which England amassed 407 runs in one day against the McGrath-less bowling attack to win by two runs. He was rushed back when not fully fit for the third Test at Old Trafford, where he earned another five-wicket haul in the second innings of a drawn game, batting in a last-wicket partnership with Brett Lee in the last hour of the Test to deny an English victory. He then missed the fourth Test at Trent Bridge, which England won by three wickets, with an elbow injury. McGrath returned for the final Test at The Oval but he and the rest of the Australian team were unable to force a result and the match was drawn, giving England the series win. McGrath's injury problems are seen as a key factor in England

In Their Own Story

The first Test at Lord's during the 2005 Ashes series marked a historic turning point. McGrath became the fourth bowler in history to take 500 Test wickets with the dismissal of Marcus Trescothick, sparking a productive spell of 5–2 that saw England bowled out for 155. He took 4–29 in the second innings and was named man of the match. However, injury struck before the second Test at Edgbaston when he trod on a cricket ball and injured his ankle, forcing him to miss the match where England won by two runs. Rushed back not fully fit for the third Test at Old Trafford, he earned another five-wicket haul in the second innings of a drawn game, batting in a last-wicket partnership with Brett Lee to deny an English victory. He missed the fourth Test at Trent Bridge due to an elbow injury but returned for the final Test at The Oval. Despite their efforts, Australia could not force a result, and England regained the Ashes. Later, after taking a break since April 2006, he used the 2006 ICC Champions Trophy to reclaim his spot. In his comeback innings in the first Test of the 2006–07 Ashes at the Gabba, he took a six-wicket haul, setting the tone for Australia's 5–0 whitewash and regaining the Ashes in a record-breaking 15 days.

Reader's Guide

McGrath's bowling was not of express pace. Rather, he relied on unerring accuracy and subtle seam movement, which he derived from his high wrist action and lengthy follow-through. His height (195 cm), combined with a high arm action, allowed him to extract extra bounce, which often surprised batsmen. In the later years of his career he developed as a swing bowler. His uncomplicated method and natural physical fitness were significant factors in the longevity of McGrath's career. In 2004, he became the first Australian fast bowler to play 100 Tests. In the first innings of the ICC Super Series Test match in 2005, McGrath passed Courtney Walsh to become the greatest wicket-taker among fast bowlers in Test cricket.

Did You Know?

• McGrath is the third-most successful fast bowler in Test history by total wickets, behind James Anderson and Stuart Broad.
• He holds the record for most wickets (71) in the Cricket World Cup.
• In the 2003 World Cup final, McGrath took the winning wicket of Zaheer Khan.
• McGrath was the first Australian fast bowler to play 100 Tests.
• He was inducted into the ICC Cricket Hall of Fame in January 2013.