Geelong-raised cricketer Wayne Phillips recalls Test debut 30 years on

Thirty years on from his one and only Test, a Geelong-born and raised cricketer who dominated Melbourne club cricket has recounted the extraordinary circumstances of his national debut.

It was the game Geelong could celebrate its fifth Test cricketer but Wayne Phillips’ debut could have come in hardly more difficult circumstances.

Wayne Phillips, working in Melbourne’s CBD when he was unexpectedly told he would receive a baggy green, was called up for the fifth Test against the Indians in Perth in 1991-92.

But the match is more widely remembered for the sensational axing of deputy captain Geoff Marsh, whom Phillips replaced as opener.

Wayne Phillips with his baggy green. Picture: Alison Wynd

February 1 marks three decades to the day since Phillips kept company with Australian greats Allan Border, Mark Taylor, David Boon, Dean Jones, Ian Healy and Merv Hughes — Shane Warne was 12th man — as the hosts enjoyed a rousing victory in the final Test of the series.

“To be in that team, I pinch myself sometimes to remind myself that I played with those guys, just once, at that level,” Phillips said.

“Pretty amazing really when you think about it.”

Sachin Tendulkar, under the captaincy of Mohammad Azharuddin, was also on his first visit to Australia, making his second century for the tour in the first innings at the age of 18.

Phillips this week took the time to reflect on the 30-year anniversary of his one and only national appearance.

He was called in as Marsh’s replacement but Border was incensed his long-term right-hand man was omitted for his home Test.

‘Swampy’ never played Test cricket again.

Phillips was cap No. 351 at the age of 29 after years of runs and tons for Victoria and in the District competition — his 8438 runs from 276 First XI games remains a club record at Casey South Melbourne.

He joined the Swans out of Highton Cricket Club as a 16-year-old in the lower grades, driven up and back to the Lake Oval from Geelong by his parents in his initial seasons.

The diminutive right-hander would join Lindsay Hassett, Alan Connolly, Ian Redpath and Paul Sheahan in the group of Geelong cricketers to reach the highest level.

Phillips poured praised on the “wise counsel” of Redpath during his District and state career.

Marsh had been a mainstay of the Australian side since his debut in 1985 but had struggled for form — seven of his final 11 innings leading into the Perth match yielded single-digit scores.

Wayne Phillips with Paul Sheahan, Ian Redpath and Alan Connolly in 2008.

Phillips recalled “there’d been a bit of chatter” in the press about Marsh’s place in the team.

He was a chartered accountant working in the heart of the city when a call came to his desk from Ron Steiner at the Australian Cricket Board.

“They told me I’d been picked to open the batting,” Phillips said.

“It was just a case of put two and two together.”

Steiner asked if Phillips could take a few days off work.

The boss obliged but was sworn to secrecy.

“The Adelaide Test was still going,” Phillips said.

“I couldn’t tell anyone apart from work obviously.”

The next day ‘Rowdy’ — his nickname was coined when he played in Casey South Melbourne’s lower grades as an unassuming teenager — was on a plane to Perth.

Border gave a serve to the ACB hierarchy about the Marsh decision and refused to take the field on the final day of the Adelaide match.

Fuming, the captain flew by himself to Perth.

“Everything was all right between me and AB but that was always lingering in the background that he wasn’t too happy about it,” Phillips said.

“I just tried to block that out as best I could and get on with things.”

Phillips had established himself as one of the best openers in state cricket and had put himself on the cusp of national duties by being selected for Australia A.

He claimed the Ryder Medal in 1987-88 and hit the winning runs in the Sheffield Shield final for Victoria in an unbeaten 91, sharing a 212-run partnership with Jamie Siddons.

Against the Indians, an attack led by fast bowling champion Kapil Dev and supported by Manoj Prabhakar and Javagal Srinath, he was dismissed for eight and 14.

Australia won the toss and batted but Phillips was dismissed after a 16-ball stay.

He was dismissed playing a loose shot that finished in the hands of wicketkeeper Kiran More.

The back page headline in the following morning’s Sunday Mail was screamed: PHILLIPS FLOPS.

Phillips recalled the Western Australia Cricket Association even sent a letter of apology for the flack from the press.

In the second dig he batted for more than an hour until he was caught at second slip by Dev off the bowling of Srinath.

Phillips said he was troubled by the swing of the visitors.

“That was that really,” he said.

“Not a great match for me but that’s the way it goes.”

He was overlooked for the tour to Sri Lanka but started the next Sheffield Shield season by putting up his highest first-class score — 205 against New South Wales.

“If I was to get another chance, it was then after getting a double hundred,” he said.

“I’d worked pretty hard over the winter.

“I just thought, ‘well, I’ll give it everything’.”

His debut coincided with the emergence of Taylor and Michael Slater in a rich period for Australian cricket.

Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer were also earmarked for bright futures.

Phillips said he was “keen for more” Test cricket but never got another opportunity.

“Obviously if I got some more runs I would have got some more matches, but how many I don’t know because some of those guys were going to have long Test careers,” he said.

“Really, I was given an opportunity but at the end of the day I might not have played many anyway because there was so many good players coming through.

“You’ve just got to grab those opportunities when they come along.”

His Test cap is stored “in a safe place” with other memorabilia from his career.

“I think I’m very lucky — it’s part of playing just one match,” he said.

“The whole experience for me was pretty amazing and something I’ll always look back on and feel happy about having achieved.”

And so he should, Geelong’s fifth Test cricketer.

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Originally published as Geelong-raised cricketer Wayne Phillips recalls Test debut 30 years on