The Riverina has been the home to some of the greatest cricket players to have ever played the game. Photo: Erin Hee.
As we watch another lopsided summer of cricket with England wilting like a flower, it struck me that I could pick a team made up exclusively of legends from our small region that would beat them.
So here is my go at choosing the best 11 cricketers in history to have played in the Riverina. You’ll be shocked to see the strength of this side.
The rules are simple: to qualify for the all-time Riverina XI, the selected players need to have played at least one season for a team in our region or have been born in the area. That could be as far south as Deniliquin and Albury, or as far north as Young.
No players are to be picked out of position, so we can’t pick bowlers batting at three or keepers opening the attack with the ball. We’ve picked a balanced team full of batting power, skilful all-rounders and bowling guns.
With all that said and done, let’s have a look at the team.
1) Mark Taylor – Opening Batter
Matches: Tests – 104, ODIs – 113
Runs: Tests – 7525, Avg. 43.49, ODI – 3514, Avg 32.23.
Born in Leeton before moving to Wagga Wagga, Mark ‘Tubby’ Taylor has an incredible record for Australia. While he will always be remembered for captaining Australia and his incredible top score of 334 not out, matching that of the great Don Bradman, what is forgotten is just how good his junior years were.
Playing for Lake Albert Cricket Club during his time in Wagga, Mark would score runs for fun at Bolton Park, where he now has an oval named in his honour. It wasn’t just his playing career that was stellar, either; just listen to his call of Peter Siddle’s hat-trick in 2010.
2) Michael Slater – Opening Batter
Matches: Tests – 74, ODIs – 42
Runs: Tests – 5312, Avg. 42.83, ODI – 987, Avg 24.07
Before we continue, this list is not about a person’s character or actions, but their playing careers. Whether you believe he deserves honours or not, there is no denying his ability with bat in hand.
Born and raised in Wagga, Slater played cricket for RSL and Lake Albert. He captained the NSW Blues Under-16 squad.
Slater’s career highlights include a century in just his second Test match against England at Lord’s in 1993 and 219 against Sri Lanka at the WACA in 1995.
3) Donald ‘Don’ Bradman – Top Order Batter
Matches: Tests – 52
Runs: 6996, Avg. 99.94
While he might be The Boy from Bowral, the greatest of all time was born in the Riverina; in fact his childhood home can still be visited in Cootamundra.
What can I say about the Don that hasn’t been said? He has the greatest average in cricket history.
He made 29 centuries for Australia, including a ludicrous 334 against England at Headingly in 1930. To this day, he remains the only player to have scored 300 runs in a single day. Bradman also had an incredible first-class record, scoring an incredible 452 not out, which remained the highest score around the world for 28 years.
Alex Blackwell is widely regarded as one of the best female Australian cricketers ever. Photo: Oliver Jaques.
4) Alex Blackwell – Middle Order Batter
Matches: Tests – 12, ODIs – 144, T20I – 95
Runs: Tests – 444, Avg. 22.20, ODIs – 3492, Avg. 36, T20 – 1314, Avg. 21.19
To this date, there is still debate as to who claims the Blackwells. Is it Wagga or is it Yenda? Regardless, Alex more than deserves a spot in the Riverina XI.
Alex scored three tons in ODI cricket for Australia as well as 25 half centuries. Alex was a part of the 2005 ODI World Cup-winning squad in South Africa and captained Australia to the T20 World Cup win in 2010.
Blackwell was also an important player in ushering in the Women’s Big Bash League, in which she captained the Sydney Thunder to victory in the competition’s first season in 2015. Blackwell is also a member of Cricket NSW’s Hall of Champions.
5) Adam Gilchrist – Keeper/Middle Order Batter
Matches: Tests – 96, ODIs – 287, T20I – 13
Runs: Tests – 5570, Avg. 47.60, ODIs – 9619, Avg. 35.89, T2oI – 272, Avg. 22.66
Did you know that Adam Gilchrist lived and played cricket in Junee and Deniliquin? Not many do. Fortunately for this list, he did, and now the greatest wicket-keeper/batter of all time is in the Riverina XI.
It’s hard to decide whether he was a better white-ball or red-ball batter. One thing is for sure, though: once he was on, there was no way of stopping him.
To this day, Gilchrist holds the record for the fastest Test century for an Australian and the second fastest of all time, off just 57 balls against England at the WACA in 2006. Gilchrist also holds the record for most dismissals by an Australian keeper in both Test matches and ODIs, with 416 total dismissals (379 catches, 37 stumpings) in Tests and 470 in ODIs (416 catches, 54 stumpings).
Gilchrist was also a part of the 1999, 2003 and 2007 World Cup victories.
Brad Haddin and Lauren Phillips have been pushing for a Big Bash Team in Canberra for nearly 10 years. Photo: Doug Dobing.
6) Brad Haddin – Lower Order Batter
Matches: Tests – 66, ODIs – 126, T20I – 34
Runs: Tests – 3266, Avg. 32.99, ODIs – 3122, Avg. 31.53, T20I – 402, Avg. 17.47
‘Hads’ is probably most known for his time in Queanbeyan or Cowra, but he actually spent a lot of his younger life in Gundagai.
The dashing wicket-keeper for many years had the impossible task of following up the greatest gloveman of all time, Adam Gilchrist. While maybe not as flashy with the gloves or the bat as Gilly, he deserves a place in the side on the strength of his batting alone.
The boy from Gundagai was a part of the incredible Ashes side that went five-nil over England in 2013/14, where he became the first keeper to score five scores over 50 in a single series with a top score of 118.
Haddin was also part of the 2015 World Cup-winning squad, where the Aussies beat New Zealand in front of 100,000 people at the MCG.
7) Dan Christian – All-rounder
Matches: ODIs – 20, T20I – 23
Runs: ODIs – 273, Avg. 21.00, T20 – 118, Avg. 14.75
Wickets: ODIs – 20, Avg. 29.75, T20I – 13, 30.61
The big man was born in Narrandera, where he lived until he was 13. He has played cricket across the world at the international level. He has earned millions playing in the Indian Premier League while also being a journeyman in the Big Bash.
Internationally, he boasts a five-for against Sri Lanka at the MCG, the same match in which he took a hat-trick. Christian also represented Australia at the 2010 T20 World Cup in the West Indies.
In the Big Bash, Christian has also won the title three times – once with the Brisbane Heat in 2012-14, with the Melbourne Renegades in 2018-19 and the Sydney Sixers in 2020–21.
8) Simon O’Donnell – Bowling All-rounder
Matches: Tests – 6, ODIs – 87
Runs: Tests – 206, Avg. 29.42, ODIs – 1,242, Avg. 25.34
Wickets: Tests – 6, Avg. 84.00, ODIs – 108, Avg. 28.72
After growing up on a dairy farm in Deniliquin, Simon O’Donnell has long been considered one of Australia’s best ever one-day players.
While he is also known for his time at St Kilda Football Club, it was cricket where he made his name. If he wasn’t making vital breakthroughs with the ball, he was hitting bowlers around the ground.
O’Donnell was absolutely vital in Australia winning their maiden World Cup victory in 1987, where he dismissed English legend Graham Gooch in the final.
The swashbuckling right-hander held the record for the fastest ODI 50 of all time, passing the milestone in just 18 balls during an innings against Sri Lanka in 1990. He was also named the International Cricketer of the Year in 1990–91.
Geoff Lawson frequently returns to Wagga. Photo: Chris Roe.
9) Geoff Lawson – Bowler
Matches: Tests – 46, ODIs – 79
Wickets: Tests – 180, Avg. 30.56, ODIs – 88, Avg. 29.45
The spearhead of the attack, Geoff Lawson grew up in the Riverina and played his first match for Wagga Public School aged eight.
Lawson came into the Australian side at a difficult time. Lillee and Thompson were in the twilight of their careers, and the might of the West Indies pace attack was on the rise.
While speed guns weren’t used in the 1980s, many believe that Lawson was more than capable of cracking the 150 km/h mark.
While his career was marred by consistent injuries, it didn’t stop him from leaving his mark. Lawson took 11 five-fors during his Test career, including 8-112 against the West Indies at the Adelaide Oval in 1984.
The right arm quick also boasts two 10-wicket matches, including 11/134 against England at the Gabba in 1982. Following his playing career, Lawson coached the Pakistan Cricket Team from 2007 to 2009.
Lawson also has an oval named in his honour at Bolton Park in Wagga Wagga.
10) Nathan Lyon – Bowler
Matches: Tests – 140*, ODIs – 29
Wickets: Tests – 562, Avg. 30.16, ODIs – 29, Avg. 46
He’s the GOAT. That is all.
In all seriousness, Lyon was born and raised in Young before moving to Canberra to play most of his representative cricket. He then left for South Australia to become a curator for the Adelaide Oval.
He was first picked to debut for Australia at Galle in 2011. He took his first-ever Test wicket with his first ball to dismiss the legendary Kumar Sangakkara.
Fourteen years later, he has now taken the second most wickets for an Australian bowler ever, sitting just ahead of Glenn McGrath and behind fellow spinner Shane Warne. He is also the seventh-highest wicket-taker of all time.
Lyon’s best innings figures were taken at Bengaluru, India, in 2017, where he took 8/50. His best match figures are 13/154, also taken against India but at the Adelaide Oval in 2014.
11) Finn Jenkins – Future Ashes Bowler
Matches: Tests: 0 (yet)
Wickets: Tests: 0 (yet)
We at Region are going out on a limb here, but Finn Jenkins is going to be a gun!
The young pace bowler led the Wagga City Cats to a grand final win at the start of 2025 and has since been named as a member of the Manly Warringah District Cricket Club in the Sydney Grade Cricket competition.
Still only a teenager, the young quick is on pace to represent NSW in the near future. Watch this space!
