What Is The Trans Tasman Trophy?
In cricket, the Trans Tasman Trophy refers to a contest between the Australian and New Zealand professional cricket teams which has taken place since 1985. The name of this tournament comes from the Tasman Sea, which separates the two competing countries. This test cricket competition currently takes place every 4 years, with the winner keeping hold of the Trans Tasman Trophy until the next competition takes place.
History Of The Trans Tasman Trophy
The first recorded Trans Tasman trophy competition took place during the 1985/86 cricket season. The inaugural competition helped to cement this tournament’s place in the cricket calendar, with New Zealand national cricket team star Richard Hadlee taking the fourth-best bowling figures in cricket history.
The Trans Tasman trophy went to New Zealand in the opening competition after they won 2 tests over Australia’s single test win. Over the years, both sides have been successful in the Trans Tasman competition, with any tests that finish in a draw counting as a retained victory to the previous tournament’s winner.
Top Run Scorers At The Trans Tasman Trophy
The record for the most runs scored at the Trans Tasman tournament has been held by Allan Border, an Australian international cricket player with 1,356 runs under his belt since 1993. Another Australia cricket team player, widely considered one of the best batsmen in contemporary cricket and a high scorer in multiple Trans Tasman games, is Steve Smith!
New Zealand won the Trans Tasman trophy for the 3rd time in 1989-90, and the Player of the Series award was given to John Wright, the owner of over 50 first-class centuries! Another key New Zealand batsman in the Trans Tasman competition is Kane Williamson, who captained the team in their 2019-20 competition.
Top Wicket Takers At The Trans Tasman Trophy
Along with the high-performing batsmen this Trans Tasman competition has featured through the years, it has involved just as many great bowlers from Australia and New Zealand. The first player in the event’s history was Australia’s Shane Warne, who managed to amass a total of 103 wickets in 20 matches.
Memorable Games At The Trans Tasman Trophy
There has been some truly memorable cricket played in the Trans Tasman trophy through the years. The first-ever test match of this competition took place in 1974 at Christchurch and saw New Zealand secure their first-ever test victory over Australia by 5 wickets! Another memorable competition for New Zealand came in 1985, where Richard Hadlee scored a century and won 15 wickets in a memorable performance. A more recent event that stands out is the 2019 match in Perth, where Australia absolutely dominated, winning by 296 runs in total with Brisbane Heat star Marnus Labuschagne scoring a double century.
Similar Competitions to the Trans Tasman Trophy
There are plenty of international cricket tournaments similar to the Trans Tasman Trophy for fans of this competition. The Ashes cricket series between Australia and England is a historic event dating back to the 1800s that is highly anticipated with lots of media coverage and great cricket betting promotions. Another popular event to watch out for is the Freedom Trophy, played between South Africa and India, with tests held in both countries.
