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A return of 859 first-class runs at 22.61 and no centuries can’t have been what South Australian cricket’s powerbrokers expected when they poached Matthew Elliott from Victoria in 2005.
Far removed from a career average of 47, it was those same unkind and largely unrepresentative digits that convinced Elliott to announce his retirement yesterday at the end of a 16-year cricket career.
Elliott’s appearance for South Australia in today’s one-day domestic clash with Tasmania at Adelaide Oval will be his last for the state, unless the Redbacks can clinch an unlikely place in the tournament final by gaining a bonus point win over the top-ranked Tigers.
It will not, however, be the last time Elliott ventures on the field – he is currently chewing over a generous contract to take part in the rebel ICL Twenty20 competition in India later this year.
The tournament’s recruiting staff were no doubt wooed by Elliott’s continually healthy returns for SA at limited overs level – he won the domestic one day player of the year award in 2006-07 with 465 runs at 51.66 and has actually managed to outdo that this year by making 506 runs at 84.33 to again top the aggregates.
But for Elliott, the cheap thrill of one day success could no longer compensate for the first class deficiencies that cropped up since crossing from Victoria.
“The one day stuff’s been great, but every cricketer wants to do well in first class cricket, and I just wasn’t producing what we needed at the top of the order, so that was a big part of the decision,” he said.
“A lot of your professional satisfaction comes from four day cricket, being out there when its a bit difficult early or turning late, that’s why you play.
“I suppose getting a bit older would’ve been a part of it, you think maybe you’re doing something but maybe you’re not.
“Injuries a couple of years ago probably played a bit of a part, it’s been incredibly frustrating because I enjoy the four day game, but I tried my best and that’s what I ended up with.”
At 36, Elliott was out of contract at the end of this summer and said it was best to leave immediately rather than taking up a spot that could be used to blood a younger player.
Identified early in his Victorian years, Elliott was a classical opening batsman who resembled Bill Lawry in appearance and left-handedness if not exactly following his predecessor’s dour approach.
Australian duty duly followed, though initially his greatest notoriety was as the man who replaced the popular Michael Slater in a selection choice that caused much debate in late 1996.
In his second Test, against the West Indies at the SCG, Elliott seemed on his way towards a maiden century, but on 78 he collided mid-pitch with Mark Waugh and tore knee ligaments that kept him out of the game for months.
On his return in 1997, Elliott was slipped straight back into the team and went on to enjoy a prolific year, making runs in South Africa, England and at home against New Zealand to look every inch a longterm player – Shane Warne confidently predicted that he’d make at least 5000 Test runs.
However the runs dried up dramatically against the South Africans at home and before the end of the 1997-98 season he was out of the side, never to return with any permanence.
“I would’ve (liked to play more Test cricket) but I had plenty of chances and didn’t take the ones I was given, so that’s my lot,” Elliott said of his truncated international career.
In all he played 21 Tests, making 1172 runs at 33.48 with three centuries.
They are figures that fail to accurately represent his talent, in much the same way as the Redbacks stats do not.
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