Aaron Finch

Aaron Finch
Finch in 2011
Personal information
Full name
Aaron James Finch
Born (1986-11-17) 17 November 1986 (age 38)
Colac, Victoria, Australia
Height1.74[1] m (5 ft 9 in)
BattingRight-handed
BowlingSlow left-arm orthodox
RoleTop-order batter
International information
National side
Test debut (cap 453)7 October 2018 v Pakistan
Last Test26 December 2018 v India
ODI debut (cap 197)11 January 2013 v Sri Lanka
Last ODI11 September 2022 v New Zealand
ODI shirt no.5 (formerly 16)
T20I debut (cap 49)12 January 2011 v England
Last T20I31 October 2022 v Ireland
T20I shirt no.5 (formerly 16)
Domestic team information
YearsTeam
2007/08–2022/23Victoria
2009/10Rajasthan Royals
2011–2012Delhi Daredevils
2011/12–2023/24Melbourne Renegades
2012Ruhuna Royals
2012/13Auckland Aces
2013Pune Warriors India
2014Sunrisers Hyderabad
2014–2015Yorkshire
2015Mumbai Indians
2016–2017Gujarat Lions
2016–2019Surrey
2018Kings XI Punjab
2020/21Royal Challengers Bangalore
2022Kolkata Knight Riders
2023San Francisco Unicorns
Career statistics
Competition Test ODI T20I FC
Matches 5 146 103 88
Runs scored 278 5,406 3,120 4,915
Batting average 27.80 38.89 34.28 35.87
100s/50s 0/2 17/30 2/19 7/33
Top score 62 153* 172 288*
Balls bowled 12 284 12 464
Wickets 0 4 0 5
Bowling average – 64.75 – 63.60
5 wickets in innings – 0 – 0
10 wickets in match – 0 – 0
Best bowling – 1/2 – 1/0
Catches/stumpings 7/– 71/– 50/– 81/–
Medal record
Men's Cricket
Representing  Australia
ICC Cricket World Cup
Winner 2015 Australia and New Zealand
T20 World Cup
Winner 2021 UAE & Oman

Aaron James Finch (born 17 November 1986) is an Australian cricket commentator and former international cricketer who served as the captain of the Australian cricket team in ODI and T20I cricket.[2] Finch currently holds the record for two of the three highest individual scores in Twenty20 Internationals (T20I), his score of 172 against Zimbabwe in July 2018 beating his previous record of 156 against England in 2013.[3][4] Finch was a part of the Australian team that won the 2015 Cricket World Cup, and six years later as Australia's captain, Finch also led Australia to win the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup, which was the maiden T20 World Cup title for the country. In July 2018, he became the first player to reach 900 rating points on the official International Cricket Council (ICC) T20I rankings.[5] He made his Test debut for Australia in October 2018. He is also a part time commentator with Fox Cricket and Triple M. Finch has played domestically for Victoria and Melbourne Renegades. He is an opening batter, and occasional left arm orthodox spinner.

Junior and domestic career

Finch playing for Victoria in 2011.

As a junior, Finch played at Colac West Cricket Club in the Colac & District Cricket Association (CDCA) as a wicket-keeper. A right-handed batsman, he played in the 2006 Under-19 Cricket World Cup in Sri Lanka.[6]

Finch got his opportunity to become established as a regular in the Victorian side in the 2009/10 season. He hit his maiden first-class cricket century against Tasmania at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) in a partnership of 212 runs for the third wicket with David Hussey. In October 2012, while filling in as captain, he scored 154 runs at the Gabba against Queensland, a new highest score for Victoria in domestic one day cricket.

After playing for the Melbourne Renegades in the inaugural Big Bash League season in 2011, he captained the side in 2012 and was the Big Bash League player of the year.[4] Finch captained the Melbourne Renegades from 2012 through to 2020, before stepping down citing he wanted to spend more time with his family. He then returned to captaincy for the back half of the 2022/23 season, after an injury to captain Nic Maddinson. In December 2015, Finch became the first player to score 1,000 runs in the Big Bash.[7][8] Finch became only the second player to score over 3,000 runs in the Big Bash on 1 January 2023.[9]

Finch has played county cricket in England, first for Yorkshire County Cricket Club in 2014 and 2015[10] before joining Surrey from 2016. In July 2018, during the 2018 t20 Blast, he scored 131 not out for Surrey, setting a new record for the highest T20 individual score for Surrey in a county match and hitting the highest T20 score at the Hove County Ground.[11][12][13][14]

Franchise teams

T20 franchise teams Aaron Finch has played for[15]
Seasons Teams
2009/10 Rajasthan Royals
2011–2012 Delhi Daredevils
2011/12–2023/24 Melbourne Renegades
2012 Ruhuna Royals
2013 Pune Warriors India
2014 Sunrisers Hyderabad
2015 Mumbai Indians
2016–2017 Gujarat Lions
2018 Kings XI Punjab
2020/21 Royal Challengers Bangalore
2022 Kolkata Knight Riders
2023 San Francisco Unicorns

Finch has played for nine teams in the Indian Premier League (IPL), more than any other player.[16] He was first selected by Rajasthan Royals in 2010 before going on to play the next two seasons for Delhi Daredevils. 2013 saw him play for Pune Warriors India, 2014 for Sunrisers Hyderabad and 2015 for Mumbai Indians, although his opportunities for the side were limited due to injury.

In 2016 he was bought by Gujarat Lions,[17] playing for the side for two seasons, before being bought by Kings XI Punjab in the 2018 IPL Auction. He was released by KXIP at the end of the season and opted out of 2019 IPL season in order to prepare for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[18] He was bought by Royal Challengers Bangalore ahead of the 2020 season.[19][20] In 2022, Finch was signed by the Kolkata Knight Riders as a replacement for Alex Hales for the 2022 Indian Premier League.[21]

Elsewhere, Finch had played continuously for Melbourne Renegades from the 2011/12 season until retiring after the 2023/24 season. Finch also played for Ruhuna Royals in Sri Lanka's 2012 season.[15]

International career

Aaron Finch's record as captain
  Matches Won Lost Tied No result Win %
Twenty20 Internationals[22] 76 40 32 1 3 55.47
One Day Internationals[23] 55 31 24 0 0 56.36
Date last Updated: 31 October 2022

Finch made his international debut for Australia in a T20I against England in January 2011. Two years later he made his One Day International (ODI) debut against Sri Lanka. In August 2013, Finch set a new record for the highest individual score in a Twenty20 international, scoring 156 runs from 63 balls against England at the Rose Bowl, Southampton.[24] Finch's innings included 14 sixes (also a record) and 11 fours.[4] He was the first player to score 150 runs in a T20I innings.[25] He was awarded the Men's T20I Player of the Year at the Allan Border Medal ceremony by Cricket Australia in 2014.[26]

Finch was selected as part of Australia's 2015 Cricket World Cup squad. In Australia's first group match against England he top scored with 135 runs, helping Australia to a 111 run win. Despite being the top rated T20I batsman, he was dropped for the first two matches of Australia's campaign in the 2016 ICC World T20 before being reinstated for the last two matches of the campaign.

In January 2017, Finch was named as stand-in captain for the first ODI against New Zealand in Australia's tour of New Zealand after Matthew Wade withdrew from the side with an injury.[27] Before the second ODI of that series Wade was ruled out of series due to a back injury and Finch continued to captain in the remaining matches.[28]

Finch playing in an ODI for Australia, January 2018

In April 2018, he was awarded a national contract by Cricket Australia for the 2018–19 season[29][30] and in July scored 172 against Zimbabwe, a new record T20I individual score.[31] He hit 10 sixes in the innings during a world record T20I opening stand of 223 runs with D'Arcy Short which ended in the final over of the innings.[32] The partnership was the second highest for any wicket in a T20I.[33][34]

In September 2018, he was named in Australia's Test match squad for their series against Pakistan in the United Arab Emirates,[35][36] making his Test debut on 7 October.[37] He had his baggy green cap presented to him by Allan Border before going on to score 62 and 49 runs in his two innings in the match.

In April 2019, Finch was named the captain of Australia's squad for the 2019 Cricket World Cup.[38][39] On 16 July 2020, Finch was named in a 26-man preliminary squad of players to begin training ahead of a possible tour to England following the COVID-19 pandemic.[40][41] On 14 August 2020, Cricket Australia confirmed that the fixtures would be taking place, with Finch included in the touring party.[42][43]

In November 2020, Finch was nominated for the ICC Men's T20I Cricketer of the Decade award.[44][45]

On 5 March 2021, Finch became the leading run-getter for Australia in T20I format going past David Warner against New Zealand.[46] In August 2021, Finch was named as the captain of Australia's squad for the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[47] Finch would then captain Australia to win their maiden T20 World Cup, defeating New Zealand in the final by eight wickets.

On 10 September 2022, Finch announced his retirement from ODI cricket ahead of the third ODI against New Zealand, but still planned to play in T20Is. He continued to captain Australia's Twenty20 side and led it in its failed defence of the T20 World Cup in October and November 2022 in Australia. [48] On 7 February 2023, Finch announced his retirement from international cricket.[49][50]

International centuries

During his career Finch has scored 19 centuries in international cricket – 17 in One Day Internationals and two in Twenty20 International

ODI centuries[51]
No. Score Opponent Venue Date Ref
1 148  Scotland Grange Cricket Club, Edinburgh 3 September 2013 [52]
2 121  England Melbourne Cricket Ground 12 January 2014 [53]
3 108  England WACA Ground, Perth 24 January 2014 [54]
4 102  South Africa Harare Sports Club, Harare 27 August 2014 [55]
5 109  South Africa Manuka Oval, Canberra 19 November 2014 [56]
6 135  England Melbourne Cricket Ground 14 February 2015 [57]
7 107  India Manuka Oval, Canberra 20 January 2016 [58]
8 124  India Holkar Stadium, Indore 24 September 2017 [59]
9 107  England Melbourne Cricket Ground 14 January 2018 [60]
10 106  England The Gabba, Brisbane 18 January 2018 [61]
11 100  England Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street 21 June 2018 [62]
12 116  Pakistan Sharjah Cricket Stadium 22 March 2019 [63]
13 153*  Pakistan Sharjah Cricket Stadium 23 March 2019 [64]
14 153  Sri Lanka The Oval, London 15 June 2019 [65]
15 100  England Lord's, London 25 June 2019 [66]
16 110*  India Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai 14 January 2020 [67]
17 114  India Sydney Cricket Ground 27 November 2020 [68]
Twenty20 International centuries[69]
No. Score Opponents Venue Date Ref
1 156  England Rose Bowl, Southampton 29 August 2013 [70]
2 172  Zimbabwe Harare Sports Club 3 July 2018 [71]

Achievements

Personal life

Finch married Amy Griffith in 2018;[73] the couple have a daughter.[74] He is a supporter of the Australian Football League team Geelong Cats.[75]

References

  1. ^ "Aaron Finch". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 18 January 2014.
  2. ^ "Nine adds former captain to Ashes commentary line-up". 27 May 2023.
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  4. ^ a b c Mehaffey, John (30 August 2013). "Finch breaks McCullum's T20 world record". stuff.co.nz. Archived from the original on 30 April 2020. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
  5. ^ "Finch becomes first player in T20Is to reach 900-point mark". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 9 July 2018.
  6. ^ "Youth One-Day International Matches played by Aaron Finch (10)". CricketArchive. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2010.
  7. ^ "Melbourne Renegades power home to beat Brisbane Heat by seven wickets in Big Bash League opener". MSN.com. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  8. ^ "Melbourne Renegades v Brisbane Heat". cricket.com.au. Cricket Australia. Retrieved 19 December 2015.
  9. ^ "Finch BBL's second to reach 3000 runs with fantastic 65". cricket.com.au. January 2023. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  10. ^ "BBC Sport – Aaron Finch: Yorkshire sign Australia's big-hitting opener". Bbc.com. 12 February 2014. Retrieved 10 April 2014.
  11. ^ "Finch's stunning record-breaking rampage". NewsComAu. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  12. ^ "T20 Blast: Aaron Finch and Ben Raine hit tons, and Worcestershire Rapids win again". BBC Sport. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
  13. ^ "Finch, dropped on one, hits 131* to destroy leaders Sussex". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 15 July 2018.
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  15. ^ a b Aaron Finch (Teams). CricketArchive. Retrieved 29 November 2023. (subscription required)
  16. ^ 10 players who have represented 5 or more IPL franchise. CricToday, 7 March 2022. Retrieved 29 November 2023.
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  74. ^ "Aaron Finch and his wife Amy welcome their first child".
  75. ^ "Cats praise Finch ton". 14 February 2015.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Aaron Finch.
Preceded by Pune Warrior India captains
2013 		Succeeded by
Last Captain
Preceded by Australian Twenty20 International cricket captain
2012–2016 		Succeeded by