Todd Murphy

Todd Raymond Murphy (born 15 November 2000) is an Australian cricketer. A right-arm off spin bowler, Murphy made his first-class debut for Victoria in April 2021 and his Test debut for Australia in February 2023.^[2] He was a member of the Australian team that won the 2023 ICC World Test Championship final.

Todd Murphy

Murphy playing for the Sydney Sixers, January 2023
Personal information
Full name	Todd Raymond Murphy
Born	(2000-11-15) 15 November 2000 (age 24) Echuca, Victoria, Australia
Nickname	Goggles[1]
Height	183 cm (6 ft 0 in)
Batting	Left-handed
Bowling	Right-arm off spin
Role	Bowler
International information
National side	Australia (2023–present)
Test debut (cap 465)	9 February 2023 v India
Last Test	27 July 2023 v England
Domestic team information
Years	Team
2020/21–present	Victoria (squad no. 28)
2021/22–present	Sydney Sixers (squad no. 36)
Career statistics
Competition Test FC LA T20 Matches 6 26 24 19 Runs scored 122 464 83 15 Batting average 13.55 15.46 9.22 – 100s/50s 0/0 0/0 0/0 0/0 Top score 41 41 20 8* Balls bowled 1,055 4,907 1,139 300 Wickets 21 77 22 13 Bowling average 25.42 30.58 43.00 23.07 5 wickets in innings 1 1 0 0 10 wickets in match 0 0 0 0 Best bowling 7/124 7/124 3/38 3/35 Catches/stumpings 2/– 9/– 7/– 5/–
Medal record Men's Cricket Representing  Australia ICC World Test Championship Winner 2021-2023
Source: ESPNcricinfo, 3 November 2024

Early life

Murphy was born in Echuca, Victoria, and raised just across the Murray River in Moama, New South Wales.^[3] His father, Jamie Murphy, was a left-handed middle-order batsman who played eight seasons for St Kilda in Victorian Premier Cricket, where he was a teammate of Shane Warne.^[4]

Murphy played for Moama Cricket Club as a junior, initially as a top-order batsman and medium-pace bowler. He transitioned to off spin in 2017 after being observed "stuffing around" in the nets by former Victorian leg-spinner, Craig Howard. Murphy spent a season with Sandhurst Cricket Club in the Bendigo District Cricket Association before moving to St Kilda Cricket Club in 2018/19.^[5]

First-class and Test career

Murphy made his List A debut on 10 March 2021, for Victoria in the 2020–21 Marsh One-Day Cup.^[6] Prior to his List A debut, Murphy was named in Australia's squad for the 2020 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.^[7]

Murphy made his first-class debut on 3 April 2021, for Victoria in the 2020–21 Sheffield Shield season, scoring 34 runs and taking one wicket.^[8] He made his Twenty20 debut on 26 December 2021, for the Sydney Sixers in the 2021–22 Big Bash League season.^[9]

After just seven first-class matches, in 2023, Murphy was named as a member of the Australian Test squad for the team's tour of India. He was one of four spinners selected alongside Nathan Lyon, Ashton Agar, and Mitchell Swepson.^[10] In February 2023, Murphy made his Test debut at Nagpur and took figures of 7/124 from 47 overs.^[11] He played all four Test matches on the tour, finishing with 14 wickets.^[12]

2023 Ashes

In April 2023, Murphy was selected for the squad for the 2023 Ashes as the second spinner beyond Nathan Lyon. Following Lyon's return home with a calf injury, Murphy made his Ashes debut at Headingley, Leeds where he took 1/49 from 9.3 overs.^[13] Following this Murphy was dropped for the 4th Test which was Australia's first test in 10 years without a spinner.^[14] Recalled for the 5th Test, Murphy took 2/22 from 6 overs in the first innings and 4/110 from 22.5 overs in the second.He also scored vital runs; his 34 in the first innings was instrumental in giving Australia a slender first innings lead and he scored 18 in the second innings. ^[15]

Playing style

Murphy is a right-arm off spin bowler of brisk pace, delivering most of his deliveries in excess of 90 km/h. He bowls with a high, jaunty action that has been compared to that of former England spinner, Graeme Swann.^[16] He is a left-handed batsman who bats in the tail, usually at number nine or ten.

Murphy wears prescription glasses when batting, bowling and fielding, one of few Test cricketers to have done so.

Personal life

In 2022, Murphy was studying for a Bachelor of Exercise and Sport Science/Bachelor of Business (Sport Management) at Deakin University.^[17]

Murphy supports the Collingwood Football Club in the Australian Football League. ^[18]

References

1. "Todd Murphy". Cricket Victoria. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
2. "Todd Murphy". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
3. "Todd Murphy". Big Bash League. Retrieved 11 February 2023.
4. "Victorian Premier Cricket Career Stats". Retrieved 7 July 2023.
5. "How 'stuffing around' put Murphy on spinning path". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 7 July 2003.
6. "5th Match, Melbourne, Mar 9 2021, The Marsh Cup". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 10 March 2021.
7. "Next generation: Australia reveal U19 World Cup squad". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 13 December 2019.
8. "23rd Match, Melbourne, Apr 3 - 6 2021, Sheffield Shield". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 3 April 2021.
9. "20th Match (N), Sydney, Dec 26 2021, Big Bash League". ESPNcricinfo. Retrieved 26 December 2021.
10. "'A strong spin option': Australia name Todd Murphy in Test squad for tour of India". The Guardian. Australian Associated Press. 11 January 2023. Retrieved 11 January 2023.
11. "Murphy debuts, Head axed as Aussies bat first in Nagpur". Cricket Australia. Retrieved 9 February 2023.
12. "Cricinfo tour averages India-Australia 2023". Retrieved 8 July 2023.
13. "Australia - England Third Test". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
14. "Australia drop Murphy and recall Green, as Warner retained for fourth Ashes Test". Guardian. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
15. "Australia - England Fifth Test". Cricinfo. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
16. "Graeme Swann amazed by similarity in action". 25 November 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2023.
17. "Elite Athlete Program Profiles". Deakin University. Retrieved 13 March 2022.
18. @CollingwoodFC (25 August 2023). "Great to have Baggy Green number 465 in the rooms after tonight's win! 🏏 Todd Murphy - a true member of the Magpie Army 🖤🤍". X (formerly Twitter).

External links

• Todd Murphy at ESPNcricinfo