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Full name Michael James Di Venuto
Born December 12, 1973, Hobart, Tasmania
Current age 34 years 307 days
Major teams Australia,Australia A,Derbyshire,Derbyshire 2nd XI,Durham,Northern Territory Cricket Association Invitation XI,Sussex,Sussex 2nd XI,Tasmania
Nickname Diva
Playing role Opening batsman
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm medium, Legbreak googly
Height
1.80 m
Education St Virgil's College, Hobart
Batting and fielding averages
Mat
Inns
NO
Runs
HS
Ave
BF
SR
100
50
4s
6s
Ct
St
ODIs
9
9
0
241
89
26.77
281
85.76
0
2
28
0
1
0
First-class
281
501
32
21097
230
44.98
47
128
326
0
List A
290
284
18
8832
173*
33.20
15
45
120
0
Twenty20
40
38
4
842
95*
24.76
663
126.99
0
6
114
7
9
0
Bowling averages
Mat
Inns
Balls
Runs
Wkts
BBI
BBM
Ave
Econ
SR
4w
5w
10
ODIs
9
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
First-class
281
807
484
5
1/0
96.80
3.59
161.4
0
0
List A
290
200
181
5
1/10
1/10
36.20
5.43
40.0
0
0
0
Twenty20
40
5
78
88
5
3/19
3/19
17.60
6.76
15.6
0
0
0
Career statistics
ODI debut
South Africa v Australia at East London, Mar 29, 1997 scorecard
Last ODI
Australia v New Zealand at Melbourne, Dec 17, 1997 scorecard
ODI statistics
First-class debut
1991/92
Last First-class
Kent v Durham at Canterbury, Sep 24-27, 2008 scorecard
List A debut
1992/93
Last List A
Durham v Gloucestershire at Chester-le-Street, Sep 14, 2008 scorecard
Twenty20 debut
Yorkshire v Derbyshire at Leeds, Jun 14, 2003 scorecard
Last Twenty20
Durham v Middlesex at Southampton, Jul 26, 2008 scorecard
Profile
Michael Di Venuto shot into the Australian one-day team as an opener with his brutal stroke-play that was a precursor to Adam Gilchrist's dominance, but he couldn't sustain the devastation and was dropped in the same year he got promoted. Following his international days in 1997, which included two half-centuries, he continued to be a prolific and record-breaking player for Tasmania. Di Venuto saved his best two state seasons for his final campaigns. In 2006-07 he compiled his best collection in an Australian domestic season and his 961 Pura Cup runs at 53.38 put him third in the competition that summer. The highlight was finally being part of a state first-class triumph - Di Venuto was the only member of the winning team to have played in all three of Tasmania's lost deciders - and he contributed a handy 64 in the second innings. He was just as good in 2007-08, when his 947 runs at 52.61 came in a struggling team, and he left a big hole in the Tigers' batting department when he announced he was retiring to focus on his new three-year county deal with Durham.
Di Venuto made his state debut as a teenager in 1991-92 and played many outstanding top-order innings, but none was more impressive than his glorious 189 in the 1997-98 Sheffield Shield final. When he departed the Australian domestic scene he was Tasmania's leading one-day run-scorer, was second to Jamie Cox on the state's lists of Pura Cup-Sheffield Shield appearances and runs scored, and owned the most half-centuries in Pura Cup-Sheffield Shield history. A fearsome player of the hook, pull and square cut, he is a dashing left-hander who has excited English fans during regular stints with Derbyshire and Durham.
Cricinfo staff September 2008
