Cricinfo - Players and Officials

Full name Martin Lloyd Love
Born March 30, 1974, Mundubbera, Queensland
Current age 34 years 153 days
Major teams Australia, Durham, Queensland
Nickname Orm
Playing role Higher middle order batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Height 1.83 m
Education Mundubbera State; Mundubbera High; Toowoomba Grammar

Batting and fielding averages

Mat

Inns

Runs

Ave

100

Tests

233

100*

46.60

476

48.94

First-class

204

356

16110

300*

49.72

257

List A

155

151

4545

127*

33.41

Twenty20

166

27.66

120

138.33

Bowling averages

Mat

Inns

Balls

Runs

Wkts

BBI

BBM

Ave

Econ

Tests

First-class

204

1/5

11.00

2.20

30.0

List A

155

3.50

Twenty20

Career statistics

Test debut

Australia v England at Melbourne, Dec 26-30, 2002 scorecard

Last Test

Australia v Bangladesh at Cairns, Jul 25-28, 2003 scorecard

Test statistics

First-class debut

1992/93

Last First-class

South Australia v Queensland at Adelaide, Feb 29-Mar 3, 2008 scorecard

List A span

1993/94 - 2005

Twenty20 debut

Yorkshire v Durham at Leeds, Jun 20, 2003 scorecard

Last Twenty20

Northamptonshire v Somerset at Northampton, Jul 18, 2005 scorecard

Since he made his first-class debut for Queensland in the 1992-93 Sheffield Shield final at the age of 18, Martin Love has been the man for the big occasion and the lame pun. An upright, stately batsman with the mindset to bat for long periods, Love made a searing 146 when Queensland finally won their first Sheffield Shield - after 68 barren years - in 1994-95. Five seasons later he posted another century in the final, a six-hour 100 which secured a draw and with it the Pura Cup. Another two hundreds came in the deciders of 2004-05 and 2005-06, when he peeled off 169 to set up an easy win, to set a new national mark. In 2002 he scored 251 for Durham - a county record - and improved on that with 273 in 2003 before becoming the first Queenslander to reach a triple-century with 300 not out against Victoria in 2003-04.

Love pushed himself to the front of the cab-rank for Australian selection with not one but two effortless double-centuries against the touring English team in 2002-03; when he made his debut in the Boxing Day Test at Melbourne, he did so with a first-class average the right side of 50. He instantly looked at home, with a cultured 62 not out, but picked up a duck at Sydney. Another zero - first ball this time - against Bangladesh put his place in jeopardy, and despite a maiden century in the second Test at Cairns, Love lost his place when Damien Martyn returned from injury. Back in Queensland he continued his prolific ways until struck by finger problems in 2004-05 and 2005-06 that restricted his output and threatened his career. Both times he recovered in style only to experience more problems with his body.

In 2006-07 he passed 10,000 first-class runs for the state and Stuart Law's mark for the most runs by a Queenslander, but was forced to have a knee reconstruction. A qualified physiotherapist, Love needed his own rehabilitative talents in a difficult recovery. The injury continued to hamper him at times last season and then he missed the final game due to Bell's Palsy, a paralysing face condition. However, he vowed to continue and, when fit and in-form, remains a valued member of the top order.
Cricinfo staff August 2008

Mar 26, 2006

Martin Love gets under a bouncer © Getty Images

Feb 20, 2006

Martin Love sways out of harm's way © Getty Images

Jan 16, 2006

Martin Love's 106 was the highlight of Queensland's first innings © Getty Images

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