The ACT Comets (also known as the Canberra Comets, previously the Federal Capital Territory) are a

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

team that represent the

Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory (commonly abbreviated as ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a landlocked federal territory of Australia containing the national capital Canberra and some surrounding townships. ...

. The Comets are the premier team of the Cricket ACT who are affiliated with

Cricket Australia Cricket Australia (CA), formerly known as the Australian Cricket Board (ACB), is the governing body for professional and amateur cricket in Australia. It was originally formed in 1905 as the 'Australian Board of Control for International Crick ...

In the Domestic One Day Competition

The ACT Comets were participants in the Australian domestic limited-overs

Mercantile Mutual Cup The One-Day Cup, known as the Marsh One-Day Cup for sponsorship reasons, is an Australian domestic List A 50-over limited-overs cricket tournament. It has had many different names, formats and teams since the inaugural 1969-1970 season. Initi ...

competition. They did not, however, field a team in the four-day

Sheffield Shield The Sheffield Shield (currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Marsh Sheffield Shield) is the domestic first-class cricket competition of Australia. The tournament is contested between teams from the six states of Australia. Sheffield Shi ...

competition. Their Mercantile Mutual Cup involvement lasted from the 1997–98 season to the 1999–2000 season. It was found that there was insufficient local support at that time to be financially viable in the first-class and

list-A List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket, with games lasting up to eight hours. List A cricket includes One Day International (ODI) matches and various domestic competitions in which the numbe ...

competitions. Former Australian Test bowler Merv Hughes was brought out of retirement to help ACT, as was former Test batsman

Mike Veletta Michael Robert John Veletta (born 30 October 1963) is a former Australian cricketer. He played in eight Test matches and 20 One Day Internationals between 1987 and 1990. He played 127 first-class matches including 114 Sheffield Shield matc ...

ACT and Canberra region players

Australian internationals

Brad Haddin Bradley James Haddin (born 23 October 1977), is a former Australian cricketer, vice-captain and coach who represented Australia in all three forms of international cricket. He played domestically for New South Wales as a right-handed batsman a ...

and

Nathan Lyon Nathan Michael Lyon (born 20 November 1987) is an Australian international cricketer. He made his Test debut in 2011 and plays domestic cricket for New South Wales. Lyon is an off spin bowler and a lower-order right-handed batsman. Considered ...

played for the Comets. Former Australian Test batsman

Michael Bevan Michael Gwyl Bevan (born 8 May 1970) is a former Australian cricketer. He is a left-handed batsman and a slow left arm wrist-spin bowler. He has been credited for initiating the art of finishing matches. For several years, he was considered as ...

was born in Canberra and played cricket with the Weston Creek club, but did not play for the Comets. Police Magistrate A. T. Faunce was instrumental in bringing cricket to the Canberra-Queanbeyan region in the 1830s and died while playing the game at the Queanbeyan Market reserve (now Queen Elizabeth Park). There have been 25 players to play 50 or more games for the ACT. Four players have reached 100, while Peter Solway is the only to have reached 150 games. The highest individual scores in ACT grade cricket have been: 339 - PJ Solway (1989/90), 300 - JR Dean (2012/13), 246 - CE Hincksman (1926/27), 238 - L Lees (1932/33), 220 - C Brown (2008/9), 215 - L Lees (1933/34), 211 - PJ Solway (1990/91), 207- NH Fairbrother (1988/89), 205 - JN Williams (1988/89), 200 - MJ Dawn (2001/02), 200- C Brown (2008/09) Owen Chivers 204* and Michael Spaseski 221 in same match 2013/14 .

In Futures League

Today, the team represents Canberra in the lower-level

Futures League The Toyota Second XI or Futures League is the Australian national second XI cricket competition. Run by Cricket Australia, it is part of its development program and includes the various state and territory second XI teams, from the 2009–10 se ...

. The Comets finished the 2005–06 season in fourth place with two outright wins. The Comets took out their first ever title in the 2010–11 season.

Player transfers

In the period 2011-2012 six 20 to 23-year-old first class listed players who learnt cricket in Canberra have had to transfer interstate – Jason Floros (20, QLD),

Jason Behrendorff Jason Paul Behrendorff (born 20 April 1990) is an Australian cricketer, currently listed with Western Australia and the Perth Scorchers in Australian domestic cricket. Although born in New South Wales, Behrendorff grew up in Canberra and playe ...

(20, WA),

(23, SA), Ashton May (21, Tas), Ryan Carters (20, VIC) and Will Sheridan (23, VIC).Kieran Deck. 'ACT Comets- Time to Bring Them Back' The Fooyt Almanac 15 March 2011 http://www.footyalmanac.com.au/act-comets-time-to-bring-them-back/

References

External links