Michael Dighton      

Full name Michael Gray Dighton

Born April 24, 1976, Toowoomba, Queensland

Current age 33 years 201 days

Major teams Netherlands, Derbyshire, Hampshire, Tasmania, Western Australia

Nickname Dighta

Playing role Opening batsman

Batting style Right-hand bat

Bowling style Right-arm medium-fast

Fielding position Occasional wicketkeeper

Height 1.93 m

Michael Dighton has been the barometer for Tasmania over the past two seasons. He had an outstanding Pura Cup campaign in 2006-07 and the state won its first title; his one-day form was brilliant in 2007-08 and the Tigers collected the FR Cup. Like Tasmania, Dighton now faces the challenge of performing in both formats simultaneously. One of seven men to play all 11 of Tasmania's one-day games last season, Dighton finished as the competition's leading run scorer with 549 at 54.90. His purplest patch came when he struck two centuries within a week. The first came when he exploited the small boundaries at North Sydney Oval to hammer an unbeaten 146, which included three sixes off one Doug Bollinger over. Six days later he helped himself to 106 against Western Australia in Hobart. But as a Pura Cup opener he was struggling and lost his spot after six games brought him 246 runs at 20.50. The previous season he had stepped into the No. 3 spot when Michael Bevan retired and he finished with two centuries, 723 runs and a place in the starting 11 for the final. He could not hold his one-day spot but had two extraordinary Twenty20 outings. At Sydney's Telstra Stadium he blasted the competition's first century - 111 from 56 balls - and against Queensland his slow bowling that had barely been seen in a decade earned Dighton 6 for 25.

A tall, dominating top-order batsman who is prepared to use his muscle, Dighton started his career with Western Australia before moving to Tasmania in the lead-up to the 2001-02 season. An occasional wicketkeeper, Dighton was a talented junior who served as Western Australia's Under-17 and Under-19 captain and attended the Academy in 1996. Following his move south, he came to prominence when he racked up 944 Pura Cup runs at 55 in 2003-04 and the next year he made a half-century in Tasmania's drought-breaking ING Cup triumph. However, he was dropped from the first-class team during 2004-05 and the regular mid-season demotions have left him with a fringe status in Tasmania's side, despite being one of the state's more experienced players.
Cricinfo staff September 2008

Australian Cricket Academy 1996

Oct 20, 2008

Michael Dighton drives through the on side

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Feb 13, 2008

Michael Dighton pulls one round to the leg side

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Nov 25, 2007

Michael Dighton scored an unbeaten 146 in the Tigers' comprehensive win

© Getty Images

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