Adam Voges in his Test debut on day one of the First Test between Australia and the West Indies.
Camera IconAdam Voges in his Test debut on day one of the First Test between Australia and the West Indies. Credit: Supplied/Supplied, Ryan Pierse/Getty Images

Backyard champ |to baggy green cap

Stuart HortonWeekend Kwinana Courier

The 35-year-old at last got to pull on the baggy green after being named for his Test debut against West Indies in Dominica on Wednesday.

Voges' reaching the pinnacle of the sport marked a journey from a Warnbro backyard, junior cricket with Warnbro Swans and Rockingham-|Mandurah, district cricket with Melville, captaining WA and racking up more than 20,000 first-class runs along the way.

His brother Ben told the Courier earlier this week that the Voges family were all excited for Adam whether he was named or not, but said seeing his brother finally get a Test nod was "brilliant".

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"We're all so proud of him and what he's achieved in cricket so far and for him to get a baggy green is brilliant," he said.

"His numbers have been good for a long time. I have no idea why the selectors hadn't looked at him earlier but runs are currency and when you have one player scoring big runs and doing well like Adam has it is hard to ignore them."

Ben, who is 18 months younger than Adam, said the pair spent hours every day playing cricket in the back yard, either against one another or with a few mates.

He said it was apparent from an early age that Adam was talented, "always on another level" and "dominated" junior cricket.

"He'd usually bat for three hours while I bowled and got a sore shoulder," Ben said.

"When Id finally get a bat it'd only be for 20 minutes " enough time to rest my shoulder " but he'd get me out 10 times and then be batting again" you couldn't get him out because he'd always hit it along the ground, always in the V and wouldn't hit it where it was agreed it'd be out."

The Voges clan may not have been at Windsor Park to see Adam take his first strides as Test player, but Ben said his extended family was booked to go to England and Wales for the first two Ashes Tests in July.

"Dad's plan was always to go to his first Test, but there wasn't much notice for him to get there," he said.