First he equalled the world record for the number of Test dismissals in the 90s, then lost his Test place, and now Michael Slater may have tattooed himself with the wrong number .

The New South Wales opener has always been one to wear his heart on his sleeve, but he took patriotic pride a tad too far recently.

Believing himself to be the 356th player to represent Australia, he had the number tattooed on his body.

Just for good measure, he then ordered the personalised numberplate MS356 for his new red Ferrari.

But if watching Justin Langer, his replacement for the final Ashes Test last summer, score a hundred at the Oval was not bad enough, Slater has now been told that he may in fact be Australia's 357th Test player.

Alphabet

The real 356 is, apparently, Brendon Julian.

The pair made their Test debuts together in 1993 and Slater had assumed that because he had batted above Julian, he would be listed first.

But the Australian Cricket Board (ACB) say that in cases when two more cricketers make their debuts together, their numbers, which are now included on baggy green caps, are determined alphabetically.

"Most people would assume you would do it alphabetically," said ACB statistician Ross Dundas.





And the ACB website - baggygreen.com.au - lists Julian ahead of Slater on the official list of Test caps. England fans might not be the most sympathetic to Slater's plight having seen him survive a run-out decision in Sydney three winters' ago. He survived, despite the proper technology being available to the third umpire, because the bowler, Peter Such, had accidentally obscured the camera. Slater was on 35 at the time and he went on to score 123 out of a second-innings total of 183, the second highest percentage of runs scored in a completed innings in Test history. England lost the Test by 98 runs. But then good fortune also seems to have a played its part Slater's career. Indeed, he is lucky even to have a Test career.



And you know what, I'll come back bigger and better

Michael Slater