Early years Mark Waugh

born @ canterbury hospital in campsie, new south wales on 2 june 1965, waugh 1 of twin boys born rodger , beverley waugh. arrived 4 minutes after steve. father bank official , mother teacher within new south wales department of education. family settled in western sydney suburb of panania. twins later joined 2 more brothers, dean , danny. age, parents introduced children sport. age of six, twins playing organised soccer, tennis , cricket. in first cricket match, brothers both dismissed ducks.

the twins came sporting family. paternal grandfather edward greyhound trainer. raised in northern coastal town of bangalow, edward earned selection new south wales country team in rugby league. join eastern suburbs in new south wales rugby league, had give career due family reasons. rodger edward s son , promising tennis player, ranked eighth in australia in junior years , state champion @ under-14 level. on maternal side, bev tennis player won under-14 singles @ south australian championships. eldest brother dion bourne opening batsman played bankstown in sydney grade cricket , remains leading runscorer in club s history.

the twins made first representative cricket team when selected bankstown district under-10s @ age of eight. in 1976, twins youngest ever selected in new south wales primary schools soccer team. playing panania primary school, twins swept school win umbro international shield, statewide knockout soccer competition, scoring of team s 3 goals in final. key part of school s consecutive state cricket championships, , part of school tennis team came second in state in final year. in final year, mark captain of state primary school cricket , tennis teams, both of won national championships. twins instrumental in new south wales winning cricket carnival without defeat.

by time, increasing time demands led conflicts between sports, , in 1 case delisted team due conflict of commitments. twins progressed east hills boys technology high school, had history of producing australian international representatives in number of sports. aged 13, twins invited uncle bourne, captain of bankstown s first grade team, trial club s under-16 team green shield, , both selected. aged fourteen, both made senior grade cricket debut in 1979–1980, playing in fourth xi. twins broke east hills boys first xi in same season, , achieved same level in soccer. in 1980–81 brothers elevated third xi mid-season. mark s performance in green shield saw him selected in bankstown s under-21 team, still aged 15. brothers won formed two-man team—in 1 match, mark scored century , brothers took 16/85 between them. @ end of 1980, twins selected in state under-16 team national carnival, mark vice-captain.

when mark 16, grew around 1 foot in 1 year. relief, because had been diagnosed repetitive stress injury osgood-schlatter disease @ 15, , told not grow further height of 152 cm. pair changed soccer teams play in reserve grade sydney croatia in state league , pair paid small amounts in professional league. however, left cricket careers increasingly demanded more time.

the brothers promoted bankstown s second xi, before being selected first xi in 1982–83 season, aged 17, both making debut against western suburbs, mark making 97 on debut, ending season 427 runs @ 30.50. placed him second in team s aggregates , contributed 14 wickets @ 10.71. time, coaches had identified traits mark characterised in international career, of apparent laziness , reliable catching.

the twins finished high school @ end of 1983. in 1983–84, both members of new south wales combined high schools , state under-19 team. mark named player of series after scoring 2 centuries. brothers selected australia first time. had been named in national under-19 team play test , odi series against touring sri lankan counterparts. under-19 series pitted several future international players against 1 another. mark scored 123 in second test @ adelaide oval.

waugh did not contemplate going university , both , brother became sports equipment salesmen. made maiden first xi century during season; scoring 108 against mosman.

at start of 1984–85 season, brothers included in new south wales state squad.