Australia A smashing Sri Lanka twice in one day, David Warner plucked from obscurity and Andrew Johns playing for NSW - inside the early days of T20 cricket in Australia

While the Big Bash League, Indian Premier League and T20 World Cup are massive events on the cricket calendar today, the formative years of 20 over cricket saw some crazy innovations to gain traction.

For the first time cricket fans saw cheerleaders dancing in front of rock bands, international stars playing in domestic leagues and crowds coming back through the gates for state cricket matches.

While many of the early innovations stuck and are present at T20 matches to this day, there were also a number of failed experiments best left to the history books.

Here are some of the craziest moments of T20 cricket in Australia, even going back to when the Aussies came up with the shortened version of cricket before it was officially made into a sport. 

Andrew Johns' Unlikely Cricket Career

Andrew 'Joey' Johns is well known for leading the Newcastle Knights to two premierships, numerous NSW State of Origin wins and ultimately dubbed an Immortal of rugby league after a stellar career. However, his talent wasn't confined to just NRL footy. 

In the 2006-07 season, Johns was recruited into the New South Wales Twenty20 cricket side, a strategic move designed to attract larger crowds to the Blues' home games. 

While his presence generated interest, his performance on the field didn't significantly contribute to the team's success.

Despite his limited on-field impact, Johns demonstrated that he was not without cricketing skills during his second outing in Sydney, scoring 9 from 10 balls. This followed some lower-grade cricket experience with Newcastle's Merewether club.

Andrew Johns' involvement in Twenty20 cricket was largely an initiative to draw publicity to the sport, as admitted by Cricket NSW chief executive David Gilbert at the time.

Australia A beats Sri Lanka Twice in One Day

While T20 cricket was introduced by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) in 2003, there was very little domestic or international cricket being played in that format straight off the bat.

That was until an unlikely flogging gave Aussies a glimpse at what Twenty20 was all about.

Sri Lanka was touring Australia and played a triangular ODI series against Australia and the second string Australia A side.

Australia A would create history in that series, playing two matches in one day and effectively providing a preview of what T20 cricket would look like.

Ian Harvey, Nathan Bracken and Brad Williams ripped through the Sri Lankan order at Adelaide Oval to have the visitors all out for just 65 inside 25 overs.

In reply, openers Greg Blewett and Jimmy Maher mowed down the total in less than 12 overs.

With a restless crowd wanting more, the two sides agreed to play a second, exhibition match limited to 25 overs each.

Australia A batted first this time around, with the late Andrew Symonds clubbing his way to 81 off 59 balls to show he was made for the new format.

Sri Lanka could not reel in Australia A's total of 171 and suffered the ignominy of losing twice in one day to Australia's second string limited overs outfit.

Ryan Campbell Invents the 'Scoop' Cricket Shot - and Sri Lanka Steals It

Wicketkeeper/batsman Ryan Campbell led Australia A in those infamous matches against Sri Lanka and he was the first player in Australia to roll out the scoop, a reverse drive that sends the ball over the 'keeper's head and into the boundary rope.

Campbell debuted the high risk, high reward stroke in 2002 playing for Australia A and made headlines for bringing the ramp out again in 2003 when they hammered Sri Lanka twice in one day.

'I got sent in early against Sri Lanka to try up the tempo in a game we were going pretty well in,' Campbell said at the time.

'I thought, 'Zoysa's going to come around the wicket and bowl full to me, so let's give it a whirl'.'

Tillakaratne Dilshan didn't play in that match, but he certainly took notice.

He developed his own version of Campbell's ramp to create what he called the 'Dil-Scoop' and claimed to have pioneered the shot.

While Campbell invented the shot, he does concede that players like Dilshan refined it.

'I think other players have played it much better. Dilshan has played it incredibly. Brendon McCullum took it to another level when he started hitting sixes in New Zealand with it off Shaun Tait and Brett Lee.

'The courage that they (the batsmen) show to do it is unbelievable – we're talking blokes who bowl 150 clicks. To get down there and put your body and face in line (with the ball) and hit it over your head is just incredible.' 

Matthew Hayden and the Insane Mongoose Bat

In the twillight of his career, Matthew Hayden made waves in the 2010 edition of the Indian Premier League with the Mongoose bat - a shortened version of a regular bat great for slugging sixes but utterly hopeless for defensive shots.

Unlike conventional bats, the Mongoose Bat boasts a design that incorporates three times more wood at the bottom. This unique feature empowers the batsman to deliver formidable strikes, especially against Yorkers and low tosses, harnessing the full force and power of the bat. The bat's unconventional design includes a 33 per cent shorter blade and a 43% longer handle compared to traditional bats, contributing to its distinct appearance and performance.

In addition to its distinctive design, the Mongoose Bat is characterized by its lighter weight, providing players with enhanced maneuverability and control during their innings. The structural modifications implemented in the Mongoose Bat contribute to an astonishing 120 per cent increase in the size of the sweet spot, offering players an expanded area on the bat's surface for optimal shot execution.

Contrary to popular belief, there is a lingering misconception that the Mongoose Bat faced a ban from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the IPL governing body. However, in reality, while these governing bodies did scrutinize the bat in response to complaints, they ultimately chose not to impose a ban. The buzz around the Mongoose Bat just wore off and it was consigned to musty old kit bags around the world.

David Warner's T20 Debut

The veteran Aussie opener will pull stumps on his Test career this summer, aiming to finish with a bang at his home ground the SCG against Pakistan.

However it all started in T20 for Warner when he was plucked from obscurity to play in the first ever Twenty20 international match between Australia and South Africa in 2009.

At the time, Warner had not played a single First Class match, let alone for his country.

He had been earmarked early for his big hitting and did not disappoint, smashing 89 in just 43 balls as Australia pumped the Proteas by 52 runs.

His ODI and first-class debuts soon followed, as did an IPL contract with Delhi Daredevils and in 2011 he made his Test cricket debut.