Hookesey

David Hookes, the Australian cricketer has died, victim of an assault. The Guardian report is here; and there is a report in The Australian. Mike Selvey writes a warm obituary, which I excerpt at length:

By the time he had finished his playing career, Hookes had scored more runs than anyone in interstate matches; he had captained South Australia to two Sheffield Shield titles, taken Victoria for a century scored from just 34 deliveries - his second of the match, and still rated the fastest without contrivance - hit 10 sixes in an innings of 243 against New South Wales, and made 306 against Tasmania. In the process, he shared, with Wayne Phillips, an unbroken fourth wicket partnership of 462, then the highest for any wicket by an Australian pair.
.....
Few players have announced themselves to the cricket world with such a blaze as Hookes managed early in 1977. There had already been a buzz of talk on the circuit of a maverick, 21-year-old batsman in Adelaide when he produced innings of 163 and 9 against Victoria, and then, in the following match against Queensland, further innings of 185 and 105. The next team to visit South Australia was New South Wales, and he added further scores of 135 and 156. Only CB Fry, Sir Donald Bradman and Mike Procter had bettered his run of five centuries in 6 innings.
.....
[And of his innings in the Centenary Test at the MCG in 1977...] He had reached 36 when the England captain, Tony Greig, who had chided him none [too] gently for being wet behind the ears, abandoned bowling his fast medium and, for his 13th over, switched to off spin.

The third ball of what were then eight ball overs, was flighted and, without ceremony, was dispatched back over the bowler's head and down through mid-off to the notorious bay 13 section of the southern stand, for four. The quicker delivery next ball was anticipated, and using the pace on it, flicked to fine leg for a second boundary.

Four more came from a sublime, free-flowing cover drive, followed by a clip through midwicket, once more to the fence, bringing Hookes his half century. Finally, with the noise still a crescendo, another delivery in his arc outside off stump and another cover drive brought him his fifth successive boundary.

There was to be no more. Hookes was dismissed in the following over, for 56, but his flurry of strokeplay seemed to release the inhibitions of other players, and opened up what was to become one of cricket's finest matches. "I thought," said Bradman, who had been watching enthralled, "that Frank Woolley had been born again."

There is also an obituary by Tim Blair and a post about Hookes's death at Troppo Armadillo.