Jack Fingleton

Greg Growden

The life of Jack Fingleton, formidable opener for Australia during the Bodyline series.Jack Fingleton is one of Australian cricket's most important and intriguing characters. In John Arlott's words: He is himself?and a diverse himself it is.'Fingleton was an outstanding opening batsman with a reputation for fearlessness against the most hostile and dangerous opening attacks. He faced up to England's feared Bodyline' bowlers, and became the first batsman in history to score four successive Test centuries.Later he gained a reputation as possibly Australia's greatest cricket writer, with his work syndicated throughout Australia and overseas. He also moved in the corridors of power as a political journalist, and was on intimate terms with several prime ministers. He was the author of a number of authoritative books, including Cricket Crisis and Brightly Fades the Don.Fingleton led a...