In praise of Warne

by LES EVERETT

AS a young cricket enthusiast I was mystified by leg spin bowling. It wasn't Johnny Glesson's mystery spin that had me stumped but the fact the leggies I saw rarely seemed to make the ball turn.

I do recall watching Tony Mann spin 'em a mile in the last session of a Sheffield Shield match at the WACA on ABC TV once in the 1970s. Generally, however, it seemed conditions were seldom right for leggies to ply their trade - it was a first day pitch; it was a four or five-day-old pitch that hadn't worn enough; the ball was too hard; the ball was too soft; the outfield was wet - I began to think the wrong 'un was the one that didn't turn the other way.

Then along came Shane Warne.

It's pointless to add to the line-up of praise for Warne's bowling except to say he could spin the ball, had variety and was relentlessly accurate.

In the old days batsman could rely on a regular long-hop or full toss from the leg spinner - Warne gave them nothing. Even his understudy Stuart McGill was miles ahead of Gleeson, Kerry O'Keefe, Terry Jenner, Mann, Jim Higgs and Bob Holland and whoever else wriggled the wrist in my time.

Shane Warne brought something unique to cricket and something all-too-familiar to the nation.

Now he's gone I've got to say I won't miss him at all. I just couldn't stand the poncing, sledging, ridiculous appealing and intimidation of umpires - he should have been brought into line long ago. If he had we might now have a truly worthy national hero.

3 January 2007

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