13 Comments
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Lou's avatar

Okay Gideon, in the lead up to the WTC against South Africa at Lords in June, can we please have more details and stories about the seventy-eight-year-old left-arm spinner who took a Michelle Pfeiffer.

Lou's avatar

Awesome.

Thanks so much!

Bill Allert's avatar

Something additionally enjoyable about Sir James (as well as Sir Geoffrey and Lord Botham, but I suspect not Sir Andrew and Sir Alastair) is that in another time, the time of Sir Leonard and Sir Alec, he would have enjoyed the prestige of being a knighted professional.

John McGill's avatar

Why is there nearly as many West Indians knighted as English and only one Australian and Kiwi? Do the countries themselves put forward nominees for consideration?

Tony Korman's avatar

Bill Woodfull offered a knighthood in 1934 for services to cricket, but turned it down (Gideon -any further details?). Later received an OBE for services to education (Headmaster at Melbourne High School - just down the road from your Yarras home ground)

Gideon Haigh's avatar

I just consulted Alan Gregory's life of Woodfull, Tony, and it seems like family lore, rather than something for which there's a document trail. Good story if true! Thanks for the lift on Saturday night, btw.

Tony Korman's avatar

Impressive Windies knights:

Worrell

Sobers

Walcott

Weekes

Hunte

Richards

Hall

Ambrose

Roberts

Richardson

Griffith

Lloyd

Greenidge

Who makes the First XI?

paul ashbridge's avatar

Wasn't it Fred Trueman rather than Len Hutton who came up with the quip about Francis Drake beingt the last bowler to be knighted?

martin.english@gmail.com's avatar

Wonderful and interesting rabbit holes there 😀

Jan Gross's avatar

What is the highest award an Oz cricketer has received in our unknightly times ? -Surely Shane Warne deserved something to go with his State memorial service.

Greg Hardy's avatar

Dunno, but Sir Glen McGrath would be an appropriate gong for services to cricket and charity. Much like Ian Botham.

Gideon Haigh's avatar

I'd have given Warnie the Brownlow. He'd have loved that.