The Old and the New: In Memoriam, David Hookes-by Michael Roberts Source:Cricketique Michael Roberts,  from the Baggy Green, by Bernard Whimpress, 2016, Comment: On 25 March 2001 a public memorial service paid homage to Sir Donald Bradman after a full lifetime innings capping his monumental record as batsman and captain on the cricket field. On 27 January 2004 a public memorial service honoured David Hookes’ memory after his cameo innings in life was prematurely terminated before a half-century was reached. Bradman’s memoriam marked the passing of the old century, the twentieth century. Hookes and his memoriam signalled the new, the twenty-first century. Hookes’ bat and his Redbacks Cap marked his last hurrah in home ground The generational contrast was also inscribed in the style of each memorial moment. The public service to Bradman was a traditional Christian service held in St. Peter’s Anglican Cathedral abutting the Adelaide Oval and almost part of it ...

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“Greatest Test-Batsmen of all time” – by Des Kelly So Cricket is on the boards again. Australia is the greatest Sports – loving Country in the World. There is no doubt about it, at all.  Some of the greatest Sportsmen & Women also come from this huge Island Continent, proud to call themselves Aussies. When I happened to see the ‘post’ about the famous ‘Stars’ who carried their bat’s out to creases all around this planet of ours, I watched with great interest, all the accomplishments of the greatest batsmen ever, and was very proud indeed to notice the name of Kumar Sanghakara, Sri Lanka’s greatest batsman among them, fairly high on the list, as well. What made me prouder still, was the fact that the “TOP” Batsman was Sir Donald Bradman who, in retirement, was also a Director of the South Australian Rubber Mills and decided to pay a ...

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“FAMOUS PEOPLE” – By Des Kelly Image source: ROSL On Friday, the 14th of May, 2021,  on Facebook, Cynthia Peiris asked the question, WHO IS THE MOST FAMOUS PERSON YOU HAVE MET ?. Because my answer was going to be rather long, I decided to write same, in eLanka, hoping that Cynthia is indeed, one of it’s 23.000+ members, and if not, inviting her to become one. Cynthia, I entered the Showbiz Scene in Ceylon, in 1942, when I was just 6 years old. I have met dozens of Lanka’s famous  Personalities but none were really World famous. To mention specific names would be unfair to dozens of others, but my eLanka friends would know exactly what I mean, and WHO they are. In Showbiz Ceylon, as it was then, there were many more famous personalities, than there were, in any other category, one could think of, and, as I ...

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