Willowman

Belonging to a cricketing family I knew that I had to read this book. 

Allan Reader comes from a family who for many generations made cricket bats in England. He decides to carry on the tradition in Australia by establishing a small workshop in Melbourne. He loves cricket, watches games when he is not working and listens on the radio to all the matches. One day he notices a young player from Queensland playing in an interstate under 19 game. Allan is so impressed with this player and his potential as a cricketer that he decides to craft a bat specifically for him.

Todd Harrow receives his new bat at the same time that he has been selected to take the next step in his cricket career. The bat perfectly suits his style of play and becomes his prize possession as we follow his rapid rise to eventually playing cricket for Australia. However Todd is not the only cricketer in his family as his sister, Liv, also plays the game and proves to be an exceptional player without, of course, the recognition received by her male counterparts.

In Willowman, Inga Simpson provides a story of people attempting to succeed in a challenging and changing world and having to learn to accept apparent failure as well as success. As well as succeeding on a chosen career path it is also a story of sometimes needing to adapt to discover what is really important in life.

Anyone reading this book will certainly learn a great deal about the game of cricket and also about the crafting of cricket bats. However the strength of the novel is the parallel stories of Allan and Todd as they try to determine how to deal with unexpected challenges in their lives.

The Bodyline Fix: how women saved cricket

It is now accepted that it is perfectly normal for both men and women to enjoy playing cricket and to compete at the highest levels. However this has not always been the case and in The Bodyline Fix Marion Stell recounts the battle of female cricketers to convince cricket administrators and the public during the 1930s that they could not only play cricket at a high level but could also represent their country.

The 1932-1933 Australia versus England tests held in Australia caused much controversy when England players used aggressive bowling tactics that became known as 'bodyline'. Meanwhile women's cricket was growing and plans were being made for the first women's cricket tours of England and Australia with test matches to be held in both countries. The England women's team visited Australia in 1934-1935 while the Australian team visited England in 1937.

In 1989 the author and another researcher set out to interview the Australian players who had been involved in those tours to record their stories for the National Museum. Some of the women interviewed had kept collections of momentos relating to their cricketing adventures. The author also researched newspapers and magazines which regularly reported on the effects of bodyline on cricket and also on the rise of women's cricket in the 1930s. As well as serious reporting a number of satirical articles were written particularly regarding the attitudes of some men to women playing cricket.

Marion Stell provides information not just about the matches played by the women but the challenges faced during the Depression of being able to tour. She also records the changes in cricket uniform for lady cricketers at the time and the reactions of some of the public to the changes. Travelling overseas by ship was also a great adventure for most of the players. The women enjoyed visiting different parts of England and also visited The Netherlands to promote the game. The Australian team also had tickets to watch the  procession of horses and carriages passing by for the the King's coronation in 1937, a special event remembered by many of the players.

The Bodyline Fix should interest most readers interested in the history of cricket. The book also provides an insight into some of the social history in the 1930s.

Notes, bibliography, index plus some photos are included in the book