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On top down under: Australia's cricket captains
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April 6, 2026"On Top Down Under" (1975) by Ray Robinson is a classy and well-written work about Australian's captains of cricket, which happens to contain a paragraph with the single most inappropriate and out-of-place analogy I have ever read.
John Arlott called Ray Robinson "surely the most underrated of cricket writers"; D. Bradman said in regards to 'On Top Down Under', "no cricket library could be without it". It is generally a balanced, historically well-informed and well-written overview of how different characters have fulfilled the demanding role once considered as second most important in the country after the Prime Ministership.
But check out this paragraph. It's from the chapter about G.H.S. Scott, "Postman's Knock".
"When Hill dropped Grace at 40 off Trott's bowling he shamefacedly told his skipper he was sorry. Trott: 'Don't let that upset you, son. Every one on this field has dropped catches. Better luck next time!' He spilt few himself - and never missed a chance for a practical joke. Going to bat in a game at Lord's he put a lighted cigar aside. When Harry returned, he calmly walked to the cigar, saying, 'Glad it hasn't gone out.' Mostly he smoked a pipe with a bowl like an embryo incinerator."
Quite.
On Top Down Under: Australia's Cricket Captains
John Arlott called Ray Robinson "surely the most underrated of cricket writers"; D. Bradman said in regards to 'On Top Down Under', "no cricket library could be without it". It is generally a balanced, historically well-informed and well-written overview of how different characters have fulfilled the demanding role once considered as second most important in the country after the Prime Ministership.
But check out this paragraph. It's from the chapter about G.H.S. Scott, "Postman's Knock".
"When Hill dropped Grace at 40 off Trott's bowling he shamefacedly told his skipper he was sorry. Trott: 'Don't let that upset you, son. Every one on this field has dropped catches. Better luck next time!' He spilt few himself - and never missed a chance for a practical joke. Going to bat in a game at Lord's he put a lighted cigar aside. When Harry returned, he calmly walked to the cigar, saying, 'Glad it hasn't gone out.' Mostly he smoked a pipe with a bowl like an embryo incinerator."
Quite.
On Top Down Under: Australia's Cricket Captains
Displaying 1 of 1 review