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Top Knocks
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January 1, 2026
This was an enjoyable take on some of Australia's best batting innings. No two entries were the same, and that was important. It won’t be for everyone; this is one for cricket fans, but those who enjoy it will enjoy it.
An important note. Top Knocks does have a personal bias, as should be clear from the title as it persented on the cover Bad Hodge's Top Knocks, but given the author's acquaintance with all the batters, it allows for a personal perspective from the eyes of the batters (dearly departed, Andrew Symonds and Dean Jones) excluded. It was interesting to hear about the change Adam Glichrist made before his entry and the challenges faced by the Haddin family in the wake of Mia Haddin’s diagnosis.
The batsmen were essentially the players I expected, but the order and innings chosen weren't so much. Only one batter is included twice, Glenn Maxwell, once for a T20 innings and again for the innings that I suspect influenced the creation of this book… his mammoth World Cup innings against Afghanistan in 2024. I appreciate the choice to include a woman, unsurprisingly the exceptionally talented Alyssa Healy.
I do think it could have been improved a little with the inclusion of an afterword by one (or more) of the featured batsmen doing a quick section in a similar style on Brad Hodge's best innings, he is no slouch himself and influential to some young cricketers. And by the inclusion of an introduction for the scorecard, it's a slightly atypical format for Australians. ✝️ is a keeper. (C) is the standard Captain. R B M Runs, Balls and Minutes are more or less standard, but the minutes took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out. I would have loved to see a list of some honourable mentions, maybe Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath, for the sheer shock of those performances.
First book of the year, first entry for the Popsugar's Reading Challenge 2026 for prompt #16 ‘A Book About New Beginnings’. What is a new innings for a batsman but a new beginning, a chance to put aside the failings of previous innings and start afresh, usually, with learnings from the past. Interestingly, these entries usually started a vein of form for the batsman in question.
An important note. Top Knocks does have a personal bias, as should be clear from the title as it persented on the cover Bad Hodge's Top Knocks, but given the author's acquaintance with all the batters, it allows for a personal perspective from the eyes of the batters (dearly departed, Andrew Symonds and Dean Jones) excluded. It was interesting to hear about the change Adam Glichrist made before his entry and the challenges faced by the Haddin family in the wake of Mia Haddin’s diagnosis.
The batsmen were essentially the players I expected, but the order and innings chosen weren't so much. Only one batter is included twice, Glenn Maxwell, once for a T20 innings and again for the innings that I suspect influenced the creation of this book… his mammoth World Cup innings against Afghanistan in 2024. I appreciate the choice to include a woman, unsurprisingly the exceptionally talented Alyssa Healy.
I do think it could have been improved a little with the inclusion of an afterword by one (or more) of the featured batsmen doing a quick section in a similar style on Brad Hodge's best innings, he is no slouch himself and influential to some young cricketers. And by the inclusion of an introduction for the scorecard, it's a slightly atypical format for Australians. ✝️ is a keeper. (C) is the standard Captain. R B M Runs, Balls and Minutes are more or less standard, but the minutes took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out. I would have loved to see a list of some honourable mentions, maybe Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath, for the sheer shock of those performances.
First book of the year, first entry for the Popsugar's Reading Challenge 2026 for prompt #16 ‘A Book About New Beginnings’. What is a new innings for a batsman but a new beginning, a chance to put aside the failings of previous innings and start afresh, usually, with learnings from the past. Interestingly, these entries usually started a vein of form for the batsman in question.
Displaying 1 of 1 review