As Murray Hedgcock celebrates his 88th birthday, Mayukh Ghosh remembers his contributions to cricket.
As war grips the world, a little boy in Victoria finds a rather curious book on the shelves.
It is written by P.G. Wodehouse.
And in that is a Jeeves and Wooster story.
Then, in 1953, when travel-minded young Australians were heading for London to enjoy the Coronation, this 21-year-old journalist, just completing three years’ training with the Geelong Advertiser, made his trek in hope of seeing Lindsay Hassett’s team retain the Ashes.
It was not to be.
But he had found his second love.
And already figured out that his school principal in the early 40s, one Bill Woodfull, was a famous cricketer, and he was born just a day before Brian Close.
In 1963, he found a new interest.
Rowland Bowen, who was about to launch his ambitious cricket magazine.
After an initial dispute, this man successfully became a friend of Bowen and remained so till The Major died.
Not many could do that.
When Bowen died, he got such scant attention that this friend of his thought of writing a proper memoir.
The establishment of the P.G. Wodehouse Society in the 1990s rekindled his first love.
And he decided to compile a book linking two of his major interests: Wodehouse and cricket.
His health has deteriorated but he still wants to do that book on Bowen.
And still vehemently supports any team that plays against England.
Murray Hedgcock is perhaps not as well known in the cricket world as he should be, but has surely done his bit to enrich the game we all love.
He was born on February 23, 1931