Jimmy Barnes is owed a full and abject apology from the author. He has played ONE game of cricket and ONE game earlier.
The story of the said game is recorded in his third book Killing Time and was forwarded to me by the Helen Littleton, head of non fiction at Harper Collins and for my money the sharpest person in Australian publishing. Barnes relates that he was talked into playing a hit and giggle by soccer star Craig Johnston to raise money for charity. The rock star showed up at Southhampton on the day only to discover it was a serious game against an Australian Indigenous XI. Bill Wyman log the Rolling Stones and David Essex were on the singer’s side but so too were former players including Steve Waugh and Clive Lloyd, with whom Barnesy batted.
Steve donated cricket gear to the singer who’d shown up dressed in rock start rags.
Wyman made a golden duck and was furious but the opposition loved Barnesy calling him back from a golden duck after the bowler volunteered it was a no ball and dropping a couple of easy chances. It’s a good story well told and I especially enjoyed the bit where Barnes tried to cheer up Wyman by saying that at least his daughter had shown up to watch him play. The bass player pointed out it was his wife not his daughter. I met his wife once. And her mum. We went nightclubbing in Melbourne. Daughter had the hots for one of my mates and we drove both of them to the airport after the night on the town. A few months later she was married to Wyman who was a man whose tastes in very young women disturbed many.
There’s a picture of Jim batting but I don’t know how to show it here …
“Sporting clubs create community”. They sure do, and better than most, but as you rightly point out, sports “stars” often learnt the value of philanthropy by growing up in small community based sporting clubs. A few years ago a local footy club near me raised nearly $100,000 for mental health following the suicide of a young player. My old cricket club raised tens of thousands of hard earned dollars, during Covid no less, to send a player to the US for cancer treatment; thankfully he is now thriving and back playing again. Cricket should be proud of its tradition of fund raising, across all levels of society.
Brilliant article, Peter, on an underexplored subject - Cricket's generous, bleating heart. For more proof, just show up at the TCF Annual Dinner Peter has written about - on May 15th at the SCG.
In past Dinners, folks have stumped up nearly $ 45000 for 2 Qantas donated business class tickets to London - more than twice the RRP. And, one outrageously generous gent paid over $ 30000 for an Indian chef to come to his home and cook a meal for 10.
Many such endearing acts of kindness and munificence. Reduces one to tears.
Lovely piece Peter
ERRATUM/ME CULPA
Jimmy Barnes is owed a full and abject apology from the author. He has played ONE game of cricket and ONE game earlier.
The story of the said game is recorded in his third book Killing Time and was forwarded to me by the Helen Littleton, head of non fiction at Harper Collins and for my money the sharpest person in Australian publishing. Barnes relates that he was talked into playing a hit and giggle by soccer star Craig Johnston to raise money for charity. The rock star showed up at Southhampton on the day only to discover it was a serious game against an Australian Indigenous XI. Bill Wyman log the Rolling Stones and David Essex were on the singer’s side but so too were former players including Steve Waugh and Clive Lloyd, with whom Barnesy batted.
Steve donated cricket gear to the singer who’d shown up dressed in rock start rags.
Wyman made a golden duck and was furious but the opposition loved Barnesy calling him back from a golden duck after the bowler volunteered it was a no ball and dropping a couple of easy chances. It’s a good story well told and I especially enjoyed the bit where Barnes tried to cheer up Wyman by saying that at least his daughter had shown up to watch him play. The bass player pointed out it was his wife not his daughter. I met his wife once. And her mum. We went nightclubbing in Melbourne. Daughter had the hots for one of my mates and we drove both of them to the airport after the night on the town. A few months later she was married to Wyman who was a man whose tastes in very young women disturbed many.
There’s a picture of Jim batting but I don’t know how to show it here …
Lalor
“Sporting clubs create community”. They sure do, and better than most, but as you rightly point out, sports “stars” often learnt the value of philanthropy by growing up in small community based sporting clubs. A few years ago a local footy club near me raised nearly $100,000 for mental health following the suicide of a young player. My old cricket club raised tens of thousands of hard earned dollars, during Covid no less, to send a player to the US for cancer treatment; thankfully he is now thriving and back playing again. Cricket should be proud of its tradition of fund raising, across all levels of society.
Brilliant article, Peter, on an underexplored subject - Cricket's generous, bleating heart. For more proof, just show up at the TCF Annual Dinner Peter has written about - on May 15th at the SCG.
In past Dinners, folks have stumped up nearly $ 45000 for 2 Qantas donated business class tickets to London - more than twice the RRP. And, one outrageously generous gent paid over $ 30000 for an Indian chef to come to his home and cook a meal for 10.
Many such endearing acts of kindness and munificence. Reduces one to tears.