It's Just Not Cricket

D.K. Lillee and friend Mr Longneck

Bowled over

WHEN you travel around Australia as part of your profession, you begin to catch yourself referring to your hotel room as `home'.
You also occasionally bump into some of your `roommates' who share this type of lifestyle.
Last weekend at the Gold Coast, those roommates were part of the `Legends of Cricket' tour.
It was the perfect chance for some of the more seasoned members of the Crocodiles to reminisce about the good ol' days and our childhood heroes.
Our Victorian contingent, Rohan Short and Brad Sheridan, were caught on a number of occasions bowing down to worship Dean Jones.
OK, even I will admit that he got us out of many a pickle but take it easy boys.
The rest of us were hoping Warnie wasn't lurking around a corner or who knows what response would have followed.
After playing with the Breakers for a few seasons, Ben Pepper is the closest thing we have to a Kiwi on the roster. Well, he was in heaven when he and Sir Richard Hadlee had a nice long chat (over a rack of lamb) about the days when New Zealand actually put up a fight against the Aussies.
Poor Chris Cairns looked like the third wheel at their table. I think Pepp and Sir Dick would have much preferred the company of father Lance.
One legend that still draws an audience no matter where he is is none other than DK Lillee.
When he walked through the door you could sense that the breakfast crowd was just waiting for any excuse to erupt into a chant of `Lilllllleee, Lilllllleee'.
I can't be sure, but I think I heard rumblings when he put his bread into the toaster.
It was none other than assistant coach, Lyndon Brieffies who caught the legendary fast bowler's attention.
Now, I have to admit that I was sitting a couple of tables away and had to rely on my masterful lip-reading ability to interpret their conversation but from what I could tell Lillee's words were something like this: "Son, Tony Greig making a statement by wearing a crash helmet to protect himself from bouncers was one thing but I reckon with a melon the size of yours, your best bet would be to find a position as a human sightscreen."
At least that was what I could deduce from their interaction.

My article can be found every week in the Townsville Bulletin.