Fun facts to know and tell about some of my favourite cricketers and others (aka wasting time until the India tour starts)

1. The best place to start is, obviously, with Fred "the Demon" Spofforth at the Oval, August 1882. Australia looked like dead certs to lose: England only needed 85 runs to win in their 2nd innings. But Spofforth was having none of it - he took 7/44 and Australia bowled them out for 77 runs. Brilliant, huh?

Eat that W.G. Grace - Our Freddy had a bigger tash than you!

2. Bert Ironmonger was 45 when he made his test debut for Australia. Known for being a good spinner but a rubbish batsman, there's a great story about him that goes something like this:

Always batting at the bottom of the order, as Irongmonger went out to bat (in the 1st innings of the 5th Bodyline test at Sydney, 1933) his wife supposedly telephoned the ground to ask him what he wanted for his tea. Somebody ran to find him, but had to run back and report to Mrs Ironmonger that he had just gone out to bat: "Shall I get him to ring you when he's done?" he said (I'm paraphrasing, of course). Mrs Oldfield's response: "No, no. I'll hold on - he'll be back in a minute."

She was right - Larwood bowled him for 1.

3. I'm not going to go on about Bradman. It's predictable and you probably know it all already. What I will say though is that he played cricket for an Australian team who, until relatively recently, has prided itself on being big drinking and, frankly, he was disappointing. David Boon agreed with me, which is why he drank enough for both of them in his time.

It may be illegal to say this in Australia - so it's good I live in England - but I think The Don was probably a boring old sod: he was a teetotaller who had to be coerced into even having a soft drink to celebrate a match victory. He rarely socialised with his team mates and he really did have bad teeth. Best batsman ever, though, of course. Can't fault him there.

4. Richie Benaud has been in broadcasting so long that people tend to forget he ever played cricket. He was in fact an elite leg spinner, who once took 7/72 in an innings (against India), and Australia didn't lose a single series with him as captain (1958 - 1964). More importantly, if you look back at old photos of him, you'll see that he didn't always have lego man hair.


5. I'm gonna skip way ahead to the glorious Dennis Lillee, the rightful King of Western Australia. Here's a little known fact: all babies born in W.A. are given an A5 sized photo of Dennis Lillee that their parents have to display on the baby's bedroom wall. It is actually illegal to take it down before that child's 5th birthday. God's honest truth.

Lillee made his debut for Western Australia at the age of 20, in the 69 - 70 season, and for Australia in the Ashes series the following year. But, did you know he suffered from back stress which may have ended his career early? What a loss that would have been. The members stand at the WACA would be the Marsh Stand, and that just wouldn't be right. You can't name stands after keepers. Not allowed.