David Hookes

Personal information

Full name

David William Hookes

Born

3 May 1955
Mile End, Adelaide, Australia

Died

19 January 2004 (aged 48)
Prahran, Melbourne, Australia

Batting style

Left-handed

Role

Batsman, coach, commentator

International information

National side

Australia

Test debut (cap 276)

12 March 1977 v England

Last Test

26 December 1985 v India

ODI debut (cap 32)

2 June 1977 v England

Last ODI

12 January 1986 v India

Domestic team information

Years

Team

1975–1992

South Australia

Career statistics

Competition	Test	ODI	FC	LA
Matches	23	39	178	82
Runs scored	1306	826	12671	2041
Batting average	34.36	24.29	43.99	27.58
100s/50s	1/8	0/5	32/65	1/11
Top score	143*	76	306*	101
Balls bowled	96	29	4290	591
Wickets	1	1	41	15
Bowling average	41.00	28.00	58.02	33.46
5 wickets in innings	0	0	0	1
10 wickets in match	0	n/a	0	n/a
Best bowling	1/4	1/2	3/58	5/41
Catches/stumpings	12/–	11/–	167/–	37/–

Source: Cricinfo, 19 January 2004

David William Hookes (3 May 1955 – 19 January 2004) was an Australian cricketer, broadcaster and coach of the Victorian cricket team. An aggressive left-handed batsman, Hookes usually batted in the middle order. His international career got off to a sensational start in the Centenary Test at Melbourne in 1977 when he hit England captain Tony Greig for five consecutive boundaries, but a combination of circumstances ensured that he never became a regular in the Australian team. He wrote in his autobiography, "I suspect history will judge me harshly as a batsman because of my modest record in 23 Tests and I can't complain about that".

For many years, he was a leading figure in Australian domestic cricket, most notably in his role as captain of South Australia (SA). Wisden called him "a first-class destroyer of second-rate bowling". Angered by Victorian captain Graham Yallop's late declaration in a Sheffield Shield match at the Adelaide Oval in October 1982, Hookes, who normally batted at number 3 or 4, promoted himself to opening batsman and proceeded to score a century from 34 balls in just 43 minutes (including 18 fours and two sixes), at the time the fastest century scored in first-class cricket. He finished his career as the highest run-scorer in Sheffield Shield history.

An outspoken man who had several brushes with the game's officials, Hookes retired at the end of the 1991–92 season and pursued his media career. He moved to Melbourne in 1995 and broadcast on Radio 3AW. His popularity among players and his reputation for strong leadership led to his appointment as coach of the Victorian team in 2002. The team enjoyed success under his tutelage, but he died after being punched by a hotel bouncer outside a pub where he had been drinking with Victorian players following their victory in a match earlier in the day.

Hookes played for the West Torrens Cricket Club and made his A-Grade debut at the age of just 15. When he came in to bat he faced Adelaide Cricket Club bowler and local Australian rules football and media personality Ken "KG" Cunningham. KG said later in a Channel 9 tribute to Hookes that after the first two balls went past the edge of the bat, he walked down the wicket and attempted to upset the youngster in his first game and "gave him a huge spray". Hookes then sent the next four balls to the fence and after the over walked up to Cunningham and said: "Listen old man, if you continue to bowl those wobbly little inswingers the next four will go over the fence and not into the fence." In later years KG would become one of Hookes's close friends and on Adelaide television and radio one of his strongest supporters even after his move to Melbourne to become coach of the Victorian state side.

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