cricket with balls

Darren Lehmann was a legend of Australian cricket, and due to his relationship with Bob Simpson a legend of English cricket.

Boof was a throw back to the old days. He looked out of place wearing sponsor shits, doing time trials or dealing with over zealous media.

I couldn’t imagine boof on the quacks coach talking about his reoccurring night mare in which Wasim Akram bowls to him on a green top.

Unlike the modern players he doesn’t worry about diet doctors, full body waxes or getting his hair regrown (although science can only do so much).

Jamie Siddons was the most unlucky cricketer in Australia, definitely the most talented player I saw who never played a test, but Boof was almost as unlucky and he played 20odd.

The other big fella to have departed us, was a stoic mysterious man, who stood at his crease like a statue until the ball was released.

Boof couldn’t have been more different he used the crease as much as any top order batsmen I’ve ever seen.

How many top order batsmen give you a regular view of leg stump.

That’s when he is not showing the bowlers all three stumps.

Boof was an upfront affable bloke, who enjoyed a beer, a good time, and wasn’t afraid to say what was on his mind.

When you are of Lehmann’s particular physical structure, you either need to be freakishly skilful or pretty damn clever.

Boof has a bit of both, there is no greater proof of his cricket brain than by the fact he actually took wickets bowling those door nobs of his. He managed to sucker batsmen out without, turn, flight or drift, that’s a fair effort.

Even in the field he was far less on a liability than the average larger cricketer.

The man has been passed his best for quite sometime now, his quick moving footwork now looks a bit more like an old man confused.

Below his best he was still able to be part of one of the greatest partnerships in domestic cricket history.

At half mast he is still more erect than the average player.

How he is seen in the eyes of the Australia is shown by the fact he instantly became Pontings lieutenant on his promotion to the side, and when the Aussies toured England in 2005 the players tied a shrek doll to the front so he was still with them.

The man was not perfect, Sri Lanka will attest to this.

Every time we lose someone likes Boof the game dies a little.