David Hookes

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David Hookes Australia (Aus)
Batting style	Left-hand bat
Bowling type	Left-arm chinaman
	Tests	ODIs
Matches	23	39
Runs scored	1306	826
Batting average	34.36	24.29
100s/50s	1/8	-/5
Top score	143*	76
Balls bowled	96	29
Wickets	1	1
Bowling average	41.00	28.00
5 wickets in innings	-	-
10 wickets in match	-	n/a
Best bowling	1/4	1/2
Catches/stumpings	12/-	11/-
As of 12 December 2005 Source: Cricinfo.com

David Hookes (born May 3, 1955 in Adelaide; died January 19, 2004 in Melbourne) was an Australian cricketer and Victorian cricket coach.

Contents 1 Career 1.1 Debut 1.2 Test cricket 1.3 Domestic cricket 2 Retirement 3 Personal Life 4 Death 4.1 Trial 5 External links

[edit] Career

[edit] Debut

He made his debut in state cricket in early 1977, playing for South Australia. He had an immediate impact with five centuries from six innings.

[edit] Test cricket

Following this attention-drawing debut he was selected, at the age of 21, to play in the Centenary Test between Australia and England. Players in those days were never paid enough, and it has been reported that Hookes walked out to bat wearing Dunlop Volley tennis shoes.^{[citation needed]} During Australia's second innings he made a score of 56, including hitting English bowler Tony Greig for five consecutive boundaries. He played 23 Test matches, scored one century, and had a batting average of 34.36. He was also involved in the World Series Cricket of the 1970s. In one of these matches at the Sydney Showground in 1977, a bouncer from Andy Roberts broke his jaw, and this marked the beginning of a decline in his career.

At a function for World Series Cricket, media mogul Kerry Packer once suggested that he put on a tie. After he replied infamously "I don't wear ties," Packer told him "You'll put one on for me, son."^{[citation needed]}

After World Series Cricket had finished, Hookes was often selected to play for Australia, but his prodigious talent was never fully realised. His most consistent Test season was 1982/83, where he scored 344 runs at 49.14 against England during the Ashes series, including 4 fifties. He continued his good form against Sri Lanka in April 1983, scoring 143 off 152 balls in Australia's first Test cricket match against that nation. Thereafter his form was patchy, and his last Test was against India in Melbourne, December 26-30 1985, where he scored 42 and 0. This was, coincidentally, Steve Waugh's first Test match.

[edit] Domestic cricket

Despite his failure to live up to expectations at the highest level, Hookes continued to play for South Australia and scored heavily against all opponents. In October 1982, vs Victoria, Hookes thrashed a 43 minute, 34 ball century - in some respects the fastest hundred in history [1] On March 7-8 1987, Hookes and fellow Test discard Wayne Phillips shared in an unbroken 4th wicket stand of 462 for South Australia against Tasmania. Hookes made 306 not out (his highest ever score), Phillips made 213 not out, and poor William Kirkman had bowling figures of 29-0-164-1. In all first class cricket, Hookes scored 12671 runs in 178 matches with an average of 43.99.

[edit] Retirement

After his retirement, he became involved in media commitments, being often quoted in the media, making appearances on television, and hosting a radio program with fellow sportscaster Gerard Healy.

In 2002, he was selected as the new coach of the Victorian cricket team. He led a revival of the team, which had struggled in previous years. The team subsequently rose back to the top of the Australian domestic competition.

During August 2003 Hookes was criticised afer his comment in reference to Helen Cohen Alon, A South African woman who had claimed Australian cricketer Shane Warne had sexually harassed her via telephone. Commenting on her as 'some dopey, hairy-backed sheila who has dobbed him (Warne) in across the other side of the world. If that's what she wants to do to earn some cash that's her decision. Let's find out the facts before we hang Warney on this one'.

[edit] Personal Life

Hookes married his childhood sweetheart and first wife Roxanne, but left her for his second wife, Robyn. They were married for 22 years. Hookes had two step-children from Robyn, Kristofer Gellman and Caprice Gellman. Hookes and Robyn separated in late 2003 due to Hookes' alleged infidelities [2]. At the time of his death he had been in a two year relationship with Christine Padfield, then marketing coordinator at Cricket Victoria[3]. Padfield was present when he died, this fact controversially highlighted by Derryn Hinch on his Melbourne radio show.[4].

[edit] Death

On the night of January 18, 2004, Hookes went to the Beaconsfield Hotel in St Kilda, Melbourne with members of the Victorian and South Australian cricket teams, to celebrate a win by Victoria over South Australia in a one-day match. Shortly after midnight, the party was asked to leave the hotel, though there are conflicting stories as to the reason. It is also unclear whether the party left voluntarily or were forced to leave. The security staff continued monitoring the behaviour of the party for a short distance outside the hotel, and there was an altercation. Witnesses gave highly conflicting testimony of what occurred and who started the fight, but what is not in doubt is that Hookes fell to the ground, hitting his head in the process, and going into cardiac arrest. He was revived by paramedics but did not regain consciousness. He was taken to Melbourne's Alfred Hospital and placed on life support. Hookes was taken off life support on the evening of January 19 after family and friends had said their goodbyes, and he died shortly afterwards. Hookes was an organ donor and through his generosity 10 people were able to have a better life. [5]

A memorial service was held on Adelaide Oval on 27 January 2004 attended by all members of the Australian, South Australian and Victorian cricket teams, as well as the Premier of Victoria, Steve Bracks [6]. Total attendance was estimated at 10,000. His estranged wife Robyn declined to participate in his memorial service, but sat in one of the outer grandstands. [7]

[edit] Trial

On September 12, 2005, Zdravko Micevic, a former boxer and a security guard at the hotel, was acquitted on the charge of Hookes' manslaughter. The jury had taken five days to come to its decision, after a two-week trial. An issue in the trial may have been conflicting statements given by witnesses. Throughout the trial Micevic had maintained that Hookes had without provocation punched him twice, and he felt obliged to defend himself against a further attack. After the trial, Micevic expressed his condolences to Hookes' family and his regret that the incident had ever occurred. A civil suit by his wife Robyn was withdrawn in 2007.

Preceded by Kim Hughes

Australian One-day International cricket captains 1983

Succeeded by Allan Border

[edit] External links

• CricInfo Player Profile : David William Hookes
• David Hookes Foundation

Persondata
NAME	Hookes, David
ALTERNATIVE NAMES
SHORT DESCRIPTION	Cricketer
DATE OF BIRTH	May 3, 1955
PLACE OF BIRTH	Adelaide
DATE OF DEATH	January 19, 2004
PLACE OF DEATH	Melbourne