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Irving Rosenwater 1932-2006

I was saddened to read the other day of the passing of Irving Rosenwater on January 30 at the age of 73.

Rosenwater was a noted statistician and historian on our game, and one of a handful to have become a recognisable name to the wider cricketing community. He was the scorer for BBC Television's cricket telecasts in the 1970s until he succumbed in 1977 to the twin temptations of Australian sunshine and the Packer dollar, becoming the official scorer for Channel 9's World Series Cricket coverage. He stayed with Nine into the 1980s as I recall.

More bull about Bullmore

There's been a lot of inaccurate twaddle written in the overseas media about the late Kerry Packer over the past week. I could get nasty and single out some exceedingly bad pieces of near-fiction that I have seen in some of the Indian newspapers, but I would have expected better of CricInfo than to describe him as "one-day cricket's inventor".

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That was Kerry Packer and this was his cricket

"There is a problem with gambling in this country, but the problem doesn’t lie with people who can afford to gamble and afford to lose."

- John Howard, talking to 3AW's Neil Mitchell about Kerry Packer after he reportedly lost $32 million in a night at the casino, 1.9.00

If Kerry Packer had not organised a breakaway cricket tournament, someone else would have. Not as well, and probably not for another ten or twenty years.

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Heaven is a place where nothing ever happens: Welcome aboard, Kerry Packer

"I've been to the other side son, and there's f#$king nothing there."

- Kerry Packer, on his heart attack in 1990, during which he was clinically dead.

Kerry Packer, who died on Monday night, was one of the most remarkable characters of modern-day Australia. His career, his lifestyle, his personality made for a capitalist's wet dream. But he wasn't so much a captain of industry as he was the overlord of a feudal empire.

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Hookesy

Last Thursday night, I was watching David Hookes on Fox Sports hosting the one-hour "Inside Cricket" program as he did every week. On Sunday, Hookesy was coach of Victoria as they won their ING Cup game against his old state South Australia. Now, he's gone.

J Paul Getty Jr 1932-2003

It would be nice to be so filthy rich that you could give untold amounts of inherited wealth away and still live the most extravagant life of reclusion yourself.

John Paul Getty Jr, who died the day before Good Friday at the age of 70, was a classic case. One of the richest of rich kids who almost wrecked his health through the drug addiction that eventually killed his second wife, Getty reinvented himself as a British gentryman and generous philanthropist. He even became a cricket fan.

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England Test player Joan Wilkinson dies aged 83

Joan Wilkinson, who played thirteen Tests for England between 1949 and 1958, has died. Her funeral was held at Foulridge, Lancashire, on Tuesday April 23, the town where she passed away at home at the age of 83.

A right-handed batter and occasional spin bowler, Wilkinson was chosen for England's tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1948-49, where she played all Tests except the opening game of the Australian leg. She was in the team which hosted Australia in the 1951 season, and was England vice-captain when New Zealand toured in 1954.

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Trish Langsford, former Australia U23 captain, loses battle with MS

Tricia Langsford, captain of the Australian Under-23 women's cricket team in 1994, died in Sydney on March 16 following a long battle with multiple sclerosis. She was 30.

A promising all-rounder from New South Wales who was considered a future member of the senior Australian women's team, Trish Langsford was named Player of the Series in the 1991-92 national championships at the age of 20, having taken 17 wickets at 9.88 and scored 99 runs at 24.75. The 1992 edition of the "ABC Australian Cricket Almanac" named her as one of Australia's four women players of the year.

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Ray Lindwall: Rugby League Champion

Ray Lindwall, probably Australian cricket`s greatest fast bowler since the Second World War, died on Saturday night 22 June 1996, in Brisbane at the age of 74. Much has, and will, be written of his achievements on the cricket field, however not many people would be aware of his prowess as a rugby league player in his younger days.

Lindwall played first grade rugby league for St George in the 1940, 1942, 1943 and 1946 seasons and was a very talented fullback and goalkicker.

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