Being a proud croweater from way back, I'm a sucker for anything on South Australian cricket and when Victorian Ken Piesse declared it his top book of 2017 I just had to read "Chappell's Last Stand".

Retelling the details of the Australian 1975/76 cricket season; the Sheffield Shield and the West Indian tour. Australia, with Lillee and Thomson at full throttle, knocked the West Indies over 5-1 but the real action was happening pn the domestic scene where the Ian Chappell-led South Australia making an unlikely run to Sheffield Shield glory.

Covered from the point of view of Chapell and the South Australian team, cricket administrators obviously look bad in the fight for better pay and conditions for players, a fight that obviously directly linked to World Series Cricket, "Chappell's Last Stand" is a riveting read that reminds us of several forgotten couldabeens of world cricket, including Rick Darling and Wayne "Fang Prior". My only complaints would be that bizarrely there is no index or photos, which gives the book the look and feel of a cheap knock off rather than one of the best cricket books of the year. The other would be why the author decided to asterisk out the word "cunt" in a quote? Unless you expect elderly nuns to be the target sales demographic, I think you can use rude words. ( )