Mystery Spinner : The Story of Jack Iverson

Until he was thirty-one, Jack Iverson lived an unexceptional life. An estate agent's son, he went to boarding school, became a jackaroo and fought in World War II. Then, in 1946, he took up cricket. Four years later he was the best spin bowler in the world.

This is the story of perhaps the most original character in Australian sport. Iverson bowled like no man before him-his technique derived from wartime games of French cricket with a table tennis ball and ruler. In the 1950-51 Ashes series, he spun Australia to victory, starred in newsreels, and even had a racehorse named after him.

This is also the story of Gideon Haigh's passionate quest to solve the riddle of Jack Iverson's life. In his moment of triumph Iverson quit Test cricket and eventually died in tragic circumstances, believing he was a forgotten man. Mystery Spinner is a moving biography, a fascinating book about sport, about Australia, and about the extraordinary that lurks within the ordinary.

Praise for Mystery Spinner:

'One of the best cricket biographies I have ever read. A superb book, which brings out Iverson as an intriguing and unusual personality. Haigh made me like him a lot, as a man as well as a role model for cricket enthusiasts.'

Age

'Haigh's careful research uncovers clues to a character who preferred to be an outsider...An Australian sports book of polished writing and few cliches…This book is rare, not only for its subject.'

Bulletin