Book Of The Year Award > 2011 > The Last Everyday Hero - The Bert Sutcliffe Story
Richard Boock, Longacre
Purchase on mightyape.co.nz

An old-fashioned book is perhaps the best way to describe this offering and it is not meant to be derogatory but rather something to be praised. Drawing on the original work by Rod Nye who sadly died before he could commit the results of his research to paper, Richard Boock (brother of New Zealand Test player, Stephen) gives us a portrait of a man who could claim to be the finest cricketer ever produced by New Zealand. That Bert Sutcliffe, with his innate modesty, would never have made that claim does not mean that there is little to say about the main character, rather that it is to the author's credit that he has managed to make a self-effacing player, a genuine hero.

The book begins at Johannesburg in 1953 during the Test match with Bert Sutcliffe, blood staunched from a head wound by having a towel taped to his head, about to leave the pitch as the ninth wicket fell in the New Zealand innings. The last man, Bob Blair had been left at the hotel, shattered by the news of the death of his fiancée in New Zealand's worst-ever train crash but with his side in deep trouble, came to the ground and joined Sutcliffe at the wicket. With a ground alternately in cheers and tears, they proceeded to hit sixes and enjoy a brief but productive last-wicket partnership.

Although this raw emotion is something that would normally never be associated with Bert Sutcliffe, it encapsulates the spirit and influence that he had on cricket. While all around was in chaos, Sutcliffe would remain unruffled at the crease, always looking to attack and do what he could for his side. It seems incredible to relate that he was never on the winning side in any of his forty two Test Matches and it was the massive efforts while suffering from illness on the tours of India and Pakistan that caused to him to miss New Zealand's initial Test victory over the West Indies in the 1955/6 series.

Two scores over 350 and over 17,000 runs attest to his stature in world, not just New Zealand, cricket and his often dismissed left-arm spin gets some proper analysis. Pointless to enumerate the statistics of his career. as opposed to the man and his life but his later years are covered with compassion and there are some excellent photographs to complement the text. Daniel Vettori is quoted on the back cover as saying “Sutcliffe is a true legend, every cricketing fan should read this” and it's hard to disagree. The book may take some tracking down but it will be worth it.