Latest news with #Stackpole
Otago Daily Times
13-06-2025
- Sport
- Otago Daily Times
Obituary: Keith Stackpole, cricketer
Keith Stackpole. Allrounder turned opening batsman, Keith Stackpole was an aggressive strokemaker and the star of Australia's cricket team from the mid-1960s to mid-1970s. Born in Melbourne, the son of talented cricketer and VFL player Keith Stackpole Snr, Stackpole made his senior club cricket debut aged 16, playing in his father's final match. He made his state debut for Victoria in 1962, picked as a middle order batsman and leg spinner. His test debut came in the 1965-66 Ashes series, scoring 43 at number 8 and taking 2-33. He made his first test century the following season in South Africa, batting at 7. In 1968, Stackpole was moved to opening bat and never looked back. Specialising in the hook shot, Stackpole flogged bowling attacks all around the park. Stackpole played 33 of his 43 tests at the top of the order, partnering the more sedate Bill Lawry for the most part. He scored 2807 runs, seven centuries (including an Ashes double century) and 14 50s, at an average of 37.42. He was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1973 and was awarded the MBE in 1974 for services to cricket. In later life, he was a commentator and coach. Keith Stackpole died on April 22 aged 84. — APL/agencies
The Guardian
27-04-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Keith Stackpole obituary
In an era well before Big Bash and Bazball, the Australian cricketer Keith Stackpole, who has died aged 84, was an uncommonly bold and attacking opening Test batsman from 1966 to 1974. His unusually swashbuckling style at the top of the order was thrown into especially stark relief by the fact that so many of his Test innings as an opener were with the contrastingly dour figure of Bill Lawry, immune to the pleasures of swift run gathering. A stockily belligerent counterpoint to Lawry's reed-thin caution, Stackpole took little notice of the long established defensive tenets of opening batsmanship, preferring instead to grab any chance he could to belt the ball around the field. 'If someone bowled a half-pitched ball wide of me first ball in a Test match, I'd shoulder arms and watch it go through,' said Lawry. 'But Stacky would just pin back his ears and thrash it through gully for four.' In the days before one-day cricket had properly reshaped the game, such risky enterprise was not completely unheard of – as the presence of the similarly aggressive England batsman Colin Milburn attested. Nonetheless it was a novelty, and it set Stackpole apart. His method was also highly effective over 43 Tests, establishing him as one of Australia's most consistent run getters of the early 70s and helping him towards the vice-captaincy. Afterwards he became a radio and TV commentator as well as a newspaper columnist in Melbourne. Stackpole was born in the Collingwood area of Melbourne to Hannah (nee Dunn), a housewife, and Keith Sr, who was a first class cricketer for Victoria but was better known as an Aussie Rules footballer for Collingwood and Fitzroy. After Keith Jr had revealed his cricketing talents at Christian Brothers college in Clifton Hill, the careers of father and son overlapped briefly when they played together for the Collingwood club in 1957 – senior appearing in his last match while junior was making his debut. Although much influenced by his father – a similarly burly attacking batsman – Stackpole also came under the wing of the Collingwood stalwart Jack Ryder, a former Australia captain who managed to add other dimensions to the youngster's game without stifling his natural feel for back-foot play or his penchant for carving the ball square on both sides of the wicket. By 1960 he was making his first class debut for Victoria, and by 1963 he had established himself in the side, usually at No 3. His Test debut came in the lower middle order against England in Adelaide in 1966, a match in which he scored 43 in his only innings and dismissed Colin Cowdrey and MJK Smith with his occasional leg breaks – exploits that were good enough to see him selected for the 1966-67 tour to South Africa. Despite a big-hitting debut Test century in Cape Town at No 7, his performances on that trip were unremarkable, and he continued in generally moderate vein until a breakthrough arrived in early 1969. Lawry, by that time captain and trying to find a replacement for his recently retired opening partner, Bobby Simpson, decided to shift Stackpole up the order against West Indies in Sydney. In his new position he scored three half-centuries in his first four innings, and the die was cast. He was an opener for the remaining 33 matches of his Test career. Averaging 46 in the following 1969-70 series in India, Stackpole proved to be a key component of Australia's rare series win there, and finally established his value beyond all doubt during England's 1970-71 visit to Australia with scores of 207 in the first Test in Brisbane, 136 in the fifth in Adelaide and a sequence of other solid innings as he finished with 627 runs at an average of 52.25. Lawry lost the captaincy to Ian Chappell after the sixth match of that long, losing, seven Test series. Chappell and Stackpole formed a watertight alliance during the subsequent drawn series in England in 1972. Stackpole was now vice-captain, and from a batting standpoint continued to mine his rich seam of form, scoring more than any other Australian in Tests on the tour, hitting five half-centuries and a century, and averaging 53.88. Wisden made him one of its five cricketers of the year in 1973 as a result. By then in his early 30s, he was able to play two more seasons for Australia as vice-captain, resulting in two series victories – in the West Indies in 1972-73 and in Australia against New Zealand in 1974 – followed by a 1-1 draw in three matches in New Zealand (also 1974). His final Test, in Auckland, finished on an uncharacteristically tame note when he was dismissed for 0 in both innings, leaving him with a Test batting average of 37.42. His last international appearance came in a 35-over match at the end of that tour, one of only six one-day games he played. Although he was well suited to the short form of cricket, he was frustrated in the days of its infancy by the inability of most other players to grasp its entertaining possibilities. Stackpole's first class career also ended in 1974, with a Sheffield Shield winning season of Victoria – as captain – to add to two others in 1967 and 1970. Overall he scored 10,100 runs at an average of 39.29 and took 148 wickets. Shortly after his retirement he was made MBE. His media work began with an invitation to commentate on Kerry Packer's World Series cricket in 1977, after which he had a three-decade career in broadcasting with the Nine and Seven networks before retiring from ABC in 2005. He also coached a number of players at Victoria, including Dean Jones and Brad Hodge. He is survived by his wife, Pat, and their children, Peter, Tony and Angela. Keith Raymond Stackpole, cricketer, born 10 July 1940; died 22 April 2025
Sydney Morning Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
‘If you had a son like Keith Stackpole you'd be very proud': Bill Lawry's heartfelt tribute to ‘Stacky'
'It was Keith Stackpole snr,' Lawry recalled to this masthead. 'He said to the captain, 'Mind if I speak to the lad who opened up?'. 'He said, 'Son, never play forward on a wet wicket, always play back'. That was my first introduction to the Stackpoles. Years later we're playing as teammates, which is quite unbelievable.' Picked initially as a middle-order batter who could bowl leg-spin, Stackpole flourished after being moved to the top of the order by Lawry for the Sydney Test against the West Indies in the 1968-69 series. The pair, with vastly different styles, became one of the finest opening combinations Australia had seen. Stackpole's hard hitting and love of the hook shot – his feature stroke – was in contrast to Lawry's less expansive game. Loading Lawry joked the move was a 'backward step' for him. Stackpole, he said, was not quick between the wickets, and Lawry loved to push and run. 'Short singles wasn't in his vocabulary,' Lawry said. 'He said at the end of his career, 'I cost you a few runs'. I said, 'It doesn't matter, you were a bloody good player'.' Asked how many runs Stackpole had cost him, Lawry said with a laugh: 'I wouldn't want to be quoted on that. 'I wasn't smart enough to run him out. I should have run him out occasionally. On one hand, he cost me, but on the other hand he made it a lot easier because the scoreboard was always ticking over. ''Stacky' would be a sensation today in this limited-overs caper. He was a tremendous striker of the ball. If someone bowled a half-pitched ball wide of me first ball in a Test match, I'd shoulder arms, watch it go through and read the brand of the ball. 'Stacky' would pin back his ears and thrash it through gully for four.' As non-drinkers, they, along with the late Ian Redpath, who died late last year, shared a bond in a dressing room where most player did not mind a beer. Lawry's fondest memories of Stackpole came when both had retired and were part of Nine's inaugural commentary team during Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket revolution. Like Lawry, Stackpole forged a distinguished career behind the microphone, first with Nine and then the ABC. One of their traditions came during the Sydney Test when Richie Benaud and his wife Daphne would invite the pair for dinner. 'We used to really look forward to that,' Lawry said. 'Richie was a man who gave nobody anything, but he'd start talking about the players in the past. We were fascinated. At 9pm, he'd get up and say, 'Righto, Lawry and Stackpole, the taxi's booked for 9.15, I'm going to bed. It was exciting times for us right to the end'.' An aggressive opening batter, Stackpole was an important member of the Australian sides captained by Lawry and Ian Chappell from 1966 to 1974. His record of 2807 runs at 37.42 with seven centuries did not do justice to his contribution to the team. 'When he got away, he'd put you in a position where you could win,' Lawry said. On the successful tour of India in 1969, Stackpole topped the averages with 368 runs at 46. That series was to be Australia's last win in India until Ricky Ponting's Australian team, captained in-part by Adam Gilchrist, conquered what was seen as the final frontier in 2004. Stackpole, who had been Chappell's vice captain, received global acknowledgment when he was named Wisden 's Cricketer of the Year in 1973. More locally, he also won the Ryder Medal three times as the best player in Melbourne's district cricket competition. Stackpole described his WSC commentary stint as 'apart from playing the game, the most exciting time of my cricket life', he wrote in Austin Robertson's book Cricket Outlaws. 'The two seasons of WSC were like working on an adventure in the unknown.' He was a mentor to late great Victorian batter Dean Jones, who played for Australia in the 1980s and '90s, and the man who replaced Jones as the face of Victorian cricket, fellow batter Brad Hodge. As a key figure at Carlton, Stackpole helped usher through Jones, then a precocious young talent who would go on to forge a strong Test career and be remembered as one of the great one-day international batters. Cricket Australia chairman Mike Baird and his Cricket Victoria counterpart Ross Hepburn paid tribute to a man they said 'played the game with great spirit and remained a devoted ambassador for cricket long after his playing days were over'. 'Keith was one of the great contributors to the game of cricket and his legacy will live long into the future. Not only was he an outstanding player for Australia and Victoria, his work in the media, radio and TV commentary and as a mentor to many players who followed in his footsteps demonstrated his enduring passion and influence in the game,' Baird said. 'It is testament to his talent and standing that he was one of the five Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 1973 and was awarded the MBE in 1974 for services to cricket.'
Sydney Morning Herald
24-04-2025
- Sport
- Sydney Morning Herald
The more hostile the bowling, the more Keith liked it
Australian cricket has farewelled one of its most combative and charismatic characters with the passing of Keith Stackpole on Tuesday. A fierce competitor, courageous opening batsman and fiercely loyal teammate, Stackpole had influence during a formative period in the game's evolution that was as significant as it was deeply felt by those fortunate enough to share a dressing-room with him. Keith's Test journey began in the middle order, but it was his shift to the top of the order that defined the cricketer – and the man – he would become. It wasn't just a tactical move; it was transformational. His temperament was perfectly attuned to the demands of facing the new ball. He relished the responsibility, often setting the tone for Australia's innings with a steely presence and a bat that spoke volumes. What truly set Keith apart was his fierce love of fast bowling. The quicker they came, the more alive he became. His cross-batted strokes – especially the pull and hook – were trademarks, and he never blinked at short-pitched hostility. But it wasn't just about technique; it was his intent. Defeat stung him personally. He wore responsibility like a badge and took it upon himself to alter the course of matches. There's a story, often retold, that speaks volumes about the man. It was Jamaica, 1973, just before the West Indies series. Word had spread about a young Jamaican quick, Uton Dowe – touted as the next Wes Hall. When news came through that Dowe would be rested for a warm-up match, most of the touring side breathed easier. Not Keith. He was genuinely furious – pacing the dressing room, lamenting the missed chance. He wanted to face him, to test himself, to measure the mettle of this rising force. When the first Test came round and Dowe took the new ball to the roar of Kingston's crowd, Keith was ready. The first ball was short; Stackpole sent it racing to the boundary. He went on to smack seven fours and a six in a fiery innings of 44, dismantling the youngster's confidence – and with it, his career. It was Stackpole in full: courageous, combative, and utterly unwilling to let reputations go unchallenged.
The Age
24-04-2025
- Sport
- The Age
The more hostile the bowling, the more Keith liked it
Australian cricket has farewelled one of its most combative and charismatic characters with the passing of Keith Stackpole on Tuesday. A fierce competitor, courageous opening batsman and fiercely loyal teammate, Stackpole had influence during a formative period in the game's evolution that was as significant as it was deeply felt by those fortunate enough to share a dressing-room with him. Keith's Test journey began in the middle order, but it was his shift to the top of the order that defined the cricketer – and the man – he would become. It wasn't just a tactical move; it was transformational. His temperament was perfectly attuned to the demands of facing the new ball. He relished the responsibility, often setting the tone for Australia's innings with a steely presence and a bat that spoke volumes. What truly set Keith apart was his fierce love of fast bowling. The quicker they came, the more alive he became. His cross-batted strokes – especially the pull and hook – were trademarks, and he never blinked at short-pitched hostility. But it wasn't just about technique; it was his intent. Defeat stung him personally. He wore responsibility like a badge and took it upon himself to alter the course of matches. There's a story, often retold, that speaks volumes about the man. It was Jamaica, 1973, just before the West Indies series. Word had spread about a young Jamaican quick, Uton Dowe – touted as the next Wes Hall. When news came through that Dowe would be rested for a warm-up match, most of the touring side breathed easier. Not Keith. He was genuinely furious – pacing the dressing room, lamenting the missed chance. He wanted to face him, to test himself, to measure the mettle of this rising force. When the first Test came round and Dowe took the new ball to the roar of Kingston's crowd, Keith was ready. The first ball was short; Stackpole sent it racing to the boundary. He went on to smack seven fours and a six in a fiery innings of 44, dismantling the youngster's confidence – and with it, his career. It was Stackpole in full: courageous, combative, and utterly unwilling to let reputations go unchallenged.
