Meet the Writer: Nesta Quin

A self-confessed cricket tragic, Nesta has been infatuated with cricket since sitting on his Dad's shoulders at the 1975 SCG Ashes Test. He still has the autographs that Alan Knott and Rodney Marsh kindly scribbled on the back of a pie wrapper after stumps. After that memorable day his still developing mind decided right then and there that he would be a wicketkeeper. He has now kept wicket for 25 seasons and has decided to continue despite the slowing reflexes and the weary hands. The sentimental pie wrapper sits framed on the wall of his mud-bricked study between a glossy poster of Bob Marley and a prized Sidney Nolan sketch of the Derwent River.   

Coached as a teenager by the late and great Barry Knight with the sporadic assistance of Doug Walters and Brian Tallon, Nesta excelled at youth levels and has played competitive cricket in every Australian state, England, India, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United States. He will soon qualify for the Tasmanian Cavaliers and is training in anticipation of selection for their 2009 tour of the West Indies, North America and the British Isles.

Nesta's knowledge of cricket matters is vast and if you ask him, peerless.

When offered the opportunity to write a weekly column on Australian cricket for such a vibrant site as The Googly, Nesta was flattered to say the least. To write professionally on cricket is something he never envisioned but now that he has his chance I can assure you he will be playing his shots from the very first ball. It's the Australian way.

His column, The Thunder Downunder, appears each Tuesday and Nesta has asked me to add that he welcomes any and all comments and will endeavour to reply to each and every one.

[Image: Ruby Q]