Bill Lawry: Chasing a century

Born in 1937, William Morris “Bill” Lawry AM is one of the cricketing legends from the era of Bob Simpson, Colin MacDonald, Fred Trueman, and the early years of Ian Chappell, Doug Walters, Ashley Mallett, Rod Marsh and Paul Sheahan. His first Ashes tour as part of the Australian cricket team was in 1961, and he soon became known for his slow and steady accumulation of runs.

As an opening batsman his resolute defence meant he spent long periods at the crease. In 1962 Wisden named Lawry as a Cricketer of the Year. Bill led the Australian cricket team as captain in 25 tests from 1967 to 1970, and also captained Australia in the first One Day International match in 1971. After his retirement, he became a beloved fixture of Australian cricket commentary for over 30 years.

Bill Lawry: Chasing a Century gathers together tales from colleagues, players, cricket writers and those who listened to his broadcasts every summer, bringing his career to life and reminding us of the colossal contribution he has made to Australian cricket.