They Died Too Young! Trivia Quiz

Answer: As a result of a fracas outside a nightclub

David Hookes was an aggressive left handed batsman who won 23 Test caps for Australia between 1977 and 1985. At the time of his death, he was coach of the Victoria state team, and was at a nightclub celebrating a victory with the team when he was involved in a fracas, fell and hit his head, and died of his injuries the next day. Zdravko Micevic, former boxer and a security guard at the club where the incident took place, was acquitted of manslaughter at a subsequent trial, due to conflicting evidence.

Answer: Shot in Normandy 2 months after D Day

Maurice Joseph Lawson Turnbull was born on 16th March 1906, in Cardiff, Wales, and died on 5th August 1944, in the village of Montchamp, in Normandy, France. He was a Major in the Welsh Guards, and had been in Normandy since June 12th (D Day +6). On 5th August, his company had been pinned down during an attack, and whilst undertaking a reconnaissance mission, Maurice Turnbull was killed by a single sniper shot to the head.

As well as being a popular leader amongst his men in the army, Turnbull had been a tremendous success on and off the cricket pitch, both for England and for his beloved Glamorgan. After retiring from playing, Turnbull almost singlehandedly turned round Glamorgan's fortunes and finances off the field in his capacity as club secretary.

He was also a Welsh rugby and hockey international, and played squash to county level. An all-rounder in the truest sense of the expression.

Answer: He died as a result of the Bali bombings

Mark Parker was the son of New Zealand cricketer Murray Parker, and nephew of record breaking Kiwi batsman John Parker. He played for the Otago Volts in the 1996-97, and also for South Canterbury in the Hawke Cup. Highly respected New Zealand cricketer Gavin Larsen described him as "mega-talented... a great timer of the ball and should have played more first-class cricket". Mark Parker was holidaying in Bali at the time of his death, having just celebrated his 27th birthday.

Answer: In a plane crash

The cricket world was truly shocked when Cronje was firstly accused, and then found guilty, of match fixing. In June 2002, he was aboard a plane which crashed into the side of a mountain after losing visibility in a cloud. Although a High Court inquest found that "the death of the deceased Wessel Johannes (Hansie) Cronje was brought about by an act or omission prima facie amounting to an offence on the part of pilots.", numerous conspiracy theories still abound with regards to his tragic death.

Answer: Adam Hollioake

Ben Hollioake was only 24 when he died, but he had already represented England in 2 test matches, and 20 ODIs. He was a talented all rounder, for whom a great future was predicted. His brother Adam, who also represented England in test and ODI cricket, retired from full time cricket at the age of 32 in 2004.

Answer: She was his patient

Claude Tozer was born in Sydney in 1890. He went on to study medicine at Sydney University, making his only pre War appearance for New South Wales in 1911. After graduating as a doctor in 1914, he was selected in the NSW squad for the forthcoming cricket season, but was called up by the Royal Australian Army Medical Corps. He served with distinction both at Gallipoli and on the Western Front, earning promotion to Major as well as receiving many decorations, including the Distinguished Service Order.

He returned to Australia at the end of the war, and in 1918 he resumed his cricket career. By the end of 1920 he had been named as captain of the NSW as well as booking himself a berth to England for the forthcoming Ashes Tour. On the evening of 23rd December he was shot by a patient, Dorothy Mort, who he was treating for depression.

The nature of the relationship between them was never fully established, and she was eventually found not guilty of murder by reason of insanity. She was detained in a mental asylum until her death in the 1940s. The whole of the Australian cricketing community mourned one of the rising stars of Australian cricket, gunned down as he was approaching his prime. But whether this was a crime of passion, or the act of an insane woman, we'll never know.

Answer: Shot by a gunman in a bar

Ashley Harvey-Walker will be remembered by all of those who saw him play cricket as someone who "gave it a good go", whether he was batting, fielding or bowling. Stories from inside the game reveal him as an extremely popular character who was always good for a laugh.

After finishing his county career in England, he moved to South Africa, where he worked as an assistant groundsman at the Wanderers in Johannesburg. He also had shares in an inner-city bar in the city, a bar which had a history of murderous disputes. Harvey-Walker was drinking in this bar on the evening of 28th April 1997 when a stranger walked into the bar, and shouted his name. When Harvey-Walker responded, the stranger drew out a gun and shot the former Derbyshire cricketer dead, before fleeing into the night.

Answer: Blood poisoning from a nail in his cricket boot

Donald Eligon died at Port of Spain, Trinidad, on 4th June 1937, after playing his fourth game for the island team. He had taken 18 wickets as a fast medium right arm bowler in those 4 games, including a best haul of 7 wickets for 63 runs in an innings.

Eligon began playing for Shannon Cricket Club, and was invited to play for the Trinidad inter-colonial team in 1934. He soon became one of the outstanding bowlers in the West Indies. After complaining of a nail coming through his cricket boot whilst bowling, he became ill, and died soon afterwards due to blood poisoning.

Answer: Jack the Ripper

Many Jack the Ripper experts have concluded that the most likely suspect for the Whitechapel murders was Montague Druitt. A south London barrister and avid cricketer, Montague Druitt was a formidable all rounder, a "lusty batsman and fearsome bowler" according to the records of the Gentlemen of Bournemouth Cricket Club, who he represented on occasion. Some archived scorecards show him as the team's top scorer with the bat, as well as taking 5 wickets with the ball in a match against the Parsees Cricket Club in Bournemouth some three months before his death.

Although the Jack the Ripper case has never been solved conclusively, Druitt is mentioned in a number of contemporary reports as being the prime suspect.

Answer: English Cricket

The mock obituary notice in The Times read:

"In Affectionate Remembrance
of
ENGLISH CRICKET,
which died at the Oval
on
29th AUGUST, 1882,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing
friends and acquaintances
----
R.I.P.
----
N.B.-The body will be cremated and the
ashes taken to Australia."

And from that small post script, the legend of The Ashes challenge between England and Australia was born! I hope you've found this quiz interesting, and that it's given you an insight in some of the more tragic and bizarre events associated with the most tranquil of sports.