Hookes' memorabilia at the Adelaide Oval

India will have many memories of Adelaide but it appears to be the city where they find their physios. John Gloster, their current physio, is from here as was Andrew Leipus, the earlier incumbent. Gloster studied in Pembroke School in Adelaide, the one where former Test cricketer John Inverarity was vice-principal. He remembers playing a lot of sport and sitting on the banks during matches at the Adelaide Oval. In a way this is his home game, catching up with friends and getting back to where it all started.

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Walk around the Adelaide Oval and it’s tough to miss the aura of David Hookes, South Australia’s fondly remembered son, who was killed a few years ago. Several framed pictures adorn the walls and Les Burdett, the groundsman, pulls out T-shirts embroidered with the Hookes’ bat leaning against the stumps pose. As a habit Hookes used to rest his bat against the stumps when he walked off for a break, and hung his cap there too. Burdett suggested that the arrangement be associated with Hookes and is now part of most of the memorabilia. "It was an image I could never take away from my head. I used to go out there to sweep the pitch or make a marking and you would see Hooksey's bat and cap there."

Burdett has another interesting story. "I remember Ricky Ponting and Brett Lee and a host of others who were part of our academy in Adelaide many years ago. Rod Marsh, the head of the academy then, used to insist that the boys learnt all aspects of cricket. So for a short while Ricky, Brett and the rest were part of the groundstaff too. They used to learn how to use the roller, mark out the pitch areas, mow the grass, water the outfield. It was all part of their learning process. And they were young boys then so I used to pay them a bit of allowance. I still remember Ricky coming to me one day and saying, 'You forgot to pay me today'. I suddenly realised the little fella had done a lot of work and gave him a bonus. I remind him often of those days. Even now he sometimes jokes about it."

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We pass by Fort Glanville and are told that it’s South Australia's first military fortification. The interesting bit was it was built, in 1878, in response to widespread fear of Russian invasion.