The Rules of Backyard Cricket, by Jock Serong

Reading more like an autobiography than a novel, Serong’s account of two brothers is better written and far more interesting than most actual cricketing bios. Spurred on by their fierce single mum, prodigies Wally and Darren Keefe make their mark on their sport from an early age. Poor choices are Darren’s downfall in cricket and in life and he fails to meet his potential in either. The brothers’ relationship rings very true, with fierce rivalry in every aspect. Their story calls in elements of Steve and Mark Waugh, David Warner, Shane Warne, Hansie Cronje and various ‘bad boys’ of other sporting codes, notably Gary Ablett Snr. The brothers are two sides of the same coin, but sometimes the coin gets flipped. Perfect by-the-book Wally turns out to have sold his soul and larrikin fuck-up Darren is the one with a heart. The story is completely believable, which begs the question how accurate a picture is it of the corruption of cricket at all levels. With recent revelations of tennis match fixing, it is probably all too true. Ultimately this is something of a horror story, disturbing and unsettling, posing more questions than it answers.