An estate agent's son, Jack Iverson went to boarding school, became a jackaroo, fought in World War II. Then, in 1946 when he was thirty-one, he took up cricket. Four years later he was the best spin bowler in the world.
Iverson bowled like no man before him - his technique derived from wartime games of French cricket with a table tennis ball and a ruler. In the 1950-51 Ashes series, he spun Australia to victory, starred in newsreels, and even had a racehorse named after him.
In his moment of triumph Iverson quit Test cricket and eventually died in tragic circumstances, believing he was a forgotten man. 'Mystery Spinner' is a moving biography of perhaps the most original and elusive character in Australian sporting history.
