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CAPTAINS FILE:

From Peden to Haynes: Australia's Women Test Cricket Captains

From the very first women’s Test in Brisbane in 1934 to the most recent in Sydney in 2017, and every Test in between, these are the nineteen women who have had the honour to captain Australia’s Test cricket team. The challenges, both on and off the field. The tactics, the personalities.

From the backyards of Lismore, Glenelg, Shepparton... to the big time at Lords, the Gabba, Mumbai, Sabina Park. Travel back in time to the pioneering captains… Margaret Peden, Mollie Dive, Una Paisley; through the ages to Muriel Picton, Miriam Knee, Anne Gordon, to modern day greats, Alex Blackwell and Meg Lanning. There's household names Belinda Clark, Karen Rolton, Lyn Larsen, Jodie Fields.

Rob Harvey’s Captains File: From Peden to Haynes, Australia's Women Test Cricket Captains takes you on a journey to the first battle for the Ashes at home and the voyages across the seas to England to take them back; tours to India, the Caribbean, New Zealand, from the visionary Margaret Peden to the new age under Meg Lanning and Rachael Haynes.

Australia’s women’s Test cricketers have an enthralling past, their history beautifully brought to life by Rob Harvey. Rob has produced a unique, unprecedented piece of work which draws you in and brings so much to you as the reader.” – Lyn Larsen

This is the history of Australian women’s Test cricket, as seen through the eyes of the captains.

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All Titles

From Cows to China to cricket...

From comedy to travel adventure to cricket, Rob Harvey displays his versatility as a writer from his first title, the outrageous Bringing the Cows Home, to his fish-out-of-water adventure through the backblocks of southern China. And then, a departure, to a marriage of his two great passions: cricket and history..

"I can’t put this book down."

About The Author

Rob Harvey

Rob is an Australian writer based in South Australia. His main interests include cricket, history and culture, with a very keen eye for the absurd. He has been writing since he could pick up a pen and playing cricket since he could pick up a bat. Records prove that he is significantly better at the former than the latter.

Rob's latest book is about one of his greatest loves: cricket, and particularly the white clothes version with the series, "Captains File". The latest is From Peden to Haynes, Australia's Women Test Cricket Captains.

"This is a tribute to the wonderful characters who have shaped Australian cricket, from Margaret Peden in 1934 to Rachael Haynes in 2017. It was quite an adventure, both researching and interviewing the players. A real joy to put this on the bookshelf."

That book follows the first in the series, Captains File: India. From Nayudu to Kohli: India's Test cricket captains. "This was a labour of love, pure and simple. It was an absolute pleasure to research and write about these 32 great men."

The cricket tales follow Rob's earlier work, Gweilo in the Diaolou, his adventures through the villages of Kaiping in southern China, and the comedy fiction, Bringing the Cows Home.

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"He shows a deep and abiding love for the game."

Selected review snippets

Scroll the pages of the book below to see what people are saying about our titles.
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  • Never before has such analysis been done of the women’s game and its characters, and it was fascinating.

    - Lyn Larsen (former captain)
  • Thank you so much Rob for your research and your genuine interest in women's cricket.

    - Muriel Picton (former captain)
  • . It is an extraordinary insight into the behind the scenes of Womens leadership in cricket. It offers a thread that connects the history of the women’s game in a simple and open hearted way..

    - Kate McGready (former player, commentator)
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  • Breathtaking, amazing, overwhelmed. In a league of its own. I can’t put this book down. He shows a deep and abiding love for the game

    - David Crann
  • You cannot stop until you reach the end. Strongly recommended. For the purist and the modern day fan

    - Amazon Reviewer
  • Having carefully stayed away from any bias towards a specific cricketer, this book is filled with many interesting anecdotes and definitely a fun ride.

    - Good Reads
5 Gweilo in the Diaolou
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  • I started to get really emotional already. I'm truly touched by his respect to our culture.

    - Jean Du
  • Tout Magnifique! Part 3, the Search for Brammall Maegraith - is excellent.

    - Ross Kendall
  • How on earth did you find a bottlebrush tree in China? Remarkable!

    - Geoff Higgs
7 Bringing the Cows Home
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  • It did cause some looks as I struggled to not burst out in laughter… I totally recommend the book to anyone with a sense of humour and a good imagination…

    - Frank Fattore
  • The mental images grabs you from the very beginning... Einstein was my favourite character on many levels. Albert would have been proud of his namesake…

    - David Gray
  • The whole concept of cows living in the city is a classic glimpse into the author's psyche and shows his ability at making something so nonsensical into something funny and believable.

    - Jason Liang
"Rob has produced a unique, unprecedented piece of work."

Contact


 

Email: kovac @ kovac.com.au
ABN: 15 606 617 770