Warnie 23. The full deck of cards.

Salutations for Warnie our aussie twenty three, fifty two years young, 2022-1969.

like a revelation this young leggie came from somewhere,

and nowhere, He ripped it hard,

twisted it gentle,

spun the leather slow and fast,

and in between a thousand different variations,

with subtly or probing relentlessly the exact same spot.

till a nibbling knot of dirty grass ripped it just right,

past the batsman left or right, or just not in the optimal spot!

and the wickie would cry “bowling Warnie,”

and we would leap yet again,

in joyous rapture at Warnie flipping his fingers and whirling his wrist,

the king of spin,

the sheihk of tweak,

the duke of dip,

the earl of ear fizzling spin.

a Gentleman of gallantry according to some.

with His golden arm rotating in the sun,

we saw that red ball fly at His target.

99 runs in an international test – certainly a good effort – and far more than you or i, mostly.

we remember Warnie as the best of the very best on their best day ever justly, rightly, fairly.

play on, noble spirited sportsman, play on, you are forever more known as

a knight of the holy order of leggies, Shane K. Warne,

posthumously first president of Australiasia.

daj 2022.