Captivating Croweaters: Travis Head embracing a career befitting of David Hookes’ legacy

Friday marks the 20th anniversary of David Hookes' death, and fittingly on Thursday it was another swashbuckling left-handed South Australian in Travis Head who was the star of the show in Adelaide.

With the 20th anniversary of David Hookes’ death to be greeted with bells and beers on Friday there was a sweet, subtle symmetry that Travis Head stole the show.

Hookes’ old playing mate Wayne Phillips will ring the Keith Bradshaw Bell at the start of play in Adelaide and then retreat to the David Hookes Bar when many old Hookes yarns – some could even be printable – will be aired.

The fans in the Hookes Bar on Thursday loved Head’s century but the sad thing was Hookes, a true blue cavalier, was not there to watch it because 30-year-old Travis is living out David’s dream.

“Travis is settled now in the middle order and has been elevated to vice-captain and playing the role that Hookesey was probably pencilled in for but it didn’t quite work out which was frustrating for David but watching Travis now is pretty darn special,’’ Phillips told this masthead on Thursday.

David Hookes posing in front of the beloved Adelaide Oval scoreboard in 1991.

Hookes died after being hit by a bouncer outside a hotel where he was drinking with the Victorian team he coached.

Phillips was standing beside Hookes when the punch was thrown. He can still recall the sounds of the punch hitting Hookes and Hookes hitting the ground. It understandably haunted and shattered him.

“He was great to me. He told me off when I needed it. He spoke beautifully to my children. I am looking forward to having a West End in his honor tomorrow.’’

Both Hookes and Head are-were South Australian left-handers, Test vice-captains, local heroes, teenage stars and natural eye players.

Travis Head celebrates a gritty century at his home ground the Adelaide Oval on Thursday. Picture: Paul Kane/Getty Images.

Hookes used to love pulling balls over the short square boundary towards the members stand where Head hit three thunderous sixes in his century.

But here’s where we reach the fork in the road for Head looks set to have the career that Hookes dreamt about but never managed to wrap his arms around.

Hookes averaged 34 with one century in 23 Tests. He was better than that.

The key difference between them was that Hookes did not improve as a batsman where Head has – and there is a reason for that.

Hookes was a glamour boy who signed with Kerry Packer’s World Series and infamously, on one of the fastest wickets ever seen, had his jaw broken in savage blow by West Indian great Andy Roberts at the Sydney Showgrounds.

While outwardly maintaining his confident swagger, Hookes, from that point, tended to adopt the mentality of jumping on rival attacks before they jumped on him.

The middle gears – the fighting gears – which were so evident in two fighting half centuries in different conditions in England in 1977, disappeared from his game.

Selectors once said to Hookes “we know you can hit a ball a mile but you need to prove you can dig in as well and fight your way out of tough corners.’’

Hookes never quite got there. Head has found himself in a way Hookes never quite did and in a way Hookes would have enjoyed.

Originally published as Captivating Croweaters: Travis Head embracing a career befitting of David Hookes’ legacy