He had one of those natures which called to you and in whose presence you felt it was good to live. Thus wrote Frank Iredale of Victor Trumper, his colleague on the 1899 Australian tour of England. Many contemporaries echoed Iredales sentiments and in the 101 years since Trumpers death from Brights disease, his reputation has grown to legend. Cricket writers have strived and sometimes strained to express their admiration of his batsmanship yet none of them come close to that picture in capturing the elusive magic.George Beldams 1905 image Jumping out for a straight drive is surely the most famous photograph in the history of cricket. Certainly it is the most reproduced, for it has appeared on the covers of countless books and on letterheads and posters; it has been sculpted, etched, reprinted and woven; it has even been the symbol for an internet chat room.And in 1975 it appeared on page 89 of Great Australian Cricket Pictures, where it first came to the notice of a young Gideon Haigh. Thus began a 40-year fascination with Trumper that has culminated in Stroke of Genius, which in the authors words is an iconography, a study of Trumpers valence in crickets mythology and imagery.It could be argued that Haigh has sold himself a little short there. For his latest book is more than a study in polysemy and its related fields, invaluable though that is. Stroke of Genius includes passages on the early history of photography, the development of cricket in Australia and the changing ways in which Australian writers like Jack Fingleton viewed the game. And it is perhaps appropriate that a cricketer whose method was exclusively his own is the chief subject of a book that defies easy classification.But if the librarians at Lords or the MCG are uncertain as to which section Stroke of Genius properly belongs, there need be no doubt about its quality. This may be the book Haigh was destined to write, and he has not been overawed by the occasion. While one might quibble at the absence of an index, one enjoys everything else.It is not only Haighs familiarity with his material that makes this book a triumph. He has three qualities rarely found in conjunction: he is a very good scholar, a very fine writer, and he also understands that what he describes is often best understood in its wider non-cricketing context.The sections in the book where these skills were most interestingly in evidence, at least to this reviewer, were those on photography. Again this is only fitting given that the centrepiece of the book is that wonderful moment of incipience captured by Beldam 111 years ago. Haigh begins the relevant chapter with a quotate from Emile Zola that could serve as an epigraph to the whole book.I dont think you can really say you have seen something until you have taken a photograph of it, which reveals all the details you would not otherwise have noticed - and which in most case cannot even be seen. Soon afterwards the reader is learning about gelatine emulsions, focal-plane shutters and the other innovations by which Beldam sought to refine photographic technique, and that would lead to the production of Great Batsmen: Their Methods at a Glance, which was published with text by CB Fry in 1905 and which included the famous image of the best batsman in the world at that time. Thus an English photographer, who like Trumper followed his own method, helped preserve the powerful image that was used as Australia sought to free itself from colonial associations and establish its independence.Trumper lifted [cricket] to a level of art beyond the reach of all but himself, wrote Bede Nairn in the Australian Dictionary of Biography. And, in achieving this, he reworked the charter of cricket from a Victorian artefact into an Edwardian palimpsest, with spacious Australian flourishes all but replacing the English script. The nature and variety of further Australian flourishes inspired by Trumper, a few of them rather eccentric, are carefully chronicled by Haigh in this rich and rewarding book. So rewarding, indeed, that one wonders whether another edition might be published, rather following the example of Edmund de Waals wonderful The Hare with the Amber Eyes, in which all the photographs, some of which seem a trifle cramped in the current version, could be reproduced in full clarity.That, though, is another cavil at excellence. For the moment, anyone remotely interested in why players like Steve Waugh were so interested in the style of cap worn by Trumper can do no better than buy Haighs book. It will take them back to that glorious image of an Australian cricketer who took the art of batting and reinvented it after his own fashion.You know that photograph. It just sits in your mind and your memory, said former Australian prime minister Kevin Rudd on dedicating the SCGs Trumper Stand in December, 2008. Yes, thats right, it really does. Get the modest acceptance speeches ready, Gideon. This is the cricket book of the year.Stroke of Genius by Gideon Haigh Penguin Australia, 2016 A$39.99 Paulo Dybala Jersey . Michell Burger, a woman who lives on an estate next to Pistorius gated community, said she and her husband were awoken by the screams in the pre-dawn hours of Feb. 14 last year, when Pistorius killed Reeva Steenkamp by shooting four times through a door in his bathroom. Douglas Costa Juventus Jersey . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec. http://www.juventusfcpro.com/Kids-Leonardo-Bonucci-Jersey/ . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Paulo Dybala Juventus Jersey . The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Lions have not announced the hiring, which was first reported by ESPN. Lombardi, the grandson of former Green Bay Hall of Fame coach Vince Lombardi, has been an offensive assistant on Sean Paytons New Orleans staff since 2007. Daniele Rugani Juventus Jersey . Rinne played two periods in his first game since left hip surgery in early May. Gabriel Bourque scored 3:07 into the second period and Austin Watson tallied 5:15 later for Nashville. ANNAPOLIS, Md. -- Navy quarterback Will Worth ran for 122 yards and scored three touchdowns and the Midshipmen took control of the American Athletic Conferences West Division with a 42-40 victory over Tulsa on Saturday.Navy (7-2, 5-1) is now in the drivers seat to earn a spot, and possibly host, the AAC championship game on Dec. 3. The Midshipmen have won 15 consecutive games at home -- the second-longest home streak in the nation behind Clemson, which has won 20 straight.Worth, who also threw for a score, has a touchdown in all nine games this season, tying Chris McCoy (1995-97) for the second-longest streak in school history. It was also Worths fifth-straight game with 100 or more rushing yards.Tulsa quarterback Dane Evans became the schools all-time passing leader after going 16 of 27 for 369 yards with four touchdowns. Evans also had a 1-yard touchdown run that pulled the Golden Hurricane to within 38-37 with 10:34 left in the game.Justin Hobbs caught five passes for 123 yards, while Josh Atkinson had five receptions for 102 yards with a touuchdown for Tulsa (7-3, 4-2).ddddddddddddMidshipmen senior Dishan Romine ran for 97 yards on six carries and got his first career touchdown with a 41-yard scamper that provided a 14-10 lead. Romine also had a 48-yard return on the opening kick-off that set up Navys first touchdown.THE TAKEAWAYTULSA: The loss to Navy likely ends the Golden Hurricanes AAC title hopes, but Tulsa became bowl-eligible Oct. 29 with a win at Memphis.NAVY: The Midshipmen have a contractual agreement to play in the 2016 Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl as an Independent before joining the AAC. However, Navy could still earn a spot in the Group of Five New Years Six Bowl that pre-empt that earlier agreement.UP NEXTTULSA: The Golden Hurricane play Saturday at Central Florida, which came away with a 45-30 victory last season.NAVY: The Midshipmen travel to East Carolina on Saturday to make up a game postponed Oct. 13 because of Hurricane Matthew. ' ' '