Alan Shiell

Alan Shiell had played 23 first-class matches as a batsman for South Australia when he was confronted with a choice: did he continue to play cricket, or would he take up a cricket correspondent's job? Either way he would get to be involved in the game, and he chose the latter, reasoning that it would be the longer career, with an option to go on overseas tours, too. And so it proved. He started with the Adelaide Advertiser, and he is still writing nearly 40 years later, now for the Sportal website. Known as Sheff (a play on Sheffield Shield), the highlight of his playing career was a double hundred at his home ground, the Adelaide Oval, against an England touring side.
Jenny Thompson November 2007