Stroke of Genius

de Gideon Haigh

It is arguably the most famous photograph in the history of cricket. In George Beldam's picture, Victor Trumper is caught in mid stroke, the personification of cricketing grace, skill and power, about to hit the ball long and hard. Yet this image, 'Jumping Out', is important not only because of who it depicts, but also what it illustrates about the changing nature of the game and how it has been seen. Now, in Gideon Haigh's 'Stroke of Genius', we learn not only about the man in the picture but also the iconography of Trumper's powerful position in cricket's mythology.