David Boon

David Clarence Boon (born 29 December 1960) is an Australian cricket match referee, former cricket commentator and international cricketer whose international playing career spanned the years 1984–1996.

A right-handed batsman and a very occasional off-spin bowler, he played first-class cricket for both his home state Tasmania and English county side Durham.

The son of Clarrie and Lesley, Boon was born in the northern Tasmanian city of Launceston on 29 December 1960.

His younger sister Vanessa was born in 1964.

His father Clarrie worked in a newsagency in Launceston, while his mother Lesley represented Australia at hockey before working with Clarrie at the newsagency after David was born.

When David was approximately six years old his family moved from South Launceston to a house connected to his parents' newsagency in the Launceston central business district.

The family returned to South Launceston when David was attending the Launceston Church Grammar School.

At the age of 17, Boon made his first-class debut for Tasmania during the state's second season of Sheffield Shield cricket, 1978–79.

Englishman Jack Simmons was coaching in Launceston at the time and was also captain of the Tasmanian team.

He pushed the youngster forward as a possible Test player and mentored him during a long apprenticeship at first-class level.

Boon later acknowledged Simmons by naming his son after him.

Wisden wrote, "Boon's achievement in becoming a fine Test player from a state which at that stage was still to enter the Sheffield Shield [sic] is strong evidence of his singular determination".

Boon made his international debut in the third final of the 1983–84 World Series Cup between Australia and the West Indies.

He scored 39 from 71 balls for the losing team and had to wait almost twelve months for another opportunity.

A good performance for the Prime Minister's XI in 1984–85 led to Boon's Test debut, against the West Indies at Brisbane.

He stood up well to the pace of the West Indies' bowlers and scored 51 in the second innings, batting at number six.

After the match, Kim Hughes resigned the captaincy of Australia.

Boon played two more Tests in the series, and was then trialled as a middle-order batsman in eight ODIs during the World Series Cup.

His top score was 55, and he was omitted from the team for the finals.

Selected for the Ashes tour of England in 1985, Boon's batting disappointed.

He struggled to cope with spin bowling due to slow footwork and passed fifty only once in the first four Tests.

He was subsequently omitted from the side for the last two Tests in the series.

Australia lost the series 3–1.

Returning to the team for the 1985–86 Test series against New Zealand, Boon batted at number three and top-scored with 81 in the second innings of the second Test at Sydney as Australia successfully chased a target of 260 to win.

However, this series was lost as well.

Australia had long-standing problems finding a successful pair of opening batsmen.

After Kepler Wessels quit the team in mid-summer, Boon was promoted to open with debutant Geoff Marsh for the Test series against India.

He responded with his first Test century, 123 from 255 balls, in his debut in the position at Adelaide.

Together with Marsh, Boon gave the Australian upper-order a stability it had not had for many years.

In the third Test of the series at Sydney, he consolidated his position with an innings of 131.

Despite this newly found batting solidity, Australia struggled in the series and drew all three Tests.

Boon was also tried as an opener in the World Series Cup and made four half-centuries in twelve innings as Australia won the tournament for the first time in three years.

On the following tour of New Zealand, Boon carried his bat for 58 not out in a total of 103 in the third Test at Auckland, which Australia lost.

Boon began the 1986 tour of India with a century in the Tied Test at Chennai and averaged 65 in another drawn series.

He hit his maiden ODI century, 111 from 118 balls, in the first match of the series at Jaipur.

Marsh also went on to score a century, becoming the first ever instance of both openers scoring a century in an ODI innings, yet Australia lost the match.

However, he suffered a setback during the 1986–87 Ashes series when he lost form and was dropped after four Tests despite scoring 103 in the first innings at Adelaide.

Boon was a part of the Australian team that won their first world title during the 1987 Cricket World Cup.

Known for his portly figure and distinctive moustache, Boon scored more than 7,000 runs at Test level, and made more than 100 appearances for both the Test and One Day International Australian side.

After leaving the international game he went to England to captain Durham before retiring to become a national selector.