An Australian cricket legend allegedly downed 52 cans of beer on a flight to England – setting a new drinking record in the process.
David Boon, who wore the Baggy Green cap with distinction in the late 1980s and early 90s, was almost as famous for his drinking exploits as he was for his batting. The 'high point' of his boozing came en route to England for the 1989 Ashes.
But this wasn’t just a random drinking binge, it was a genuine record attempt. As the players boarded the long flight, the benchmark was 51 cans, set by Rod Marsh, and it looked set to stand as the plane approached Heathrow.
Legend has it that Boon was stuck on 49 cans, only for the pilot to be told to make a couple of loops before landing. That allowed Boon to sink the three cans he needed to make history.
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Boon has tried to distance himself from the yarn, describing it as a “Hans Christian Andersen fairytale”.
"I know there are plenty of stories flying around about me that have been greatly embellished over the years," said Boon back in 2006.
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"But that’s how it is… we played our cricket in an era where blokes learned never to let the truth get in the way of a good story."
However, teammate Dean Jones, who sadly died in 2020, has a different version of events. He is said to have kept pace with Boon up to 22 cans before falling asleep.
He later woke to loud applause and an announcement from the plane’s captain that Boon had reached 52, reports FoxSports.
The aforementioned Marsh, another Aussie cricket legend and former selector, who died last year, set an impressive tally for Boon to beat. His own 51-can effort took its toll though, with the wicketkeeper being so drunk he had to leave the plane in a wheelchair.
