temper I have seen in a man, and was essentially a sportsman." Playing style and captaincy Wills is regarded as Australia's first outstanding cricketer. "The picture of the athlete" in his prime, "full to overflowing with animal vigor", Wills seemed indestructible. Match reports refer to him as a Triton, a Colossus, "and many other things besides a cricketer". Intensely competitive, his win-at-all-costs mentality undermined the amateur ideal of friendly competition, as did his strategic use of intimidation. A natural leader, his supreme confidence emboldened those around him, and he never despaired the fortunes of his side, even in the face of probable defeat. On the off-chance that he sought another player's opinion, he invariably followed his own mind, and his resources at any critical juncture in a match were said to be always clever, and sometimes unique. "As a judge of the game he never had a superior", wrote Britain's The Sportsman. He was "at once a cricket crank and genius", according to The Bulletin. The rarity of Wills' genius drew comparisons to William Shakespeare's. Classified as an all-rounder, Wills saw himself principally as a bowler. With a repertoire spanning "sparklers, rippers, fizzers, trimmers and shooters", he varied his pace and style in order to quickly work out a batsman's weak points. Noted for his deceptive slow deliveries, dropping mid-flight and big on break, Wills' fast round arm balls sometimes reared head-high from the pitch, terrorising his opponent. His bowling was said to have "the devil" in it at times; English batsman Sir David Serjeant remembered Wills as the only bowler he ever feared. In order to avoid being no-balled for throwing, Wills carefully studied the umpire, and developed various tricks, such as worrying aloud that he might be overstepping the crease at the point of delivery. With the umpire's attention diverted to his feet, Wills would "let go a throw for all he was worth". His most flagrant throws were likened to that of a baseball pitcher. As a batsman, Wills was an unapologetic stonewaller with a "peculiarly ugly" style; his characteristic shots—cuts and to the leg side—ensured the primacy of defence. He summarised his technique thus: "The ball can't get through the bat." He could also abruptly turn explosive and, according to one sportswriter, hit as hard as Tom Sayers. On one occasion at the MCG, he made a drive into the Richmond Paddock for eight runs. An