Former Australia cricket Tony Mann passed away on Friday morning after losing his seven-year battle with pancreatic cancer. Tony Mann had celebrated his 74th birthday last Friday. He will always be remembered for being the second nightwatchman to score a Test century. Mann was primarily a leg-spinner known for his sharp googlies.

He broke into the Australia Test squad for the home series against India during the 1977-78 season. Mann took 3–12 in the first innings of the First Test and also making useful scores of 19 and 26 in a closely fought match. He was less successful in the second innings as a bowler, going wicketless for 52 runs. He failed to pick up any wicket in his second Test either.

But he made the second Test memorable by scoring a fighting ton. In the second innings of the match when Australia was chasing 339 to win the game, Mann came to the wicket as nightwatchman when Australia was 13 for 1 and went on to score 105. Australia had gone on to win the game thanks to the century from Mann.

He, however, struggled with the ball and was soon dropped in favour of fellow West Australian Bruce Yardley for the Fifth Test and never played for Australia again. Overall, he played 4 Tests, scoring 189 runs in addition to picking up 4 wickets.

His track record in domestic circuit is more impressive. Mann represented Western Australia in 76 first-class games over a 24-year career, winning seven Sheffield Shields to go with eight club titles. After his playing career, Mann was a teacher for 30 years before becoming WACA cricket manager where he was instrumental in recruiting Adam Gilchrist to WA and converting Brad Hogg into a wrist-spinner .

He was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2012 but his predicted life expectancy of just a few months was extended by seven years through experimental medical treatment.