Cricket Books

Book SynopsisBarbados-born John Holder arrived in England during the 1960s as part of the second wave of West Indian immigrants recruited by London Transport after the war. While working on the Underground he was recommended for a trial at Hampshire. Impressed by his speed and hostility with the ball, they signed him on the spot. For seven years, his career as an opening bowler followed an uneven course, periods of loss of form and confidence punctuated with moments of sheer brilliance, the most noteworthy both coming in his final year at Hampshire in 1972, taking 13-128 in the same match against Gloucestershire and a hat-trick against Kent. A back injury brought his county career to a close. What better way to stay in touch than to become an umpire? A first-class umpire for 27 years, he officiated in 11 Tests and 23 one-day internationals. Former team-mate Andrew Murtagh had unique and unfettered access to his subject. A Test of Character throws an interesting light on the job of an international umpire, with all its pressures, vicissitudes, controversies and prejudices, leavened of course with a fair degree of humour too.

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Book SynopsisColin Cowdrey is remembered for the elegance of his strokeplay; but there was more to this complex man than a classical cover drive. Successes were numerous: 114 Test matches, 22 Test hundreds, 100 first-class centuries, countless famous victories and unforgettable innings. There was controversy and disappointment too, chief among them being repeated snubs for the England captaincy and the D'Oliveira Affair. Cowdrey was involved in three of England's most memorable Tests: Lord's in 1963 against the West Indies, batting at 11 with his arm in plaster, two balls left and all four results possible; Trinidad in 1968 in which England secured a famous victory against the West Indies; and The Oval in 1968 when England gained an improbable final-over win against Australia. In later life, he shone as an administrative leader - as president of Kent and of the MCC, and as chairman of the ICC - and was made a Lord. Sir Garry Sobers spoke for many when he said at his memorial service, "Colin Cowdrey was a great man."

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Book SynopsisFive Trophies and a Funeral: The Building and Rebuilding of Durham County Cricket Club is the story of how English cricket's youngest first-class county quickly became the country's top team, before overstretching themselves financially to the brink of extinction. When Durham joined the professional game in 1992 they aspired to be a major on-field force and a home to top international cricket. The high demands put on them as a condition of entry, together with their own lofty ambitions, pushed the club to five major trophies in seven seasons while providing England with top-quality players reared in the North East. But striving for ever more at a time of economic downturn led them to live beyond their means, and they were heavily punished for overspending that the authorities partly encouraged. Now they are looking to restore past glories under the chairmanship of Sir Ian Botham. Part fairy tale, part cautionary story, Five Trophies explains how Durham arrived where they are, and where they aim to go next.

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Book SynopsisBarbed Wire and Cucumber Sandwiches is the compelling story of a cricket tour framed in a landscape of turbulent social history. Cricket, England's gentle summer game, was shaken to its core by demonstrations, strikes, arrests and violence amid growing global disgust at apartheid, ahead of South Africa's planned 1970 tour. The battle to stop and then to save the tour split the nation, drove a wedge between the generations and destroyed friendships in an uncanny foreshadowing of Brexit. Fifty years on, acclaimed author and social historian Dr Colin Shindler has delved deep into the MCC archives for new information and gained exclusive interviews with key players of the time. Alongside the views of cricketers Mike Brearley and Ray Illingworth are the opinions of Labour politician Peter Hain, who was chairman of the Stop The Seventy Tour campaign. Barbed Wire and Cucumber Sandwiches brings you the full untold story of one of cricket's biggest controversies - the significance of which reaches far beyond the realm of sport.

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Book SynopsisFor over a decade Luke Fletcher has been a firm fan favourite at Trent Bridge. This 6'6" gentle giant never gives less than 100 per cent for Nottinghamshire, but a laugh and a joke are never far from his lips. Within the space of a week in 2017 he went from the highs of winning a Lord's cup final to suffering a serious injury. As with most events in his life, the incidents provided scope for his infectious humour, much of it self-deprecating. An uncanny ability to be in the wrong place at the wrong time and his on-off relationship with the strength and conditioning gurus has often landed him in hot water, providing ammunition for witty comebacks. But although a clever quip is never far away, the broad-beamed paceman has earned the respect of everyone in the game. He has played against - and got the better of - virtually every opponent he has faced and has a career record to be proud of. In Tales from the Front Line, 'Fletch' serves up laughs aplenty as he takes us on an anecdotal journey through our summer game.

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Book SynopsisOne of cricket's great characters, Franklyn Stephenson was branded a 'rebel' for touring in apartheid South Africa with a West Indian XI. As a black sportsman, he knew his actions went against the wishes of the authorities and that there would be consequences, yet he overcame the character slurs and subsequent bans from both his beloved Barbados and the West Indian Test selectors. Recognised as the first fast bowler to develop a cunning slower ball, Stephenson became one of the world's top all-rounders. The beaming Barbadian achieved cricketing immortality in 1988 by completing the domestic Double of scoring 1,000 runs and taking 100 wickets during an English summer - a feat that is unlikely to be repeated. Read about encounters, on and off the field, with household names such as Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Clive Lloyd and Desmond Haynes - and a lifelong friendship with Sir Garfield Sobers. From a childhood full of dramatic life experiences to the heights of one-day finals at Lord's, here is the story of an amiable cricketing giant.

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Book SynopsisLast Wicket Stand is a refreshingly honest examination of county cricket, middle age, identity and coping with change. In his 50th year, Richard Clarke followed his beloved Essex CCC throughout the 2019 season, the last before the introduction of a controversial new competition that threatened to undermine domestic cricket in England forever.

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Book SynopsisEngland On This Day revisits the most magical and memorable moments from the national cricket team's illustrious past, mixing in a maelstrom of quirky anecdotes and legendary characters to produce an irresistibly dippable England diary - with an entry for every day of the year. From the first ever Test match in 1877 through to the Twenty20 era, England's faithful fans have witnessed world domination and tragicomic failures, grudge matches, controversy and absurdity - all present here. Timeless greats such as Ian Botham, Jack Hobbs and Fred Trueman, Denis Compton, Harold Larwood and Alastair Cook all loom larger than life. Revisit 5 January 1971, when a Melbourne Test became the first ever one-day international, 30 July 1995 when Dominic Cork took England's first hat-trick in 38 years! Or 6 September 1880, when W.G. Grace and his two brothers all made their Test debuts - two successful, one tragic.

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Book SynopsisFormer Gloucestershire Media Sports Writer of the Year Rob Harris has been playing village cricket for almost 40 years. In inner cities some kids join street gangs in search of respect, but in Rob's childhood the gangs were village cricket clubs and the weapon of choice was a Gunn & Moore bat. Won't You Dance for Virat Kohli? is an honest, funny and colourful account of sporting obsession and how a childhood passion for cricket can dominate grown-up thoughts, dreams, relationships - and weekends. This is the story of one humble club cricketer's misguided search for personal respect and fulfilment in the strangest of places, foregoing holidays and family time to spend long summer days lounging around village greens with other screwed-up 'weekend warriors', whilst secretly wishing he was somewhere - anywhere - else. It is a book that will resonate with anyone who knows and loves grass-roots cricket.

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Book SynopsisToo Black to Wear White is the compelling story of Krom Hendricks, the first black South African sporting hero. Co-authors Jonty Winch and Richard Parry explore the colonial roots of racism in cricket and the nefarious role Cecil Rhodes played in the origins of segregation when he barred Krom Hendricks from the South African tour to England in 1894. Hendricks's long struggle for recognition exposed a cruel system. It is a compelling human drama. Hendricks played for the South African 'Malay' team against English professionals in 1892. He was, they said, the best fast bowler in the world. He struck fear into the white establishment and targeted elite South African batsmen who feared his express pace and the prospect of humiliation at the hands of a 'coloured' player. Denied the chance to play Test cricket against Lord Hawke's side, his courage, perseverance and passion for cricket never diminished over several decades; and at the age of 60 he led representative 'coloured' teams in fundraisers during the First World War.

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Book SynopsisKings in Waiting is the story of how Somerset failed to win their maiden Championship title despite finishing second five times during the 2010s. Since they finished bottom of the table in 2006, Somerset have enjoyed and endured the most exciting period in their history. Following their bottom-of-the-table finish, they hired Justin Langer as their captain and he transformed them into one of the most competitive teams in the land. He departed in 2009, although the good work he had done alongside his successor Marcus Trescothick was expected to result in trophies. But they somehow failed to deliver, remarkably finishing as runners-up in eight tournaments between 2009 and 2012. This led to them being described as the bridesmaids of English cricket. After a few quiet years, a new team began to emerge under Chris Rogers, one full of youth and promise. He guided them to second in 2016 and his successor Tom Abell finally managed to win a trophy in 2019. Yet the all-important Championship title remains absent from their cabinet.

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Book SynopsisAnd Bring the Darkness Home is a haunting exploration of how the mental scars of war destroyed an international cricket career, tore a family apart and left destitute a man who seemed to have it all. Tony Dell was the only Test cricketer to fight in the Vietnam War. His journey to the summit of the game, playing for Australia against England in the Ashes, was as unlikely and meteoric as any in cricket history. His descent was painful and harrowing. It was in his mid-60s, living in his mother's garage, that he learned the truth about what had led him on a path of self-destruction. A diagnosis of post-traumatic stress disorder allowed him to piece together the ruins of his life and also to search for answers, for himself and the thousands of other sufferers. The restlessness and urgency that once drove him to the top of the game was turned on authorities who refused to learn the lessons from history. PTSD robbed Tony Dell of memories of his playing career and left a palpable sense of loss. It also gave him a life-changing mission.

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Book SynopsisThe Life and Death of Andy Ducat is the fascinating and captivating biography of one of England's earliest sporting heroes. The story starts in the reign of Queen Victoria and ends, tragically, on the hallowed turf of Lord's Cricket Ground during the Second World War. History has not been kind to Andy Ducat, and his untimely death in 1942, while playing at Lord's, is the only fact known by many about this sporting idol. Andy is one of a select band of men to represent England at football and cricket. In football, he captained Aston Villa to FA Cup glory in 1920 and made Arsenal's 'Greatest 50 players'. In cricket, Andy scored more than 23,000 first-class runs and played for Surrey in a team of greats such as Hobbs, Sandham and Fender. Andy was a gifted sportsman with a core philosophy of fair play, which made him universally liked. However, his contribution to English sport in the early years of the 20th century has been forgotten. It is time for a new generation of sports fans to discover Andy's story.

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Book SynopsisThe Oval is one of the world's great cricket grounds. It was here in south London in 1882 that the legend of the Ashes was born, and many of the game's most memorable events have taken place here, including Don Bradman's duck in his final innings and Kevin Pietersen's coruscating 158 that sealed England's 2005 Ashes win. Home to Surrey County Cricket Club since it opened in 1845, the Oval also staged England's first international football match and the first FA Cup Final, and has hosted everything from American football to rock concerts. This official guidebook provides a fascinating introduction to the Oval, covering its history, architecture and the people who have made it what it is today, from ground staff to sporting heroes. It is illustrated throughout, with images ranging from archival photography of the ground's earliest days to the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy Final.

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Book SynopsisCrickets oldest, and fiercest, rivalry!No contest in cricket comes close to matching The Ashes for drama, passion and sporting theatre.When England and Australia go head to head, two countries hold their collective breath and prepare for a roller-coaster ride of power, pride, pain and victory at all costs. But it's also about respect – a love of the game and the realisation that two great sporting nations are entwined through one of sport's greatest rivalries.With over 135 years of Ashes history, here's a collection of the best quotes and defining moments – from 'Bodyline' to 'Botham's Ashes', from Lord's to the Gabba, from 'The Don' to 'The Barmy army'.'England have only three major problems. They can't bat, they can't bowl and they can't field.' - Martin Johnson's assessment at the start of the 1986-87 tour. England's recovery to win the Ashes later led Johnson to remark: 'Right quote, wrong team.'

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Book SynopsisIt's Raining Bats and Pads: The Story of Lancashire County Cricket Club 1988-1996 vividly captures the sporting and cultural landscape of the late 1980s to mid-90s, and shows the sea change between then and now. It's a romantic jaunt through the halcyon days of Mike Atherton, Neil Fairbrother and Wasim Akram as seen through the eyes of the author, who as a child and young adult lived through that era. It harks back to the glory days of lazy linseed summers when life was much simpler, time was not strictly of the essence and kids had to entertain themselves. Although primarily a tale of Lancashire's success on the field - punctuated by some lively spectator incidents at the grounds - the book also explores broader societal questions. Is the game in a better place now? Has the standard of cricket improved? Has freedom of choice caused the game's popularity to fall among the young? And is the Hundred an allegory for a society that simply can't wait for better?

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Book SynopsisThe 1970s in the East Midlands was a decade of mediocrity. As a young girl growing up there, Michele Savidge seemed destined for a prosaic life. But everything changed when as a 12-year-old she saw Viv Richards bat. At that moment, she fell in love with Richards and with West Indies cricket. She set her sights on becoming a cricket journalist and realised that dream in spite of the obstacles in her way. Between Overs is an elegiac, often comedic, romp through the trials Michele faced. It includes outrageous 'Me Too' incidents, in-depth appraisals of her hero Viv Richards and a close encounter with actor Peter O'Toole. Births, life, bereavement and depression took her away from the sport she loved. But the 2019 Cricket World Cup, a purple and green polyester tracksuit and the intense climax of the final at Lord's saw the old flame rekindled and taught Michele how to love life - and cricket - again.

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Book SynopsisIndia's first Test series win in England in 1971 was epic and magical, with a resonance far beyond the scorecards. The cricket was riveting, with twists and turns right up to the last ball, and the excitement was garnished by a baby elephant parading the outfield of The Oval on the final day. The victory had immense significance for a country that had gained independence from Britain less than 25 years earlier and was tottering on the brink of a history-defining war. In the background were the British illusions of moral and cultural superiority even as decolonisation went through its final phase. The Indians often accepted these illusions as they struggled for the most basic necessities of life, battling against poverty, malnutrition and illiteracy. Thus, the victory provided a major equaliser for the national psyche. Elephant in the Stadium examines the many reasons for the myth and magic that still surround the triumph, including the complex historical relationship between Britain and India.Trade Review"Superb book... style is effortless and the narrative agile... This is not a sanitised version of history nor one that is made superficially attractive. Sengupta produces a means of seeing history differently." -- Nick Tudball * Journal of the Cricket Society *"Brilliant... a very full read." * Oborne and Heller podcast *"It was a quiet year for cricket books, but arguably the best is Elephant in the Stadium, by Arunabha Sengupta, which is a social history and as much about the legacy of colonialism as it is about India's first Test series win in England in 1971." * The Times' Best Sports Books of 2022 *"Meticulously researched, bravely written. Anyone wanting a definitive history of India alongside her cricket should look no further than this book." -- Andrew Roberts * Cricket Statistics *"Sengupta's prose is so commanding there were times when this reviewer felt he was among the crowd on overcast dimly lit English days watching India's triumph. The book is also a first-class history of post-War India." -- Barry Nicholls * Australian Cricket Digest *"Unputdownable, by the most reliable cricket writer of his generation." -- Vijay Lokapally"A path-breaking book, story brilliantly told" -- Mihir Bose"Wonderful scope and depth, and so nicely written" -- David Frith"A tour de force" -- John Broom"I really enjoyed it both for the cricket and the wider background" -- David Woodhouse"The crucial Test is brilliantly brought to life [in a] book certain to challenge a few views. [It] will make us consider other views through the less comfortable end of the telescope." -- Douglas Miller * The Cricket Statistician *"Should be widely read, in India, throughout the British islands and the rest of the English speaking world." -- Martin Chandler * Cricketweb *

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Book SynopsisAs a toddler, Geoff plays a straight bat with a frying pan, knocking his brother unconscious. They both survive and go on to share an obsession with cricket. From playing as kids in oversized pads, they become recreational cricketers and devotees of England and Notts. Cricket, My Brother and Me is rich in humorous anecdotes and personal memories of 50 eventful years playing and watching cricket. Accounts of early life as cricketers see the brothers trying to emulate their heroes and failing miserably, finally settling for the role of spectator. Memories include the torture and the glory of watching the Ashes, touring abroad and the more sedate joys of county cricket. The book describes the brothers' fraught first encounter with the Barmy Army and later touring as part of the world's greatest supporters' club. Ardent fans will enjoy the serious reflections on cricket and politics and thoughts on the future of the sport. This is a 'must read' for cricket lovers and for those intrigued as to why cricket can inflame such passion.

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Book SynopsisOn the afternoon of 10 June 2018, Edinburgh became the centre of the cricketing world. Scotland's first-ever win over England not only proved the team's ability to go toe-to-toe with the best players on the planet, it also completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in the history of Scottish sport. In a country known more for its hard luck stories than its triumphs, the victory was about more than a single result: it showed that Scotland's cricketers had discovered what it took to win. Playing with Teeth follows their journey to get there. Beginning with the disastrous campaign at the qualifier for the 2014 World T20, the book describes the cultural changes that unlocked the team's potential and enabled them to move on from the narrative of glorious failure that was so often the story of the past. Based on extended interviews with those at the heart of the action, Playing with Teeth records a unique time in the history of Scottish cricket while also providing a blueprint from which the whole of Scottish sport can learn.

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Book SynopsisOnce A Pear... is the enthralling cricketing story of Daryl Mitchell - the ultimate 'one-club man'. Daryl graduated from the village game to become the first Worcestershire captain born in the county since 1925. He turned down offers from other, more famous counties to play for the club for 17 years in a turbulent career that saw five promotions, five relegations and short-form triumphs in the Pro40 competition and the Twenty20 Blast. A club legend, 38 first-class county hundreds put him sixth in the all-time list of Worcestershire centurions, while his 295 catches place him eighth in the fielding records. Four years as chairman of the Professional Cricketers' Association speaks volumes for the esteem he is held in by fellow professionals. In Once A Pear... Daryl reveals what it takes to be a successful county cricketer, and the impact on a player's mental health, while exploring how the game has changed in the last 20 years. This is the story of a true cricket man.

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Book SynopsisHow to be a Cricket Fan: A Life in Fifty Artefacts from WG to Wisden is a unique, nostalgic take on supporting the greatest sport, pre-internet. This relatable, universal story records how one cricketing obsessive encounters players from WG Grace to Ben Stokes, plus plenty of characters you're unlikely to have come across. With running themes of Wisden, sportsman's dinners and otterhounds, the book's hero meets Ian Botham and Linda Lusardi on the A6, drinks red wine while showing Fred Trueman his priceless collection and drives his family mad by taking them on summer holidays to buy John Arlott's old books. The colourful images on cigarette cards and the yellow linen cover of Wisden succoured a wartime evacuee who spent a lifetime trying to bring back those memories. After facing ruin, his passion culminated in him finding happiness in a dream career. This is the story of an English eccentric's journey from cricketing backwaters to entertaining the stars and becoming a leading authority on the game.Trade Review"A warm, kaleidoscopic biography of Matthew's father Edgar Lawson Appleby and a life of cricketing passion, told through 50 resonant artefacts... it's a rich trail of sporting memory. In many ways the book reveals the personal and social importance of trivia, how we accumulate it and, as Matthew says, "there's always more trivia to find". * Cumbria Life *"An engaging read... I haven't read another like it and for that reason alone it made for a good read. It is an enjoyable book and once again Pitch Publishing are to be commended for their willingness to publish a wide range of sporting books." -- Peakfan * Derbyshire Cricket blog *"It is delightful to read of events which many of us who collect cricket books and cricketana will relate to. Cricket throws up many interesting characters and some are mentioned in How To Be a Cricket Fan including stalwart county spectators and others who collect cricket grounds as spectators. There are those who collect playing at grounds too. It is part of the rich tapestry that the game has the ability to throw up and this memoir about Edgar Appleby is most enjoyable." -- Andrew Roberts * Cricket Statistics *"A wonderful tribute to a life well lived... a marvellous portrait... written superbly; told in a passionate, amusing, engaging, quirky way... a very special publication." * Keswick Reminder *"Beautifully written." * Lake District Herald *"It is immensely pleasing that his life as a cricket fan has been recorded so lovingly in this exceptional book." * Cumberland and Westmorland Herald *"I so much enjoyed reading a book that, if it can claim nothing else, is certainly unique. For collectors of cricketana generally they are in for a real treat." * Cricketweb *"Matthew Appleby describes how the game can become a near-obsession in this funny and sentimental chronicle, but there is far more to this affectionate book than a must-have list of memorabilia." * The Cricketer *"[From] the admirable Pitch Publishing... a disciplined MacGregor-type history, crossed with the very personal story of an eccentric, 100%-dedicated fan. My sense, already strong, is that the book is sure to appeal to ACS members." -- Charles Barr * Association of Cricket Statisticians *

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Book SynopsisIn Austerity England, 1953, England have just won back 'The Ashes' from Australia after 19 years, but this is soon forgotten by the southern villages of Rotting Hill and West Rotting as they prepare for their annual cricket contest. The story follows the lives and loves of the villagers in the days preceding the contest, then the dramas and absurdities of the game itself as it descends into chaos, both during and after the match. In an England still ridden by class mores and dichotomies, the combatants meet on equal status on and off the field - snobs, vicars, barmaids, debs, trade union agitators, schoolmasters, dysfunctional artists and artisans, black-marketeers, minor aristocrats, bigots and traditionalists. There is a one-legged ex-naval commander, who still insists on captaining his team and opening the batting, whilst his alcoholic wife is having a steamy affair with the dashing ex-war hero vice-captain; an amorous vicar and warm-hearted barmaid. At the scorers' table, two women bitch at each other throughout the day, whilst an errant dog has a major influence on the outcome of the game. Just a jolly romp through the countryside of old England - the village cricket match.Trade ReviewThe modern successor to de Selincourt's and Parker's 'village' cricket match. Funny, outrageous and utterly credible - Camilla St.James, Winchmore Hill Tigers website

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Book SynopsisStewart Brown and Ian McDonald present a multi-faceted portrait of the significance of cricket to the Caribbean and the attraction of Caribbean cricket to the outside world. With poems, calypsos, stories, extracts from novels, essays, speeches and articles, the editors show cricket inhabiting all areas of the Caribbean imagination. From its expression at the highest level on the global field of play, to the no less titanic struggles on the bumpier fields of the village or the sugar estate, this is a celebration of those who forged an art out of a game, those who transformed a colonial sport into the cutting edge of Caribbean nationalism, and, in the 1970s and 80s changed forever the nature of the game."The Bowling Was Superfine is a gem. So purely cut, it sends light sparkling off in a hundred, different directions."ESPN CricInfoStewart Brown has edited several anthologies of Caribbean writing, including The Heinemann Book of Caribbean Poetry (with Ian McDonald, 1992) and The Oxford Book of Caribbean Short Stories (2009). He also edited The Art of Derek Walcott (Seren, 1995) and All are Involved: The Art of Martin Carter (Peepal Tree, 2000). Ian McDonald is a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature and has served as a judge for the Guyana Prize for Literature. He is the author of the 1969 novel The Hummingbird Tree (2004), which was recently made into a BBC film, four collections of poetry and a play.

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Book SynopsisOnce the opinionated, party-going socialite, complete with celebrity girlfriends and ridiculous haircuts, Kevin Pietersen has developed into the biggest crowd pleaser in English cricket, some would say modern sport. This fascinating and well-researched biography draws on interviews with Pietersen and those who know him best, including many of his mentors, team-mates and opponents. As Pietersen prepares for his biggest challenge yet - leading England's attempt to regain the Ashes from Australia - this unique appraisal tells, for the first time, the full story behind Britain's most exhilarating and successful sportsman.Trade ReviewA Must, not just for all KP fans, but for all cricket fans. 4/5 - Shropshire Star

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Book SynopsisA lot of leather has 'plunk-plicked' against willow since cricket was first played on the village greens of Olde England, but this doughty little book heroically manages to capture the true essence of the noble ball game in just 100 run-grabbing moments (plus a few extras for overthrows). This is the story of cricket as it has never been told before: a well tossed-up compilation of surreal match reports, spoof correspondence and quirky cartoons. From a Great Victorian refusing to walk (even though his bails have been knocked off by the bowler) to modern-day sledgers playing floodlit pyjama cricket, the game's towering achievements, hilarious happenings and ludicrous coincidences are entertainingly recalled. The book's title says it all: which other sport would have Silly positions in the field? For those who don't know, silly mid-off (facing the batsman) & silly mid-on (behind him) field within a couple of metres of the man at the crease as he flails at the ball, delivered at 140kmh, using a 1kg wooden bat. Table of ContentsWG Grace • The Bodyline Tour • Wars of the Roses • Don Bradman • Denis Compton • Neil Harvey • Lord Ted • Monkeys in the gully • Jim Laker • Lillian Thomson • Gillette Cup • Dolly and Apartheid • Deadly Derek • Chuckers and pie-throwers • 'Sir Geoff' • Kerry Packer's Circus • Big Bird • Ian Botham • Windies 'Blackwash' • Mike Gatting • The Headingley Comeback • Lara's 501 • Hansie Cronje • Shane Warne • Freddie Flintoff • Kevin Pietersen • Players Walkout • DRS.

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Book SynopsisCollects Sports Writer of the Year James Lawton's best on cricket. Introduced by Maichael Atherton, former England cricket captain.

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Book Synopsis3rd editon of the popular anthology of all things relating to the Ashes.

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Book SynopsisWhen Andrew Strauss's team seized the world title in the summer of 2011 they finally recovered what had been lost at the Adelaide Oval in 1959. This tale of England's preceding triumph and loss is recounted through the memoirs of many of the star players when England had last been top of the world. Bent Arms and Dodgy Wickets tells the story of English cricket's slow recovery from the Second World War, of its brief time of triumph and of its undignified fall from grace - a tale of fluctuating fortunes reflected upon by great names including Hutton, Compton and Trueman, Lindwall and Miller, McGlew and Weekes. The title refers to the sporting controversies of the time - suspect bowling actions and poor pitches - as Britain declined as an imperial power, and English cricket was hampered by class snobbery, anachronistic fixations and an uncompetitive domestic game.

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Book SynopsisBetween 1967-69 Henry Blofeld was fortunate to witness cricket on three continents. He followed the great West Indies side captained by Garry Sobers through its home series against England - to the 1968-9 Australian tour, and finally their early summer '69 tour of England. Two main themes are explored throughout: The gradual demise of the West Indian side that included the likes of Lance Gibbs, Basil Butcher and Deryck Murray - but which also saw the emergence of future greats such as Clive Lloyd - and the link between a country's topography, style and endemic characteristics with the type of cricket it plays. These threads are skilfully woven together to highlight great cricketing moments and analyse the humour and style of both the Australians and West Indians with thoughtful insight.

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Book SynopsisWhen Kerry Packer appeared on the cricket scene in the late seventies he revolutionised the game. Today's followers are used to coloured clothing and all the other razzmatazz that is now a part of cricket, but back in 1977 Packer's intervention was divisive and nearly broke the game completely. Players were ostracised by their nations and for a while it looked as if cricket might not survive. Henry Blofeld observed the goings on from his position as both a cricket commentator and writer. In 1978 he compiled a detailed account of the events that unfolded, aided by his interviews with Packer, as well as the deposed English captain Tony Grieg. He witnessed at first hand the Packer Tests in Australia, The Australia-India Test series, MCC play Pakistan and New Zealand, and finally the young Australian side that took on the 'Packer-filled' West Indies. In a mere seven-week period he witnessed all the then six Test-playing nations playing Test cricket. The first time that had been possible. The Man Who Coloured Cricket is Henry Blofeld's detailed document that also shows concern for the human dimensions of the controversy. The varied reaction of the English county players; overseas players; the legal tussles; the complex and surprising character of Packer himself, and the establishment figures with whom he did battle, are strands of the story expertly woven together to make The Man Who Coloured Cricket a dramatic and moving story.

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Book SynopsisFourteen Ashes legends come together to tell the stories behind their most thrilling triumphs in the historic series - enabling cricket fans to relive these magic moments through the eyes and emotions of the men in the middle of the field, playing their hearts out for England and Australia in one of the sporting world's most intense rivalries. All the drama and intrigue of more than half a century of Ashes action is captured, from Sir Donald Bradman in the 1940s via Geoffrey Boycott and Jeff Thomson, Merv Hughes and Mark Taylor and into the new millennium, recreating all the excitement of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath taking on Michael Vaughan's England. Each player winds back the clock to reveal the tension, controversy, sledging, humour and passion involved in pursuit of glory - and the true cricketing greatness which can only ever be grasped within an Ashes series.

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Book SynopsisFrom English cricket's embarrassing failure at the 2015 World Cup to their heart-stopping victory four years later, Nick Hoult and Steve James vividly describe the team's dramatic journey from abject disappointment to finally lifting the trophy. Morgan's Men reveals how the team became the most aggressive limited-overs side in the world, led by their inspirational captain Eoin Morgan, whose vision and determination to succeed captured the imagination of the nation.Hoult and James follow England's journey from Bangladesh to Barbados, from Melbourne to Manchester, to present the inside story of the team's rebirth. They tell us how players dealt with the Ben Stokes court case, the sacking of Alex Hales for a drugs ban, and reveal the innovative new strategies and tactics that helped them become the best in the world, culminating in a World Cup final that was arguably the greatest one-day match of all time.Trade ReviewAs a story, as a cricketing yarn, its upward trajectory is wild enough for fiction...[Hoult and James] bring a freshness to what is already a much-told story. -- Jon Hotten * Wisden Cricket Monthly *A fine new book -- Michael Atherton * The Times *A magnificent new book...They write with great style, talent and affection for the subject. * Yorkshire Post *A comprehensive tale of a grand feat, written lucidly by two of cricket's best authoritative writers...a rich anecdotal journey * The Hindu *Table of Contents1: Fine Margins 2: From Rock Bottom to Revolution 3: Courage, Unity, Respect 4: Pushing the Boundaries 5: Enter Jofra 6: Fumbles, Fines and Frustration 7: Roy Lays His Ghosts to Rest 8: Root, the Walking Gluestick 9: Morgan Senses His Destiny 10: Crashing Back Down to Earth 11: Squeaky Bum Time 12: Bulletproof Bairstow 13: Fate Plays its Hands 14: You English Have Won Nothing Yet 15: Ecstasy by the Barest of Margins 16: The Celebrations i: Statistics ii: Acknowledgements iii: Index

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Book SynopsisImagine if you had been watching Test cricket, in person, for 66 years. You’d have seen Mankad taking on Trueman and Laker, Compton and Edrich in their golden summer, and Lindwall and Miller showing off their sublime skills. You’d have watched the typhoon Tyson, the stoic Cowdrey, Dexter and May, the genius of Sobers and the great Indian spinners. You’d have witnessed those great classic batsmen, Richards, Gower and Cook scoring centuries. You’d have seen Hadlee, McGrath, Warne and Anderson steaming in. Under her gaze are the famous Englishmen of the 50s, piling on the runs and dominating with spin in perfect home conditions. Here are the controversies of the 60s: the throwing debate, the lethal pitch at Lord’s, the banishment of the South African team. Here are the snarling Australians of the 70s, bouncing and bruising their way to the Ashes with Lillee and Thomson unleashed. Here are the wondrous West Indians of the 80s, sweeping all before them. The Queen witnessed it all – and this Christmas, you can relive every moment as she saw it.

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Book SynopsisSamir Chopra is an immigrant, a voluntary exile, who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influencereally, an obsessionfor him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom.Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This shapeshifting exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is cricket's greatest modern crisis. But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts abou

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Book SynopsisSamir Chopra is an immigrant, a voluntary exile, who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influencereally, an obsessionfor him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom.Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This shapeshifting exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is cricket's greatest modern crisis. But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts abou

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Book SynopsisMore than fifty years after the publication of C. L. R. James's classic Beyond a Boundary, the contributors to Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket investigate its production and reception and its implication for debates about sports, gender, aesthetics, race, popular culture, politics, imperialism, and Caribbean and English identity.Trade Review"Impressively, the authors are respectful of James’ pivotal contribution to the Marxist analysis of sport but also explore aspects of his thought that fall short of a fully comprehensive materialist approach." -- Sean Ledwith * Marx & Philosophy Review of Books *"Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket will likely be most appealing to specialists in British Caribbean cultural studies, and will also contribute to scholarly explorations of sport. Recommended. Researchers, faculty, and professionals." -- B. A. Lucero * Choice *"A fine and comprehensive attempt to reflect on the work of James . . . Represents the fluency of much of James’s writing and oratory as a charismatic speaker and public intellectual who sought to place himself at the forefront of public discussion. . . . Many will glean much pleasure and stimulation from a study of this text." -- Russell Holden * Nordic Sports Forum *"The most outstanding sports book of 2019, to date. . . . What the editors David Featherstone, Chistopher Gair, Christian Høgsberg and Andrew Smith have achieved is truly special mixing James’ personal and political lifestory, the context of cricket in the West Indies, the past, present and future of cricket writing. Superb, just the read whilst that old imperial encounter, The Ashes, seeks to nudge the Premier League’s off season from the back pages this sporting summer." -- Mark Perryman * Philosophy Football *“The collection takes us well beyond the boundaries of sport, of history, of politics, and of the auto/biographical self. . . . The collection is a vital contribution to and extension of our studies of, readings of, and deployment of [C.L.R.] James in sport and beyond. It is essential in grasping the limits and potentials of what remains a key text in the historical, cultural, and sociological analyses of sport.” -- Malcolm MacLean * Journal of Sport History *“Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket is a major literary and intellectual accomplishment. It is a must read, and a timely reminder that the problem of the twentieth century has returned with a vengeance as the problem of the twenty-first century.” -- Leslie R. James * CLR James Journal *“I enjoyed this book immensely. I have indulged in reading it cover to cover; revisiting certain chapters and ideas, seeking clarity as my mind became cloudy. … Putting Beyond a Boundary at the core, this book epitomises the interdisciplinary application of James to fields as diverse as sport, sociology, cultural studies, history, literature and the arts.” -- Thomas Fletcher * Cultural Sociology *"This fine collection of essays and reflections makes a significant contribution to the existing literature on Beyond a Boundary and C.L.R. James more generally." -- Neil Lazarus * New West Indian Guide *Table of ContentsForeword. Opening Up / David Featherstone, Christopher Gair, Christian Høgsbjerg, and Andrew Smith vii Introduction. Beyond a Boundary at Fifty / David Featherstone, Christopher Gair, Christian Høgsbjerg, and Andrew Smith 1 Part I: Cricket, Empire, and the Caribbean 1. C. L. R. James: Plumbing His Caribbean Roots / Selwyn R. Cudjoe 35 2. C. L. R. James's "British Civilization"? Exploring the "Dark Unfathomed Caves" of Beyond a Boundary / Christian Høgsbjerg 51 3. The Boundaries of Publication: The Making of Beyond a Boundary / Roy McCree 72 4. "West Indian Through and Through, and Very British": C. L. R. James's Beyond a Boundary, Coloniality, and Theorizing Caribbean Independence / Minkah Makalani 88 5. Looking Beyond the Boundary, or Bondmen without the Bat: Modernism and Culture in the Worldview of C. L. R. James / David Austin 103 Part II. The Politics of Representation in Beyond a Boundary 6. "Periodically I Pondered over It": Reading he Absence/Presence of Women in Beyond a Boundary / Anima Adjepong 123 7. C. L. R. James, W. G. Grace, and the Representative Claim / Neil Washbourne 137 8. Shannonism: Learie Constantine and the Origins of C. L. R. James's Worrell Captaincy Campaign of 1959–60: A Preliminary Assessment / Clem Seecharan 153 Part III: Art, History, and Culture in C. L. R. James 9. C. L. R. James and the Arts of Beyond a Boundary: Literary Lessons, Cricketing Aesthetics, and World-Historical Heroes / Claire Westall 173 10. The Very Stuff of Human Life: C. L. R. James on Cricket, History, and Human Nature / Andrew Smith 191 11. C. L. R. James: Beyond the Boundaries of Culture / Paget Henry 204 Part IV: Reflections 12. Socrates and C. L. R. James / Michael Brearley 223 13. My Journey to James: Cricket, Caribbean Identity, and Cricket Writing / Hilary McD. Beckles 240 14. Confronting Imperial Boundaries / Selma James 254 Appendix. What Do They Know of England? / C. L. R. James 263 References 276 Contributors 283 Index 287

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Book SynopsisEd Cowan, opening left-hand batsman for Tasmania, has always been a bit of a scribbler. It started with to-do lists and notes to self, but then he started keeping a cricket diary - a 'batting bible' with thoughts on the game, other players, motivational philosophies and records of performances. The diary has become so much a part of his routine that he admits to being a little upset if he can't see it in his cricket bag. Other cricketers have found the habit a little odd. But for Cowan it's been a way of keeping an uncluttered head and making sense of the game. In the Firing Line, based on the diary Cowan kept while playing his second season for Tasmania over the summer of 2010-11, reveals with intelligence and a touch of humour the excruciatingly shaky position of the domestic cricket player. It's far from the glamour of playing for Australia and uncomfortably close to the long drop to amateurism, yet every match is rife with the possibility of being discovered and propelled into international stardom in the baggy green.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.

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