Cricket Books
Octopus Publishing Group The Cricket Puzzle Book: Brain-Teasing Puzzles,
Book SynopsisTest your cricket knowledge with this exciting collection of puzzles and triviaDiscover wordsearches, riddles, crosswords, spot-the-differences and much more in this fun-filled activity book for cricket lovers. Whether you're trying to match the pairs of batting gloves or discovering the longest and shortest test matches ever, this book is guaranteed to be a favourite for all who enjoy the game. Cricket fans love a bit of trivia, and this entertaining puzzle book is filled with all kinds of interesting facts, games and activities to whet your quizzing appetite. Put your knowledge to the test and wow your friends with your expertise. - Hone your puzzling skills by pitting your wits against challenges such as:- Locating the various batting strokes hidden in a wordsearch- Unscrambling the names of iconic international players- Spotting the differences between two scenes as a ball smashes into middle stump- Guessing who was the first player to reach 10,000 runs in test cricket, and other fascinating trivia
£6.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Deadly
Book SynopsisDerek Underwood was one of Kent and England's finest-ever slow bowlers. In this first-ever biography of Underwood, Mark Peel assesses the qualities that made him such a formidable bowler, the reasons behind his signing for Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket and the England rebel tour of South Africa in 1982, plus much more.
£21.25
Pitch Publishing Ltd Overthrowing Crickets Empire
Book SynopsisCricket was once used as a tool to colonise. What happens when those countries grow up? Overthrowing Cricket''s Empire unearths the audacious stories of teams toppling the cricket colossus, England.From W.G. Grace''s Ashes-igniting run-out to Calum MacLeod''s modern heroics, the book spans 150 years of fierce history. New Zealand''s unexpected draws in 1949, Zimbabwe's poultry farmer heroics, Ireland''s audacious chase and hair, India's elephantine triumph and South Africa's spin saga are all etched in defiance.This is a book about a bunch of Davids taking on Goliath. Every chapter has tales of the greatest English players and the men who stood up to slay them. The narrative transcends sport a testament to resilience and national identity. Amid victories, there's human drama.Overthrowing Cricket''s Empire isn't just about cricket; it's an odyssey of liberation, the essence of competition. Cricket is a sport that builds nations, and this book takes you through it brick by brick.
£16.99
Troubador Publishing The Meadow at Chapel Hill Cross
Book SynopsisHave you ever wondered what it must have been like to umpire a match in which the bowlers wore top hats, and gentlemen thought that wearing pads and gloves was beneath their dignity? 'The Meadow at Chapel Hill Cross' takes you back to the opening of the first “proper” cricket ground in Torquay, and to the match against the famous All England Eleven which celebrated it. The author dreams that he is asked to umpire this match, and takes the reader with him into a world of cunning under-arm bowlers, and round-arm pacemen who hurl “tosses” at the batsman’s head. You get to listen to the chat of some of the finest cricketers in the game’s history, Old Clarke, George Parr, and the laugh-a-minute Billy Buttress. Neither umpires, nor the world’s leading professionals, are allowed into the sanctity of the members’ pavilion, so the author must glimpse through the doorways, and spend his time, sharing jugs of ale with those who attracted thousands to watch, yet were deemed unworthy of a gentleman’s company. Welcome to a world of cricket where sheep crop the grass, the groundsman stamps the turfs, the fielders chase “booth balls”, and boundaries are not even dreamed of! It is a world which will fascinate you, and a journey that you will always remember!
£10.19
The History Press Ltd Herbert Sutcliffe: Cricket Maestro
Book SynopsisA national hero in his playing days, Herbert Sutcliffe belongs to a select band of all-time cricketing greats. Alan Hill’s award-winning biography of the Yorkshire and England batsman charts his extraordinary transformation from cobbler’s apprentice to urbane gentleman: one of the coolest, most determined and technically accomplished practitioners the game has ever known.Blessed with the looks of a matinee idol, Sutcliffe was a complex, often enigmatic, personality. As a cricketer, he was touched with genius. His career spanned exactly the years between the wars and he performed with distinction in every one of those seasons. He scored 50,138 first-class runs, including 149 centuries, and his remarkable Test average of 60.73 is the highest for an English batsman – higher than those of Hobbs, Hammond or Hutton.Herbert Sutcliffe: Cricket Maestro calls upon the reminiscences of Bob Wyatt, Sir Donald Bradman, Sir Len Hutton and Les Ames among other illustrious contemporaries, to evoke the splendour of Sutcliffe’s achievements for Yorkshire and England, and to bring to life the vivacious story of one of the greatest batsmen ever.
£12.34
The History Press Ltd Tony Lock: Aggressive Master of Spin
Book SynopsisThe rollercoaster career of Tony Lock, extending over twenty-five years, is the saga of a resilient cricketer who triumphed over adversity.He was an inspirational figure in Surrey’s seven consecutive championship wins in the 1950s when he forged a feared spin partnership with Jim Laker for both club and country. Controversy stalked Lock as a bowler during his destructive rule with Surrey and England but the return to the orthodox style of his youth brought renewed acclaim. He rejoiced in another role as captain in reviving the fortunes of Leicestershire and Western Australia, where he led the state to victory in the Sheffield Shield.Tony Lock was, for a legion of admirers, an incorrigible showman, with boundless enthusiasm for the game. It was said of him, for instance, that when he appealed at the Oval, someone else was given out at Lord’s. Tony Lock: Aggressive Master of Spin is an engrossing study that reveals the paradox of a volatile and vulnerable man, but an astonishingly durable cricketer; his memory will endure.
£11.04
Atlantic Books Late Cuts: Musings on cricket
Book SynopsisWhat follows, which explores some of the charms, the quirks and the peculiar allure of cricket from a variety of perspectives, is not intended as a memorial for long-lost sepia days. The game is still alive. Whether it turns out to be therapy for me or entertainment for you remains to be seen. To achieve both would be a bonus.From Somerset stalwart to acclaimed writer and broadcaster, Vic Marks has lived a life steeped in cricket. In Late Cuts he takes us beyond the boundary rope, sharing the parts of the game fans don't get to see, from the food served at lunchtime (then - sweaty ham; now - quinoa, cranberry and feta salad) to the politics of the dressing room.Whether revisiting his playing days to reveal the secrets of bowling a killer spell and what it feels like to be heckled by a riled-up crowd, or ruminating on the current state of the game (don't mention The Hundred!), this amusing and insightful collection will delight all cricket lovers.Trade ReviewIn amongst his artfully delivered stock balls, enough deliveries grip to keep the pages turning. It's the literary equivalent of an afternoon in the sun at a county outground, and who doesn't enjoy that? -- Jon Hotten * Wisden Cricket Monthly *Distinctively Marksist: thoughtful and wry, gentle and wise * The Cricketer *Table of Contents1: Selection 2: Captains 3: Partnerships 4: The Spell 5: Declarations 6: Crowds 7: Failure 8: Food 9: Twelfth Man 10: Press Conferences 11: The Library 12: Somerset
£9.49
Quiller Publishing Ltd Unlimited Overs: A Season of Midlife Cricket
Book SynopsisAs Roger Morgan-Grenville prepares for a new season with the White Hunter Cricket Club, he is starting to feel his age, so he embarks on a secret plan of coaching, yoga and psychology to improve his game. Will he emerge as a sporting demigod, or will his teammates even notice the difference. This is the humorous and heartwarming story of that cricket season, as the White Hunters go from disaster to triumph. It is a tale of competitiveness, suspense, excellence, hospitality and incompetence, such as the missing fielder found asleep in the woods and the two opening bowlers whose MG Roadster breaks down on the way to the game. From the Castle Ground at Arundel to a field next to a nudist camp in France, players such as the Tree Hugger, the Gun Runner, and their wicket-keeper, the Human Sieve, share the dream that this might be their day. Above all, it is the uplifting story of friendship among a team of not-very-good players who find enough moments of near brilliance to remind them why they turn up for more, game after game, season after season. Trade ReviewThis book is for the people that make cricket both possible and the most magical game on earth, and yes, very possibly better than sex. -- Daniel NorcrossEver self-deprecating, R M-G has nailed his whimsical colours to the mast with his latest volume on the trials of the legendary White Hunters CC. His turn of phrase is without parallel. Who else would or could come up with the line, "Clinging on to my innings like a sloth to the underside of a Cecopria tree"? -- David GowerWhere Roger strikes a real and often hilarious chord is his take on what you'd call the theatricals of cricket, the anecdotes and vignettes which make it such an enjoyable and perplexing game... But for those 750,000 dedicated amateurs that play cricket, and for the many more who used to play the game but can no longer, and yet still listen avidly to Test Match Special in the uncertain hours to watch the Ashes in Australia, this is a book that bears affectionate witness to a noble game that continues to bewitch. After all, who would prefer to score a goal for England rather than hold his bat aloft after scoring a century at Lord's? -- Paul de Zulueta * The Guards Magazine *Unlimited Overs is a wryly amusing tale of 'friendship, dynasty, defiance and hope...' -- RE * Country Life *Roger Morgan-Greville's latest book delivers another lively collection of musings about the summer game. * Winchester Today *Table of ContentsForeword Introduction 1. The Librarians 2. A Secret Plan 3. The Pathway of Four Improvements 4. College Days 5. Metamorphosis 6. Beauty and the Sieve 7. The Flowers of Middle Summer 8. Village Politics 9. When the Rains Came 10. Alstonefield 11. The Finer Points of Nudity 12. Monkey Shoulder 13. Close of Play Acknowledgements
£12.30
HarperCollins Publishers Crickets Strangest Matches
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£9.99
HarperCollins Publishers What is a Googly?: The Mysteries of Cricket
Book Synopsis A new edition of Rob Eastaway's classic guide to the rules of cricket. Cricket is one of the world's most popular sports, yet for the uninitiated, its peculiar laws and customs are a mystery. What is a 'silly mid off' and a 'long leg'? How can you be 'lbw'? And how can a match last for five days and still end up as a draw? In this fully updated edition of the classic guide, Rob Eastaway demystifies the jargon and answers the questions you've always wanted to ask. It's also a timely reminder that for the true cricket lover, the game can be absorbing and exciting even when the ball isn't being smashed for six.
£11.69
Trinorth Ltd Summer Days Promise
Book SynopsisPaul Edwards is a beautiful writer. He can express the moods and emotions of a day as well as anyone. And his love for the game – and those involved in it – pours off every page of this book. But because he has interests far beyond the boundary – in politics and people, in music and history – he is as likely to quote Mott the Hoople as Herman Melville; as likely to cite the repeal of the corn laws as regulations regarding Kolpak registrations. His work is all the richer and more satisfying for it. He knows that not everything that counts can be counted. He knows you can’t define love or loyalty or a million things in between. So he tells us how a day’s play feels. He tells us about the people and places. He tells us why it matters but knows it doesn’t matter too much.
£19.80
Trinorth Ltd The Cricketers Whos Who 2025
Book SynopsisThe Cricketers' Who's Who is the essential guide to the 2025 cricket season.
£20.69
Trinorth Ltd Breaking Barriers Barbados to England and Back
Book SynopsisBorn in St Philip on the east coast of Barbado, Roland Butcher created history in1980 when he became the first Black cricketer to represent England. He made three Test appearances the following year against the West Indies, including a debut in the country of his birth
£19.80
Trinorth Ltd Cricket Captains of England 1877 1979
Book Synopsis
£19.80
Upstart Press Ltd New Zealand Cricket Almanack 2020
Book SynopsisThe New Zealand Cricket Almanack is the cricket lover's bible and is regarded worldwide as one of the finest books of its kind. The 73rd edition contains all the details of another full year of cricket at all levels. As usual, there is a detailed records section and a fascinating collection of the season's happenings.
£21.24
Rupa Publications India Pvt. Ltd Coming Full Circle The Indian Mens Cricket Team
a huge range and FREE tracked UK delivery on ALL orders.
£17.50
Vintage Publishing Beyond A Boundary
Book Synopsis'To say "the best cricket book ever written" is piffingly inadequate praise' Guardian'Great claims have been made for [Beyond a Boundary] since its first appearance in 1963: that it is the greatest sports book ever written; that it brings the outsider a privileged insight into West Indian culture; that it is a severe examination of the colonial condition. All are true' Sunday TimesC L R James, one of the foremost thinkers of the twentieth century, was devoted to the game of cricket. In this classic summation of half a lifetime spent playing, watching and writing about the sport, he recounts the story of his overriding passion and tells us of the players whom he knew and loved, exploring the game's psychology and aesthetics, and the issues of class, race and politics that surround it. Part memoir of a West Indian boyhood, part passionate celebration and defence of cricket as an art form, part indictment of colonialism, Beyond a Boundary addresses not just a sport but a whole culture and asks the question, 'What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?Trade ReviewOne of the finest and most finished books to come out of the West Indies * V. S. Naipaul *
£10.44
Methuen Publishing Ltd Len Hutton The Biography
Book SynopsisThis excellent biography - written with the full cooperation of its subject - is now reissued with more illustrations, to commemorate the centenary of Len Hutton's birth.
£17.99
Trinorth Ltd Around the World in 40 Years
Book SynopsisThis is the story of the 40-year career in cricket as player and coach of Andy Moles. After finally breakinginto the professional game at the age of 25, the man known to all as Moler' proved to be an outstanding openingbatsman for his native Warwickshire where he won a cult following with supporters.
£17.10
Simon & Schuster Ltd The Tour
Book SynopsisAn England cricket tour is a unique phenomenon, with its own pressures, challenges and remarkable highlights. It presents its participants - shorn of the usual support networks they enjoy at home - with a prolonged test of skill, physical stamina and mental resilience. Now Simon Wilde, author of the acclaimed England: The Biography, examines in The Tour the delicate chemistry that makes for a successful tour and why others disintegrate so badly. Since the 19th century, England has been sending its cricket teams around the world to take on their rivals. Initially, these trips were undertaken by boat, meaning players could be away for many months, often in alien conditions. With air travel reducing journey time and facilities much improved, the challenges still remain: homesickness, isolation, hostile crowds - not to mention an opposition determined to win at all costs. For some, the experience can be too much, while others thrive in Trade Review‘This entertaining account is as much social history as sports reporting, as he engagingly dissects the various political, economic, social and practical aspects of sending England teams around the world, as well as delving into how England teams can be successful overseas’ * Country Life *'No other sport has tours like cricket tours — long, action-packed and often gossip-filled, too — which is why Simon Wilde's comprehensive history of the English cricket team abroad is so packed with interest... Riveting' * Daily Mail *'A superbly researched mix of analysis and anecdote … hugely readable and highly recommended' * The Cricketer *'Bravely, and ultimately wisely, The Tour eschews chronological history and Wilde is a joy on the surreal. England cricket tours are a direct link to the Victorian era, but The Tour never feels like an obituary' * i *'A fine and comprehensive history of England cricketers on tour … There are plenty of fun tales in this book of drunkenness and sexual misadventures, much encouraged by their generous hosts, especially in Australia, where they knew it was not in their interests to have England in a fit condition' * The Times *
£18.75
Hardie Grant Books Sultan: A Memoir
Book SynopsisSultan is the official biography of Wasim Akram, the "sultan of swing", one of the greatest fast bowlers in the history of cricket. For twenty years, Wasim Akram let his cricket do the talking – his electrifying left-arm pace, his explosive left-handed striking, his leadership and his inspiration. For another twenty years he kept his own counsel about those days, full of drama, controversy and even mystery, in a country, Pakistan, that to outsiders is a constant enigma. Until now. Sultan tells the story of cricket’s greatest left-arm bowler, and one of its greatest survivors, who was chosen from the streets of Lahore and groomed by Imran Khan to become champion of the world – man of the match in the final of the 1992 World Cup. Along the way were unforgettable rivalries with the greatest of his time, from Viv Richards and Ian Botham to Sachin Tendulkar and Shane Warne. Along the way, too, a backdrop of conspiracy and intrigue over ball tampering and match fixing about which Wasim finally sets the story straight. But there’s more: Sultan goes frankly into the crumbling and rebuilding of Wasim’s private life, marred by the tragedy of his first wife’s death and the torment of addiction. The result is an unprecedented insight into the life of a cricketer who revolutionised the game with his speed and swing, and a patriot buoyed and burdened by the expectation of one of the game’s most fanatical publics. Trade Review'He is a giant of our game.' – Pat Cummins 'Not only a great bloke but probably the greatest left arm quick the cricket world has seen.' – Allan Border 'Wasim Akram is one of the true greats of world cricket.' – Mitchell Starc 'History will judge him as one of the finest fast bowlers the game has produced.' – Steve Waugh 'Wasim ranks among those at the very top of cricket.' – Anil Kumble 'He was the most brilliant, inventive left-arm fast bowler the game as known.' – Mike Atherton 'I’m often asked ‘what is your all-time greatest team?’ I start with Akram and go from there.' – David Lloyd 'Wasim and Lancashire is a long love affair. Teammates loved him; supporters loved him. He loved them back. Our games were never over until Wasim had bowled his last ball.' – Neil Fairbrother 'Wasim was one of the greatest fast bowlers I have ever seen – a fantastic all rounder – one of the all-time greats.' – Nasser Hussain 'Great cricketers still marvel at the wonder of Wasim.' – Alan Wilkins 'Easily one of the most skilful bowlers I have played against and a tough competitor.' – Rahul Dravid 'Wasim was a master. He made the ball talk.' – Sachin Tendulkar
£17.09
HarperCollins Publishers At the Close of Play
Book Synopsis
£13.49
HarperCollins Publishers Making Decisions
Book SynopsisWinning takes many forms. For fans of Matthew Syed, this is a great sports book about leadership, judgement and decision-making rooted in the theory that helped Ed Smith lead England cricket to sustained success. And to help us all win more.An absolutely fascinating book' THE GAME, The Times football podHow do you spot the opportunities that others miss?How do you turn a team's performance around?How do you make good decisions amid a tidal wave of information? And how can you improve?As chief selector for the England cricket team, Ed Smith pioneered new methods for building successful teams and watched his decisions tested in real time on the pitch. During his three-year tenure, England averaged 7 wins in every 10 completed matches, better than they have performed before or since.Making Decisions reveals Smith's unique approach to finding success in a fast-changing and increasingly data-reliant world. The best decisions, Smith argues, rely on a combination of differing kinds of intellTrade Review PRAISE FOR MAKING DECISIONS ‘Sincere and often self-reflective… offers genuine searing insight, making points you feel have never been made before. A learned and engaging study of decision-making.’ New Statesmen ‘A WONDERFUL book’ Stumbling and Mumbling Economics blog ‘An excellent read… based on his years as England’s chief cricket selector, but drawing on much broader thinking on decision-making’ Simon Kuper ‘A masterful combination of analysis and personal experience of decision-making at the highest level. Full of insights, wisdom and highly entertaining’ Mervyn King ‘In this fascinating and highly readable book, Ed Smith explores how the human and the machine can work together’ Matt Ridley PRAISE FOR ED SMITH’S LUCK ‘There's hardly a sentence here that isn't clear, thought-provoking and beautifully expressed. Sport bores me rigid. Inspirational books repel me. But Smith on sport, life and luck brings fresh ways of looking at things on every page and, despite myself, I read on’Matthew Parris ‘Smith is a beguiling and skilful writer: good-humoured, anecdotal, discursive and often fascinating. You'll probably read his book in an evening but think about it for weeks, even years, afterwards’New Statesman ‘Book of the week … Elegant and absorbing … Smith is excellent at exploring nuances … The writing on sport is superb … Smith moves beyond sport with great effect’The Times ‘Funny and honest … like one of Smith's well-crafted innings in his playing career, it leaves you wanting more’Sunday Times ‘Blends personal experience, sporting insight and a broad knowledge of history with the journalist's talent for storytelling to fashion an original and thought-provoking book … not only refreshing but uplifting’Spectator An exceptional book: lucid, thought-provoking, informative and fair. Outstanding’The Times
£9.49
Penguin Random House Group Chasing Like Dhoni
£18.99
Vintage Publishing The Meaning of Cricket Or How to Waste Your Life
Book SynopsisCricket is a strange game. It is a team sport that is almost entirely dependent on individual performance. Its combination of time, opportunity and the constant threat of disaster can drive its participants to despair. To survive a single delivery propelled at almost 100 miles an hour takes the body and brain to the edges of their capabilities, yet its abiding image is of the gentle village green, and the glorious absurdities of the amateur game.In The Meaning of Cricket, Jon Hotten attempts to understand this fascinating, frustrating and complex sport. Blending legendary players, from Vivian Richards to Mark Ramprakash, Kevin Pietersen to Ricky Ponting, with his own cricketing story, he explores the funny, moving and melancholic impact the game can have on an individual life.Trade ReviewA beautifully written meditation on the joys of summer -- Tom Holland * Evening Standard, Book of the Year *Hotten is not just good, he is one of the best... He has the eye for a beautifully judged phrase -- Richard Whitehead * Cricketer *Hotten has emerged as a worthy addition to the lineage of writers who adhere to C L R James’s aphorism: “What do they know of cricket who only cricket know?”… This will be a worthy addition to any cricketing bookshelf -- Tim Wigmore * New Statesman *For those dreaming of summer, The Meaning of Cricket is accessible, fun and elegantly written. -- Hilary Mantel * New Statesman, Book of the Year *Simultaneously playful and packed with insight … All cricketing life is here... Hotten’s writing is accessible and often moving -- Ben East * Observer *Memory and meditation twirled into a lovesong: Jon Hotten hits it out of the park -- William FiennesA collection of Jon Hotten's writing that is lively with insight and anecdote, and informed by the persona of the knowledgeable and fascinated practitioner… On amateur cricket Jon is alternately hilarious and poignant, but it's when he's in his almost-a-pro-yet-somehow-not-quite vein that he truly breaks out. He considers cricket's capacity for revealing us to ourselves. -- Gideon Haigh * Cric Info *
£10.44
Little, Brown Book Group Berkmanns Cricketing Miscellany
Book SynopsisMarcus Berkmann, author of the cricket classics Rain Men and Zimmer Men, returns to the great game with this irresistible miscellany of cricketing trivia, stories and more fascinating facts than Geoffrey Boycott could shake a stick of rhubarb at. Which England captain smoked two million cigarettes in his lifetime? Which Australian captain, asked what his favourite animal was, said ''Merv Hughes''? What did Hitler think of cricket? Which National Hunt trainer had a dog called Sobers? Who was described in his obituary as ''perhaps the only unequivocally popular man in Yorkshire''?No other sport is so steeped in oddness and eccentricity. There''s the only Test player ever to be executed for murder, the only first-class cricketer to die on the Titanic, and the only bestselling author to catch fire while playing at Lord''s. (It was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The ball hit a box of matches in his pocket.) All cricket is here, including an XI entirely made up of plTrade ReviewRather like your perfect cricket tea, comes Marcus Berkmann's fabulous book: well, not so much a book, more an Aladdin's cave of trivia, quizzes Test match reports and some of the best writing about cricket and cricketers you will find . . . full of the kit you have always wanted and stuff you never knew you had. Carry this with you at all times to the match, any match, in case of that dreaded rain break . . . There are riches on every page . . . go and buy this magical book. It's almost as much fun as scoring a century. Almost * Daily Mail *An alternative Wisden, and the perfect thing to have in your kit bag for when rajn stops play * The Bookseller *Fantastic stories * Radio Times *This is charming stuff from a writer who has not lost a certain boyish delight in the game or its myths and legends, but he varies the light with some sensitively drawn shade . . . the book serves as a wonderful prop for woollen jumper wearers this summer as they wait for yet another rain delay to pass * The Times *Berkmann brings the dogged romanticism of the village green to this hugely enjoyable smorgasbord of gossip, anecdote and celebration of the sport's legends * Sunday Times *Anyone with the slightest knowledge of the game is likely to find Berkmann's Cricketing Miscellany extremely funny. The book has a confident, but slightly eccentric organisation, giving it the dreamy atmosphere of a sun-dazed game at one of the more beautiful venues * Country Life *A crickipedia! Marcus Berkmann has stories about them all . . . I suspect we shall all be giving one another this book for Christmas * Mail on Sunday *The essential Christmas gift for all cricket-lovers * Spectator *A delightful assemblage of pearls of wisdom and trivia * Sunday Times *Like your best-ever cricket tea, this wonderful book is jam-packed with treats and goodies, trivia, quotes, cartoons and fabulous fun-filled facts about the summer game. The perfect companion to help while away these winter nights . . . The whole thing is magical * Daily Mail *
£10.44
John Murray Press Penguins Stopped Play Eleven Village Cricketers
Book Synopsis''Completely brilliant'' Ian HislopIt seemed a simple enough idea at the outset: to assemble a team of eleven men to play cricket on each of the seven continents of the globe. Except - hold on a minute - that''s not a simple idea at all. And when you throw in incompetent airline officials, amorous Argentine Colonels'' wives, cunning Bajan drug dealers, gay Australian waiters, overzealous American anti-terrorist police, idiot Welshmen dressed as Santa Claus, Archbishop Desmond Tutu and whole armies of pitch-invading Antarctic penguins, you quickly arrive at a whole lot more than you bargained for.Harry Thompson''s hilarious book tells the story of one of those great idiotic enterprises that only an Englishman could have dreamed up, and only a bunch of Englishmen could possibly have wished to carry out.Trade ReviewPraise for Harry Thompson and Penguins Stopped Play: * . *'Actually completely brilliant' * Ian Hislop *'A real gold standard sense of humour' * David Baddiel *'Rare, clever, creative ... a maverick, pushing boundaries with outrageous jokes' * Guardian *'Crammed with sharp observation, comic and cruel characterisation and a great many very good jokes... Gloriously funny and life-affirming' * Daily Telegraph *'Surely the funniest book ever written about the English addiction to cricket...a beautiful tale of classic British humour, self-deprecation, great courage' * Daily Mail *'Even people who despise cricket will adore this' * Times *'Isn't only a marvellous read but in many ways captures the very essence of the game' * Observer *'Very funny . . .he fills his warm-hearted book with a satisfying selection of tales' * Sunday Times *'Funny and inspiring...Thompson writes with a novelist's sympathy about a wonderfully mixed bunch of characters' - Hugh Massingberd * Literary Review *'As funny as you would expect from the writer of Have I Got News For You' * Daily Express *'Harry Thompson wrote with such verve and wit that he could have made a trip round a multi-storey car park into an adventure' * Celia Brayfield, The Times *'A very funny, peculiarly British travel book' * Markus Berkman, Daily Mail *'A rip-roaring and at times touching account of a global tour by a bunch of village cricketers' * Oxford Mail *
£11.69
Headline Publishing Group Tuffers Cricket Tales Stories to get you excited
Book SynopsisGet excited for the 2017-18 Ashes series with this wonderful collection of wacky and hilarious anecdotes from the man who is never stumped for a good cricketing story, Phil Tufnell. A deliciously eccentric series of anecdotes, Tuffers'' Cricket Tales is a Sunday Times bestseller. Phil Tufnell, aka ''Tuffers'', is the much-loved English cricketer from the 1990s who has now become one of this country''s favourite broadcasters. Not cast from the same mould as other players of his generation, Tufnell became a cult figure for his unorthodox approach to the game ... and to life in general. Tuffers'' Cricket Tales is a collection of the great man''s favourite cricket stories that will amuse and inform in equal measure. Tufnell''s unmistakably distinctive voice, as heard to such good effect on Test Match Special, steers fans through dozens and dozens of terrifically entertaining and insightful anecdotes, garnered from his 25-year playing and broadcasting Trade Review'Hilarious' * Daily Star Sunday *'Amusing' * All Out Cricket *'Deliciously eccentric' * Lytham St Anne's Express *
£10.99
Halsgrove Glamorgan Cricketers 19491979
Book Synopsis
£16.14
Pan Macmillan The Art of Captaincy
Book Synopsis'The best book on captaincy, written by an expert' - Mike AthertonMike Brearley is one of the most successful cricket captains of all time, and, in 1981, he captained the England team to the momentous Ashes series victory against Australia.In The Art of Captaincy, his study on leadership and motivation, he draws directly on his experience of man-managing a team, which included a pugnacious Ian Botham and Geoffrey Boycott, to explain what it takes to be a leader on and off the field. Giving an insight into both his tactical understanding of the game, as well as how to get a group of individuals playing as a team in order to get the best out of them, The Art of Captaincy is a classic handbook on how to generate, nurture and inspire success.With a foreword by former England player and BBC commentator Ed Smith, to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of its first publication, and an afterword by director Sam Mendes, The Art of CaptaTrade ReviewThe best book on captaincy, written by an expert. -- Mike AthertonTable of ContentsAcknowledgements - i: Acknowledgements Section - ii: Foreword (Ed Smith, January 2015) Introduction - iii: Introduction to the thirtieth anniversary edition Introduction - iv: Introduction Chapter - 1: Captaincy in action Chapter - 2: On class and charisma: choosing a captain Chapter - 3: Taking stock: the nursery end Chapter - 4: ‘My God, look what they’ve sent me’: the captain and selection Chapter - 5: The morning of the match: reading the entrails Chapter - 6: Batting orders Chapter - 7: Taking the field Chapter - 8: Placing the field Chapter - 9: Strategy, tactics and unusual ploys Chapter - 10: Kicking over the traces: the place of aggression in cricket Chapter - 11: Many hands make light work – sometimes Section - v: Afterword (Sam Mendes, 2001) Section - vi: In retrospect, 2001 Section - vii: Bibliography Index - viii: Index
£11.69
Hodder & Stoughton The Ashes Its All About the Urn
Book SynopsisShortlisted for Cricket Book of the Year at the British Sports Book AwardsGraeme Swann leads us on a compelling adventure through one of world sport''s most engrossing rivalries. He knows as much as anybody about the heat of England v Australia battles, having played in three series wins and also the whitewash defeat of 2013-14 when its intensity ended his international career. However, it brought out some of his best displays in Test cricket. But he is just one of dozens of colourful characters to have added their chapters to this great tome. The mock obituary of English cricket in the Sporting Times of 1882 was the forerunner of summers and winters of heaven and hell, depending on which side of the divide you were situated. When it comes to on-field relations nothing quite compares to the over-my-dead-body feel of the Ashes.From Grace to Sir Don, the most graceful of them all. From the foulest play to the fairest - contrast the 1932-33 Bodylin
£11.69
Vintage Publishing The Judge: More Than Just a Game
Book Synopsis* SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS *Robin Smith was one of England's most popular cricketers of the 1990s. The Judge, as he was known to all, took on some of the most dangerous fast bowlers of all time with a skill and fearlessness that ensured hero status. His savage square cut drew roars of approval from fans all around the world, especially those of his beloved England and Hampshire. But when he was prematurely dumped from the England set-up at the age of 32, he had to face his toughest opponent of all - himself. Smith suffered a debilitating loss of identity, especially when he retired from professional cricket in 2003, and struggled to deal with the contradictions in his personality. Was he the Judge, the fearless warrior, or Robin Smith, the frantic worrier? Without a support structure to transition from cricket to the outside world, Smith suffered from mental health, alcohol, marital and financial problems until he hit rock bottom and planned to take his own life. In The Judge - More than Just a Game, he revisits his experience of extreme darkness and challenges received wisdom about masculinity and mental health. He also shares the many highs and lows of his eventful international and county career, including his exhilarating battles with the West Indies and his struggles against mystery spin. And he reflects fondly on a time when cricketers worked hard and partied even harder; a time almost unrecognisable to the modern day.Trade ReviewA fine sports autobiography. It is candid and moving without being mawkish or forgetting its readers will also primarily be cricket fans * Daily Telegraph *An incredibly moving yet uplifting account of his career of high achievement and fall to the depths of mental illness * Daily Mail *A profoundly moving book * Guardian *Robin Smith is one of the most-loved cricketers of his era… [The Judge] documents his time in the game, as well as the harrowing struggles he suffered when the eyes went, the runs stopped, and real life intruded. Recommended * Wisden Cricket Monthly *This is an engaging, but often uncomfortable read which explains why it’s a contender for sports book of the year * UK Press Syndication *
£9.99
Hodder & Stoughton Bob Willis: A Cricketer and a Gentleman: The
Book Synopsis SHORTLISTED FOR THE TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR 2021 'Verdict on Willis book: a treat' - Express'The book is a gem' - Mike Atherton 'It's a lovely book, containing previously unseen musings from the great man' - David Lloyd'enjoyable and eye-opening... a delight to read' - The Telegraph 'A warm, polished recollection.' - The Guardian'It's such a great read' - Piers Morgan'Willis book will bowl you over' - Sunday Mirror & The PeopleA biography celebrating the life of the legendary cricketer Bob Willis, with tributes from key figures in sports and media and a foreword by Sir Ian Botham. Following his passing in 2019, tributes to Bob came flooding in in every major news outlet and from every major figure in the industry - and outside of it. His career spanned decades, from his days as a cricketer for England to his time as a pundit on Sky TV. This autobiography includes never-before-seen writing from Bob alongside contributions from key figures as well as a detailed account of the great England victory over Australia at Headingly in 1981.The book, edited by Bob's brother David, combines a new biography, written by Daily Mail sportswriter Mike Dickson, with a celebration of a truly legendary man. Tributes from some of his many friends in the world of cricket and beyond are accompanied by reflections on highlights from an eventful life, drawing on autobiographical and personal material by Bob himself, contemporary press reports and the accounts of team-mates and opponents.
£10.44
Hodder & Stoughton My A-Z of Cricket: A personal celebration of our
Book SynopsisLegendary cricket broadcaster Henry Blofeld takes the reader on a journey from A-Z through the world of cricket. In his trademark charming style, Blowers goes through the alphabet, explaining some of the puzzling cricket terminology and regaling his favourite anecdotes from his fifty years in the sport. This gift book is perfect for fans of cricket who want to understand the sport from Henry's unique point of view - this is a humorous and entertaining jaunt through the cricket landscape.
£11.69
Von Krumm Publishing The Headleys: Three Generations of Test
Book Synopsis
£16.20
Allen & Unwin Golden Boy: Kim Hughes and the bad old days of
Book Synopsis**Voted Wisden Cricket Monthly's best cricket book ever in 2019**WINNER, BEST CRICKET BOOK, BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS 2010_________________Golden Boy is a blistering exposé of the tumultuous Lillee/Marsh/Chappells era of Australian cricket, as viewed through the lens of flawed genius Kim Hughes._________________Kim Hughes was one of the most majestic and daring batsmen to play for Australia in the last 40 years. Golden curled and boyishly handsome, his rise and fall as captain and player is unparalleled in cricketing history. He played several innings that count as all-time classics, but it's his tearful resignation from the captaincy that is remembered.Insecure but arrogant, abrasive but charming; in Hughes' character were the seeds of his own destruction. Yet was Hughes' fall partly due to those around him, men who are themselves legends in Australia's cricketing history? Lillee, Marsh, the Chappells, all had their agendas, all were unhappy with his selection and performance as captain - evidenced by Dennis Lillee's tendency to aim bouncers relentlessly at Hughes' head during net practice.Hughes' arrival on the Test scene coincided with the most turbulent time Australian cricket has ever seen - first Kerry Packer's World Series Cricket, then the rebel tours to South Africa. Both had dramatic effects on Hughes' career. As he traces the high points and the low, Christian Ryan sheds new and fascinating light on the cricket - and the cricketers - of the times.Trade ReviewChristian Ryan's Golden Boy has this brawny lyricism ... It's really alive, that book. Like a great Australian novel. Hughes personifies something mercurial, ethereal, this artistic flair alongside these macho, rugged, brawny bruisers like Marsh and Lillee. It's told with such lyricism and tempo. I found it absolutely enthralling and a real revelation. -- William Fiennes, member of Wisden Cricket Monthly's Best Cricket Book Ever judging panelAt once unputdownable and also unpickupable, because if you pick it up you will eventually finish it, and what are you going to do then? -- Rob Smyth * Guardian *It made me laugh, it told me things, it reminded me why I love the subject I'm reading about and it put a series of images in my head that I won't ever forget. It's audacious, it's got chutzpah, it's done with a lyrical flourish. I didn't know cricket books could be written like this. -- Phil Walker, editor of Wisden Cricket MonthlyA cracking read ... An almost tragic but compelling tale of how Hughes tried hard - and failed - to fit his smiling personality into the hard-faced world of his country's uniquely macho and badly moustached team. * The Observer *Graphic ... Shocking ... Devastating ... If half of what we read here is true, two Australian legends should hang their heads in shame. -- Simon Wilde * The Times *A valuable archive of the professional cricketer's lot during the 1980s - paltry wages, petty officials, vermin-infested hotels and astonishing levels of alcohol consumption ... a fascinating account of Australian cricket's leanest years. * Times Literary Supplement *Absolutely superb, one of the best cricket books I've read. -- John Stern * The Wisden Cricketer *
£11.39
Allen & Unwin Eleven Bats: A story of combat, cricket and the
Book SynopsisAlongside the SAS, Harry's other lifetime love is cricket. An improvised game of cricket was often the circuit-breaker Harry and his team needed after the tension of operations. He began a tradition of organising matches wherever he was sent, whether it was in the mountains of East Timor with a fugitive rebel leader, or on the dusty streets of Baghdad, or in exposed Forward Operating Bases in the hills of Afghanistan. Soldiers, locals and even visiting politicians played in these spontaneous yet often bridge-building games.As part of the tradition, Harry also started to take a cricket bat with him on operational tours, eleven of them in total. They'd often go outside the wire with him and end up signed by those he met or fought alongside. These eleven bats form the basis for Harry's extraordinary memoir. It's a book about combat, and what it takes to serve in one of the world's most elite formations. It's a book about the toll that war takes on soldiers and their loved ones. And it's a book about the healing power of cricket, and how a game can break down borders in even the most desperate of circumstances.Trade ReviewA compelling soldier's story of combat, survival and backyard cricket in a war zone. Harry Moffitt's unforgotten wars make an unforgettable story. -- Jim MaxwellA superbly evocative story of cricket and war. It's not just cricket. And it's not just war. It's both, and it is compelling. -- Peter FitzSimons
£13.49
Ebury Publishing No Spin: My Autobiography
Book Synopsis'My story, without the spin.'From the start of his glittering career in 1992, to his official retirement from all formats of the game in 2013, Shane Warne had long desired to tell his incredible story without compromise. No Spin is that very story. It offers a compelling intimate voice, true insight and a pitch-side seat to one of cricket's finest eras, making this one of the ultimate must-have sports autobiographies. Shane was not only one of the greatest cricket legends: he was as close as the game had since Botham to a maverick genius on the field and a true rebel spirit off it, who always gave audiences what they wanted. Despite being the talismanic thorn in England's side for nearly two decades of regular Ashes defeats, he was also much loved in the UK where he played cricket for Hampshire. He was also a much-admired figure in India and South Africa. Alongside his mesmerising genius as a bowler, Shane was often a controversial figure, and in this book he talks with brutal honesty about some of the most challenging times in his life as a player. Honest, thoughtful, fearless and loved by millions, Shane was always his own man and this book is a testament to his brilliant career.
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Unforgiven: Missionaries or Mercenaries? The
Book SynopsisIn the early 80s, 20 black West Indian cricketers were paid more than $100,000 each to take part in rebel tours of apartheid South Africa. Some, such as Lawrence Rowe and Alvin Kallicharran, were household names in the Caribbean and around the world, while others were fringe players seeking a short cut out of poverty. All would be condemned by the international cricketing fraternity. Accused of pocketing 'blood money' in order to prop up a regime that systematically discriminated against people of their own colour, they were banned for life from playing the sport they loved. In many cases, they were shunned by their fellow countrymen. A few turned to drugs and gangs, some turned to God - and others found themselves begging on the streets and dealing with mental illness. Forgotten and neglected for close to four decades, The Unforgiven tells their often-tragic stories through face-to-face interviews that explore the human cost of an onerous decision made early in these young men's lives.Trade Review"It was a hopelessly naive comment but, rather than simply condemn, Gray's skill is not just in unearthing these former cricketers - including Rowe, living out his years in Florida - but in allowing each to relive their fateful choice to go to South Africa... Gray paints a compelling portrait of each of them in a moving and thought-provoking read." Matt Dickinson, Sunday Times Sports Books of the Year; "Ashley Gray's thoroughly engaging dissection of the tours examines the moral complexity of the matter and the long-term effects on the rebels." Steven Carroll, The Age; "One can feel nothing but admiration for the tenacity of Gray's pursuit... The Unforgiven is richly sewn with tragedy... It is a truism to say history is written by the victors... The Unforgiven belatedly gives the losers their say." Gideon Haigh; "Possibly the biggest surprise of Ashley Gray's painstaking, sometimes harrowing, awkward and amusing, investigation of those tours is that it is highly nuanced. In The Unforgiven: Mercenaries or Missionaries?, Gray digs beneath the obvious motivation of money to discover that for many of the rebels, the tour was either their only hope of carving a career from cricket or their way of retaliating against the closed shop they perceived the West Indies side to be... We are left feeling the rebels were neither mercenaries nor missionaries, just lost souls." Alyson Rudd, The Times; "Sometimes it helps to come at these things from an angle. There's an excellent new book about cricket and race called The Unforgiven by the Australian writer Ashley Gray. The Unforgiven tells the story of West Indian rebel tours to apartheid South Africa in the 1980s, focusing on the later lives of those players who took the Blood Rand." Barney Ronay, The Guardian; "Gray, an Australian journalist, is unflinching in his portrayal of Murray and the other rebels... [he] is unsparing, if also deeply humane, in his account of the players' fates, those castigated by their communities as race traitors: "Cashed up, but ground down, some coped with ostracism by deserting their homelands, others sought refuge in drugs and religion. The tyranny of inter-island distance ensured that there would be no genuine rebel brotherhood. They were on their own"." --Alex Wade, The Times Literary Supplement; "A powerful and necessary book... brings the rebels out from the demonised whole and gives air and dignity to what are for the most lives blighted and broken by the decision to take the money and go." Wisden Cricket Monthly; "Gray tells the rebels' stories with insight and panache" David Brearley, The Daily Telegraph; "I finished The Unforgiven in one afternoon. It was compelling... one of the best cricket books I've read." Ken Piesse, Cricket Books (Australia); "The Unforgiven is riveting." Sharda Ugra, Senior editor, ESPNcricinfo; "The Unforgiven should be mandatory reading for anyone genuinely interested... in Caribbean cricket history." Fazeer Mohammed, Trinidad Express; "The Unforgiven is a fascinating and engrossing book and Ashley Gray deserves great credit for bringing the story of these West Indian cricketers to our book shelves." Andrew Roberts Cricket Statistics; "Gray, who travelled to the Caribbean several times for the book, has revealed a fresh voice and a talent to be rivalled among the best cricket writers in the world." Barry Nicholls, Australian Cricket Digest; "Cricket is a game enhanced by great books and Ashley Gray's The Unforgiven is an excellent dive into one of the most intriguing stories in the sporting world." Robert Craddock, The Courier-Mail;
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd If Not Me; Who?: The Story of Tony Greig, the
Book SynopsisIn March 1977, England cricket captain Tony Greig was arguably the most famous and popular sportsman in the country, and the best all-rounder in world cricket. He had recently led England to a famous series victory in India, her first successful campaign on the subcontinent since the Second World War. Then he had conjured a doughty performance from his travel-weary troops in the dramatic, one-off Centenary Test in Melbourne, narrowly losing by 45 runs. Within weeks, though, his reputation was in tatters. He was branded a traitor and mercenary, stripped of the England captaincy and excluded from the national side. He was also relieved of the Sussex captaincy and banned from first-class cricket for eight weeks. His involvement in the controversial 'Packer Revolution' had caused his fall from grace. Soon afterwards, he left England for good for a commentary career in Australia. At 6ft 7in, Greig was a giant of the game both figuratively and literally. His life story is every bit as fascinating as the controversy that engulfed him.
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Secret Cricketer: English Cricket from the
Book SynopsisThe Secret Cricketer first picked up a cricket bat as a toddler and became a county junior. He secured a professional contract and has been at the coalface of the English county game ever since. This fast-paced, insider's account lifts the lid on modern cricket to reveal what life is really like for an English professional in the 21st century. How do players cope when they can't take a wicket or score a run and their livelihood is on the line? What makes a good coach and how many are there (hint - not many)? Is there still an old-school hierarchy in dressing rooms or a bullying culture? What's the secret to a winning dressing room, and what's it like to be in one when morale hits rock bottom? How much do county players earn? And what's it like to walk out at Lord's to play in a major final? With unique first-hand insight into the fast-evolving modern game, the book answers all these questions and more. It's brimming with untold stories - some that will make you laugh and others that will shock you.
£15.29
Octopus Publishing Group Bowl. Sleep. Repeat.: Inside the World of
Book SynopsisTHE #5 TIMES BESTSELLEREver wondered what it's truly like being an England test cricketer? Why not ask England's greatest ever bowler?Jimmy Anderson invites you into his world of cricket and gives you a very personal insight into what it's like playing at the top level. Through stories of his 16-year international career, Jimmy draws back the curtain on test cricket to reveal bizarre superstitions and rituals, strange training camps, the personalities he's encountered, life on tour and what it's like being a bowler in a batsman's world.Bowl. Sleep. Repeat. is a fascinating, entertaining and deeply personal look at the game of cricket and what life's like beyond the boundary rope.
£10.44
Octopus Publishing Group It's Always Summer Somewhere: A Matter of Life
Book Synopsis*****THE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER AND BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK"Felix White's beautifully, elegantly and passionately written book reminds me why I love cricket so much. And reading, come to that." - Stephen Fry"The love of cricket is both communal and individual. Felix has a wonderful knack of evoking both in a book full of life, joy and resilience." - Gideon Haigh"Life beyond sport, love after loss, a soulful portrait of how play stops the rain." - Cariad Lloyd"This is an extraordinary first book ... funny, tragic, candid and heartfelt; it would be remarkable if he ever wrote a better one." - Wisden Almanack 2022Felix White, for reasons often beyond him, has always been deeply in love with cricket. His passion for the game is at the fore on the BBC 's number one cricket podcast and 5Live show, Tailenders, which he co-presents with Greg James and Jimmy Anderson. It's Always Summer Somewhere is his funny, heartbreaking and endlessly engaging love letter to the game.Felix takes us through his life growing up in South West London and describes how his story is forever punctuated and given meaning by cricket. Through his own exploits as a slow left arm spinner of 'lovely loopy stuff', to the tragic illness of his mother, life with The Maccabees and his cricket redemption, Felix touches on both the comedic and the tragic in equal measure. Throughout, there's the ever-present roller coaster of following the England cricket team. The exploits of Tufnell (another bowler of 'lovely loopy stuff'), Atherton, Hussain et al, are given extra import through the eyes of a cricket-obsessed youth. Felix meets them at each signposted moment to find out what was really behind those moments that gave cricket fans everywhere sporting memories that would last forever, sending the book into an exploration of grief, transgenerational displacement and how the people we've known and things we've loved culminate and take expression in our lives.It's Always Summer Somewhere is an incredibly honest detail of a life lived with cricket. It offers a sense of genuine empathy and understanding not just with cricket fans, but sports and music fans across the world, in articulating our reasons for pouring so much meaning into something that we simply cannot control. Culminating in the heart-stopping World Cup Final in 2019, the book finally answers that question fans have so often asked... what is it about this game?
£9.99
Reaktion Books Cricketing Lives: A Characterful History from
Book SynopsisCricket is defined by the characters who have played it, watched it, reported it, ruled upon it, ruined it and rejoiced in it. Humorous and deeply affectionate, Cricketing Lives tells the story of the world's greatest and most incomprehensible game through those who have shaped it, from the rustic contests of eighteenth-century England to the spectacle of the Indian Premier League. It's about W. G. Grace and his eye to his wallet; the invincible Viv Richards; and Sarah Taylor, 'the best wicketkeeper in the world . . . male or female'. Paying homage, too, to the game's great writers, Richard H. Thomas steers a course through the despair of war, tactical controversies and internecine politics, to reveal how cricket has always stormed back to warm our hearts as nothing else can.Trade Review'absorbing and entertaining . . . Thomas has done something unusual but actually very simple and effective. He tells cricket's long and involved history through some of the interesting and characterful men (and a few women) who have played the game at the highest level. It is at heart, a Brief Lives of Cricket - not a discrete series of character portraits but a continuous flowing narrative that hops from player to player with elegance and wit . . . In short, he knows his stuff . . . this is a very good cricketing history indeed, and highly recommended.' - Marcus Berkmann, The Spectator; 'In the unlikely event that you won't find any cricket to watch over the summer, this joyous book should fill a gap. Thomas, a journalism lecturer, concentrates on the game's rich tapestry of people and anecdotes . . . this book is a chance to feast not just on the heroics of Stokes and "Beefy" Botham, but the early days of cricket - Oliver Cromwell who liked it initially but later tried to ban it, Frederick, Prince of Wales, who died in 1751 after being hit by a ball . . . W. G. Grace and his eye for his wallet, the playboys and profligates, boozers and buccaneers between the wars, the brutality of Bodyline . . . you name it, it's all here. Terrific.' - Daily Mail; 'Richard H. Thomas offers all of cricket's history in his Cricketing Lives, and he has written the kind of book you'd love to settle down with on a winter's night as the wind blows outside, a warm and generous history that glows with love as well as learning . . . Thomas has a knack for finding the quote you've never read, the reference that sends you scuttling towards unfamiliar books.' - Wisden Cricket Monthly; '[an] entertaining collection of portraits of cricket's characters. . . So colourful and well told is this book, heavy on research but light in touch, that it should interest even those who find the game dull . . . The book will certainly appeal to those who love dipping into Great Lives and who already feel, with Douglas Jardine, the former England Captain, that cricket is "that beautiful, beautiful game that is battle and service and sport and art".' - The Critic; 'As with most things there are other ways of tackling a task and Richard Thomas has found a hugely entertaining way to present the enduring story of how our splendid game got to where it is today. He even manages, and fair play to him for this, to end on an upbeat note . . . The key to Thomas's success is in part the ability to tell a story well . . . but that ability is much enhanced by the depth of his knowledge.' - CricketWeb.net; 'It is likely that most ACS members will have on their shelves other books that cover most of the same ground. But there is a freshness to the telling of the familiar stories that makes this a hugely enjoyable take on cricket history and a compelling read to which I looked forward to returning each evening while preparing this review.' - Journal of the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians; 'What an enthralling voyage this book affords, with its vivid style and sequences of fascinating detail. Richard Thomas has created something unusually readable.' - David Frith, founding editor of Wisden Cricket Monthly; 'A wonderful read. Exhaustive and comprehensive as a reference tome, but also infused with a passion for the game and its players that distinguishes a mere cricketing aficionado from a true cricket lover.' - Phil Steele, BBC Sport; 'The game could wish for no more companiable host than Richard H. Thomas. This is a warm and welcoming amble through history, with a new story at every turn.' - Jon Hotten, Wisden Cricket Monthly
£12.34
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Nine Waves: The Extraordinary Story of How
Book SynopsisThe Nine Waves is a tour de force. The most entertaining and up-to-date history of Indian cricket ever published, it tells the story of the nine great waves of the game from 1932 to the present day. Each wave in Indian cricket was chock-full of mesmerising stars, thrilling moments, great victories, heartbreaking losses and significant turning points. The first wave of Indian cricket rolled in against the backdrop of momentous changes in the country and the world: Gandhi's civil disobedience campaign, World War Two and Indian independence. Through each of the waves, India strengthened its position in the cricketing firmament. By the end of the 20th century, it was the most powerful nation in world cricket. Award-winning journalist, broadcaster and author Mihir Bose brings together his first-hand experience of some of the most seminal moments in Indian cricket, his encyclopaedic knowledge of the game and his unrivalled ability as a chronicler of the sport to create a magisterial history of Indian cricket.Trade Review"Bose has been writing about cricket for nearly 50 years [and] has set himself a challenging task... Any discussion of India's dominance of modern cricket must include the IPl... [and] Bose neatly explains its beneficial effect." * Widen Almanack *
£16.99
Pitch Publishing Ltd Tales from the Front Line: The Autobiography of
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.
£11.69
Pitch Publishing Ltd Cricket in Poetry
Book SynopsisCricket in Poetry tells the fascinating story of cricket''s strong ties with poetry.It may be cricket''s rural origins, its slow pace or the literary ambitions of its aristocratic patrons, but the game has inspired more poetry than any other. Some of it is moving, some is funny, and some is arch and clunky. Two poems stand out: Vitai Lampada and At Lord''s. Both were penned by the sons of prosperous families. One poet, Henry Newbolt, was a toff. The other, Francis Thompson, was a religious writer and Jack the Ripper suspect. While the two were growing up, county cricket was coming of age.The book charts the game''s early days from the countryside of the south to the industrial towns and cities of the Midlands and the north. It recalls the famous matches, W.G. Grace and Gloucestershire on their first visit to Old Trafford and the first Ashes Test. And it celebrates the heroes, from Hornby and Barlow to Ranjitsinhji and the great victory calyp
£17.09
Pitch Publishing Ltd The Cricketers of 1945
Book Synopsis The Cricketers of 1945 is the compelling, poignant, and above all human, story of the reawakening of English cricket in the immediate aftermath of the world''s most destructive war.The book brings to life the summer''s Victory Tests, played on home soil between England and Australia, as well as the personal stories of the players and their families, plus those of some of the hundreds of thousands of spectators who flocked to the matches to celebrate the return of something approaching normal life after the ordeal and sacrifice of the war years.This vivid account is illuminated by fresh archival research, encompassing the diaries and personal letters of both cricketers and cricket lovers, giving the reader a strong sense of what it was like to be alive at this unique time as much of the world awoke, or was still awakening, from the nightmare ordeal of the long years of conflict.
£21.25
