Cricket Books

Book SynopsisGeoffrey Boycott is undoubtedly one of England’s greatest ever batsmen. Playing 108 Test matches between 1964 and 1982, the hugely controversial opener scored a then record 8,114 runs at 47.72 – the highest completed average of any English player since 1970 – against some of the greatest bowlers the world has ever seen. When the first lockdown came, finding himself without cricket for the first time in his life, Geoffrey Boycott sat down and began to write a retrospective warts-and-all diary of each of his Test match appearances. It is illuminating and unsparing, characterised by Boycott’s astonishing memory, famous forthrightness and unvarnished, sometimes lacerating, honesty. That 100,000 word document forms the basis for Being Geoffrey Boycott, a device that takes the reader inside Geoffrey’s head and back through cricket history, presenting a unique portrait of the internal and external forces that compelled him from a pit village in Yorkshire to the pinnacle of the world game. Now 81 and still one of the most recognisable cricketers England has ever produced, Boycott has teamed up with award-winning author Jon Hotten in this catalogue of his tumultuous time with the national side. Dropped for scoring a slow double hundred, making himself unavailable to play for England for several years, captain for eight seasons of a group of strong, stroppy and extremely talented players at Yorkshire, bringing up his hundredth hundred at Headingley against the Old Enemy, seeing David Gower and Ian Botham emerge as future greats, playing under Mike Brearley in the 1981 Ashes, in this enlightening book Boycott reveals a host of never-before-heard details regarding his peers and his playing days.

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Book SynopsisThe golden age of this type of story has now passed. The reasons are obvious. Chief among them is the earning power of top players, both from central contracts and on the franchise Twenty20 circuit, as well as the fact that international and franchise schedules increasingly impinge upon the UK summer. These stories are not entirely obsolete, however, although they will most often involve players taking their first steps on the road to superstardom, future stars before they became household names. Then there are players in the twilight of their careers, if not former stars then certainly with their highest peaks behind them. And between the springtime baby steps and the autumnal last knockings, there are a clutch of chapters involving cricketers in their high-summer pomp, living legends treading the league cricket boards. These magical stories are unique to cricket. And yet no one has collected them in one place. Until now.

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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

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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.

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Book SynopsisIt's Britain's hottest summer since 1976 and English cricket is in a sweat of transformation. The public is no longer interested in County Championship games, traditional touchstone of the calendar. Fans prefer a bit of flash, bang, wallop – or so the experts tell us. Where though does that leave the twenty minor counties – strung out from Northumberland to Norfolk to Cornwall – who for the past one hundred and twenty-five years have fancied themselves the stepping-stone between regional club and first class county competitions? A level of the game seen as either an ex-professionals' graveyard or the last refuge of blazered old duffers is in a struggle for its very existence. And come 2020, the venerable Minor Counties Championship will indeed be blown away, like dandelion seeds on the breeze, replaced by the newly-branded and 'more marketable' National Counties Championship. At least that was the plan. In 2018, no-one has yet heard of Covid-19. What they do know is that this threat to their competition is existential and the modernisers at Lord's are to blame, far more interested in such innovations as a proposed new 'Hundred' than bolstering that which has stood the test of time. Granted full access to committee and squad, Tony Hannan, author of Underdogs – A Year in the Life of a Rugby League Town, spent a season with Cumberland CCC amid the lakes, fells and mountains of Cumbria. And as might have been expected in such dramatic terrain, he tells a story full of ups and downs – complete with one or two surprises. Skippered by former Durham player Gary Pratt – who as substitute fielder ran out Australia captain Ricky Ponting during the 2005 Ashes – Cumberland's expenses-only nomads are nevertheless just one important thread in a yarn stretching well beyond the boundaries of Cumbria. The Wicket Men is a cricket book unlike any other. It draws stumps on a small but fascinating aspect of a pastime whose rhythms and rituals, while endlessly evolving, are rooted firmly in the English folk tradition.

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Book SynopsisLARA: The England Chronicles is Brian Lara in his own voice, unfiltered and unrestrained.

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Book SynopsisCricket’s Fifty Most Important Moments charts the sport’s long, colourful and sometimes controversial history, delving into its most significant moments on and off the cricket field.Tracing the sport’s development from its early days in the 18th century through to the modern era, the book journeys through more than 275 years of intriguing events. It explores how players, teams and other remarkable individuals have shaped the game. It also assesses the famous matches, tactical changes, new laws and other innovations that have punctuated cricket from its infancy to the present day.From the early teams based in sleepy English villages through to international cricket and the modern franchise game played for a global television audience; from the start of first-class cricket and the birth of the Ashes and Test cricket to World Cups and the phenomenon of T20 cricket, this book showcases the key moments, matches and controversies that have come to define the sport.Trade Review"Tim's fifty encompasses the very earliest days of the game from the 1700s and works its way through to the present day... [all are] vastly different and interesting chapters which show the vast length and breadth of the game of cricket... Nicely written and well researched." -- Andrew Roberts * Cricket Statistics *"The book is well worth reading and will provide much to think and talk about. The quality of the paper and the generous spacing all enhance the fascinating material. The book is handsomely produced and economically priced." -- Rajesh Kumar * rajeshkumarcricketstatistician.com *

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Book Synopsis*Updated edition to include the 2017-18, 2019 and 2021-22 Ashes series*Wisden on the Ashes: The authoritative story of cricket''s greatest rivalry is a detailed chronological journey through the history of this famous English-Australian contest. With Test reports, scorecards, Great bowlers of the year and other fascinating material from the archives, together with new editorial pieces, this is a remarkable record of cricket''s most enduring battle.The book begins its journey with England''s first tour of Australia in 1876 and the subsequent three series prior to the 1882 tour that led to a mock obituary being placed in the Sporting Times In affectionate remembrance of English cricket, which died at The Oval on 29th August, 1882. ... The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia. Celebrating the players who made their mark on the game and the controversies that shook the sport, the book covers every series since then through to the moTrade ReviewThis book should prove to be an extremely useful addition to any collector's library * Andrew Roberts Cricket Statistics *Wisden's magisterial history of the Ashes is pretty much an imperative purchase for any relative obsessed with willow and leather * The Daily Telegraph *…a weighty, comprehensive and authoritative tome... * cricketweb.net *Wisden on the Ashes is a tome that should be in every cricket book collection and read by all cricket fans * cricketweb.net *Another magnificent and mighty Wisden tome -- Andrew Roberts * www.andrewrobertscricketstatistics.com *Table of ContentsForeword by Sir Alec Bedser Introduction Early Days: 1876-77 to 1882 The Birth (and Rebirth) of the Ashes: 1882-83 to 1912 The Roaring Twenties: 1920-21 to 1928-29 Bradman, Bodyline and Bradman Again: 1930 to 1948 The Fifties and Sixties: 1950-51 to 1968 The Colour and the Money: 1970-71 to 1980 Botham and Beyond: 1981 to 2002-03 The Greatest Series - and the Worst? 2005 to 2006-07 The Boot on the Other Foot: 2009 to 2010-11 The Roller-Coaster Goes on: 2013 to 2021-22 Records Index

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Book SynopsisGeoffrey Boycott is one of the most outspoken and knowledgeable voices on cricket - but this book opens up a whole, new personal side to his life

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Book SynopsisKnow the Game Cricket is the perfect introduction to thesport for all ages, whether you are a keen club player or beginner. Itis packed with expert text, clear illustrations and photographs of theprofessionals in action.The book includes: Playing the game: how to play cricket, the rules, positions on the pitch, how to score The laws of the game: from scoring to umpiring Equipment and pitch: how to choose a bat, positioning of fielders, the wicket The skills: step-by-step guide to all the basic skills, including batting, bowling, wicket keeping and fielding. The Know the Game series is firmly established as thedefinitive introduction to a wide range of sports and games. Written bythe experts, you can be sure that they contain everything you need toknow to take part.

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Book SynopsisRuling the World tells the enthralling story of the 1992 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. From the early exchanges in the warm-up matches, up to the final at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, tales of classic stature and previously untold gems regularly arise. Each match is explored along with its unique backstory, with many key players contributing memories after more than a quarter of a century. Interviews with stars such as Derek Pringle, Phillip DeFreitas, Gladstone Small, Brian McMillan and Gavin Larsen help bring to life the greatest ever Cricket World Cup. Contributions from fans offer a unique insight into the high emotions in the stands as the tournament was played out. And exclusive behind-the-scenes access is granted by documents from the tournament's organising committee, including minutes from meetings and reports presented to the International Cricket Council. Ruling the World brings all the drama and excitement of 1992 to a new generation of cricket fans, and offers contemporary onlookers the chance to fondly reminisce.

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Book SynopsisIn Cricket Changed My Life Annie Chave throws the spotlight on a diverse medley ofpeople, whose very variety highlights the fact that cricket can benefit anyone, that the game's reach isnot confined to players or even to fields of play.

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Book SynopsisWinner of the MCC Book of the Year AwardHis father was a first-class cricketer, his grandfather was a slave.Born in rural Trinidad in 1901, Learie Constantine was the most dynamic all-round cricketer of his age (1928-1939) when he played Test cricket for the West Indies and club cricket for Nelson. Few who saw Constantine in action would ever forget the experience. As well as the cricketing genius that led to Constantine being described as ''the most original cricketer of his time'', Connie illuminates the world that he grew up in, a place where the memories of slavery were still fresh and where a peculiar, almost obsessive, devotion to ''Englishness'' created a society that was often more British than Britain itself. Harry Pearson looks too at the society Constantine came to in England, which he would embrace as much as it embraced him: the narrow working-class world of the industrial North during a time of grave economic depression. Connie<Trade ReviewAt last Constantine has found a biographer capable of telling his magnificent story - Harry Pearson has written a beguiling work that does full justice to this wonderful sportsman and most honourable of men -- Peter Oborne * Daily Mail *an excellently researched and sensitively handled account of Constantine's life and impact beyond the game. He was "a 'Champagne cocktail' cricketer - effervescent but with a kick" and half a century on, his story has lost none of its fizz * ESPN.com *Harry Pearson is an author with an aversion to uninteresting sentences. Connie is a constantly engaging study -- Giles Smith * The Times *Cricket fans will cherish . . . and Harry Pearson 's admirable Learie Constantine biography Connie -- Huw Richards * Guardian *A beautiful book * New European *

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Book SynopsisGreat stories of unusual happenings on and off the cricket field. The story of cricket is littered with big stories, like Bodyline, underarm balls and tycoons changing the game. But, like Tony Greig checking out the pitch with his keys, sometimes things fall through the cracks.Sticky Wickets takes a look at stories both big, small and perhaps forgotten. From bees and their dislike of cricket to a storm caused when a cameraman criticised a Test player's fielding. It's perfect to pick up when rain delays play.

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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 *

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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 *

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Book SynopsisThis bumper collection of the funniest anecdotes, jokes and stories from cricket''s best-loved personalities proves that cricket is a funny game - even when rain stops play!In this updated and expanded edition, you can read not only the most popular stories by five of the game''s all-time great characters - Richie Benaud, Dickie Bird, Henry Blofeld, Brian Johnston and Fred Trueman - but also the humour of famous cricketers such as Ian Botham, Andrew Flintoff, Justin Langer, Shane Warne, and modern players including Jimmy Anderson, Joe Root and Ben Stokes.Here are dozens of hilarious anecdotes from around the world about the legendary cricketers Geoffrey Boycott, Donald Bradman, Michael Holding, Sachin Tendulkar and many others - not to mention broadcasting gaffes and giggles, sledging, short-sighted umpires and the phantom sock snipper in the England dressing-room!

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Book Synopsis''A treasure of recollections and reactions, talking heroes, controversies and big themes'' i paper''Brearley is at his best in these quirky, delightful essays when he is exploring the human qualities of humbler players . . . Brearley''s admiration for his friends'' decency, craftsmanship and modesty seems to recall a golden age of country cricket'' The Times''Brearley has a knack for paying respect to the past without denigrating the present and for calmly considering the future'' Mail on SundayMike Brearley was arguably one of England''s finest cricket captains; not just for his outstanding record leading his country but also for the way he orchestrated, during the 1981 Ashes series, one of the most extraordinary reversals in sporting history.In this collection of sparkling essays, Brearley reflects on the game he has come to know so well. He ranges from the personal - the influence of his Yorkshire father aTrade ReviewFascinating * Choice *Delightful new book . . . Brearley has a knack for paying respect to the past without denigrating the present and for calmly considering the future * Mail on Sunday *Brearley is at his best in these quirky, delightful essays when he is exploring the human qualities of humbler players . . . Brearley's admiration for his friends' decency, craftsmanship and modesty seems to recall a golden age of county cricket * The Times *Brearley speaks with understated authority on the matter. His words are all the more powerful for that * Sunday Express *A treasure of recollections and reactions, talking heroes, controversies and big themes * i paper *Brearley has a gentle, measured intellect that is warming and intriguing rather than intimidating or irritating . . . Brearley has a rare ability to read the game and its participants with delicacy and precision, like a tailor unpicking a collection of knotted threads * Wisden Cricket Monthly *His relaxed, dextrous, style achieves what most authors aspire to do: make their narrative sound as though they're speaking directly to the reader . . . His cumulative experience, humour and honesty make for a compelling read. Let's hope for a second volume of On Cricket * Dorset Echo *A book full of wisdom and sharp observation * Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians *Brearley is best when writing about character and thought processes * King Cricket *His cumulative experience, humour and honesty make for a compelling read * Birmingham Post *Mike Brearley is a cultured and intelligent man . . . able elegantly to assess his colleagues and predecessors, as he does with customary grace in his latest volume -- Robert Crampton * The Times *A box of delights containing bitesize pieces on colourful individuals, burning issues and memorable events -- Shomit Dutta * Times Literary Supplement *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERSHORTLISTED FOR SPORTS AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR AT THE 2020 TELEGRAPH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS.BEN STOKES: WINNER OF THE 2019 BBC SPORTS PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR AWARD''He is the Special One, and I intend to call him that for the rest of his career'' Sir Ian Botham, Daily Telegraph''There are not enough superlatives to describe Ben Stokes'' Nasser Hussain, Daily Mail''The undisputed hero of English cricket'' The TimesEarly evening on Sunday 14th July 2019. Lord''s Cricket Ground in London. Something unprecedented had just happened: England had won the Cricket World Cup for the very first time since the tournament''s inception in 1975. At the epicentre of England''s historic triumph was Ben Stokes, the talismanic all-rounder with an insatiable appetite for The Big Occasion. He contributed a critical 84 runs off 98 balls when England batted, Trade ReviewDaily Mail must reads of 2020This book is a unique memento of one of the greatest summers in sport * NB Magazine *

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Book SynopsisTHE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERAND WINNER OF THE 2019 WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEARDuncan Hamilton is already a multiple award-winning sports writer, but it is hard to imagine he will write a better book than this superb, elegiac portrait of the sociable, feted, but ultimately unknowable, man who virtually invented modern sports writing...This is writing every bit the equal of Cardus himself. - Daily Mail''Hamilton is a worthy biographer... as much sublime writing comes from his keyboard as from Cardus''s pen.'' The Times''With its verve, insight and generosity of sympathy, this is by some way the best full-length life of a cricket writer, perhaps even of any sports writer.'' Guardian Neville Cardus described how one majestic stroke-maker ''made music'' and ''spread beauty'' with his bat. Between two world wars, he became the laureate of cricket by doing the same with words.In Trade ReviewDuncan Hamilton is already a multiple award-winning sports writer, but it is hard to imagine he will write a better book than this superb, elegiac portrait of the sociable, feted, but ultimately unknowable, man who virtually invented modern sports writing...This is writing every bit the equal of Cardus himself. * Daily Mail *Duncan Hamilton has written some of the best books about sport in recent years. Twice he has won the William Hill for the sports book of the year... He [Cardus] interpreted cricket through a filter of his own, an imagination of uncommon sensitivity, and all who came after are in his debt. All lovers of cricket will enjoy this book. You could say that Hamilton has done it again. -- Michael Henderson * The Cricketer *Hamilton is a worthy biographer. Ten years after his fine biography of Harold Larwood, the maligned England fast bowler, this is just as good, and as much sublime writing comes from his keyboard as from Cardus's pen. -- Patrick Kidd * The Times *The Great Romantic has a strong personal flavour, especially in its tour de force of a prologue...the interest seldom falters. With its verve, insight and generosity of sympathy, this is by some way the best full-length life of a cricket writer, perhaps even of any sports writer. -- David Kynaston * The Guardian *This is not just stand-out sports writing but a stand-out study: one writer acknowledging another. * Sydney Morning Herald *Praise for Going to the Match * : *Hamilton is steeped in the history and traditions of football and communicates his knowledge lightly and with wit and intelligence. Above all, though, this is a fan's-eye view that brilliantly expresses the passion that millions like him, in pursuit of happiness and belonging, feel for the beautiful game. Simply magnificent. * Mail on Sunday *In Duncan Hamilton, one of the most accomplished of current sports writers, Cardus has found a worthy biographer who has ferreted out hidden details of his life, including those that Cardus himself skated over in his two volumes of autobiography. The Great Romantic is beautifully written, and Cardus would surely have approved of it. -- Stephen Bates * Literary Review *

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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.

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Book SynopsisSussex and England superstar Maurice Tate's story is one of triumph and fame, controversy and tragedy. In the 1920s and 1930s, the all-rounder was the world's most popular cricketer, famed for his brilliant bowling and broad smile - unlike his infamous cricketing father, whose costly error he more than repaid. In his day, Tate's enormous feet were the subject of a music-hall song, his extra pace considered 'magical'; he's now recognised as the first proper 'seam' bowler. He took almost 2800 first-class wickets and thrilled crowds with rapid-fire sixes and centuries. But along the way he suffered a nervous breakdown at the Bodyline series, and threw beer over Douglas Jardine. After a bitter sacking by Sussex, he became a pub landlord and died in poverty. Recently voted Sussex's greatest ever player, Tate doesn't figure in any more widespread Hall of Fame. It's time to remember this forgotten great of England cricket.

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Book SynopsisThe life and times of Middlesex and England wicketkeeper-batsman John 'JT' Murray, one of the acknowledged greats of English post-war cricket. Irresistibly cool, glamorous and apparently unapproachable, Murray was Christopher Sandford's consuming hero at the time the author was confined in an English seaside boarding school in the 60s. Twenty or more years later, the two became friends. In 2017 Murray eventually succumbed to a decade-long campaign and agreed to share in full his lifetime's reminiscences, recounting his experiences of a quarter of a century as a professional English sportsman. Murray proved unfailingly generous and humorous (if by no means uncritical) in his accounts of the great Tests, the tours and the parade of celebrities, sporting and otherwise, he encountered. This treasure trove of stories - described not just in the dry accountancy of scores and averages, but in droll anecdotal detail - lies at the heart of a unique cricket book illustrated by photographs, letters and notes from Murray's own collection.

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Book SynopsisTim Quelch takes a nostalgic look back on a 60s childhood and early adulthood immersed in Sussex sport. Hastings United, Brighton & Hove Albion and Sussex County Cricket Club were his three great loves, his passion for football ignited by United's plucky 1953/54 giant-killing side that came tantalisingly close to a fifth-round FA Cup clash with Arsenal. Later, Brighton secured Tim's lasting loyalty when he witnessed their brave 1961 FA Cup battle with First Division champions Burnley. That same year, Tim was captivated by explosive Sussex batsman Ted Dexter and mesmerised by West Indian fast bowler Wes Hall. Good Old Sussex by the Sea takes us on a whirlwind tour of the highs and lows of Sussex football and cricket in the 1960s, a time when local allegiances counted and expectations of success were more modest. But it was hardly an age of innocence as Hastings United's involvement in a major police corruption scandal shows. The book recalls a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and woes, bringing to life many local heroes of yesteryear.

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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.

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Book SynopsisLaker and Lock is the first dual biography of Surrey and England 'spin twins' Jim Laker and Tony Lock, who helped their county and Test teams to an unparalleled run of dominance in the 1950s. Besides their peerless achievements on the field, the two men had little in common. Laker, the elder by seven years, was Yorkshire born, cool, phlegmatic, known to sulk, and not greatly enamoured with the class distinctions then inherent in English cricket and society as a whole. Lock, a southerner, was dynamic, ebullient, indefatigable both on and off the field, and tended to wear his heart on his sleeve, an attitude no less at odds with the prevailing social order. Both men courted controversy. Laker's post-retirement autobiography caused such a furore that he was made unwelcome at Lord's and the Oval for years afterwards. Lock suffered the stigma of being labelled a 'chucker' and ultimately moved to Australia, where his retirement was clouded by allegations of sexual abuse. This is the full story of the pair's uneasy partnership.

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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 SynopsisEveryone's image of the ideal cricket ground will be a village field, fringed by trees, the outfield dappled with clovers and buttercups, swallows flitting above... And what of all the other wildlife associated with this most natural of sports? At the Oval these days, Test Match Special's commentators remark on the resident foxes as often as the traditional pigeons. At Teddington Town CC in London's Bushy Park matches are frequently interrupted by incursions of deer; at Lyndhurst in the New Forest by wild ponies. At Kirkby Lonsdale CC in Cumbria the local fungus group found 20 species of waxcap on the outfield. For some reason hoopoes, spectacular orange and black-crested birds from southern Europe, favour cricket grounds on their rare migrations to the UK. This unique, funny, delightful cricket book from left field explores the relationship between cricket grounds and the natural world, from wildlife records to the Edwardian cricket writings of Edmund Blunden, and in many remarkable photos.Trade Review'Excellent', Simon Burnton, Guardian; 'A wonderfully illustrated, jovially written and insightful piece of work', Country Life; 'A delightful tome that looks at cricket from a different angle, highlights its intrinsic link with the natural world and proves soothing amid the concrete-dominated world of stadium cricket. After society's rediscovery of the natural world during Covid-induced lockdowns, the book is arguably being released at a timely juncture', Yahoo over Cow Corner blog; ‘A very nice book indeed, and a wonderful concept. Nature and cricket are among life’s greatest joys – to combine them is sublime,’ Simon Barnes; ‘This book was not what I expected … a book describing the flora and fauna of cricket grounds. And all the better for it. Certainly the chapters are titled as such … but they are only used by the author to indicate his feeling that cricket is losing its connection to our environment, as it changes its own “nature” as it attempts to compete in a profit-seeking world. Coster has done a great job. The book is full of humour with enjoyable cricket anecdotes, supported by excellent photographs … I enjoyed this book a lot.’ Jayne Hancock, Journal of the Cricket Society; ‘An excellent book’, Lev Parikian; ‘“Delightful” [is] not an adequate word to apply to this wonderful book,’ The Cricket Statistician

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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

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Book SynopsisThe perfect gift for every cricket fanWhen was the first Ashes held? Who holds the highest individual Test runs score? And what exactly is a silly mid-off? Find the answer to all these and more inside The Cricket Pocket Bible, a pocket compendium of cricketing trivia and titbits about one of the world''s most popular sports. Inside, debate the teams and the triumphs, defend the clubs and the competitions and discover how the quintessentially ''English'' game of cricket became so popular in places as far afield as Australia, India and the West Indies. You’ll also find practical information in The Cricket Pocket Bible - like the rules of playing cricket, how to kit yourself out in cricket gear, how to explain all the cricketing fielding positions and even how to bowl a googly. This pocket guide will take you through all the highlights of cricket, from the longest Test Match to the most unusual cricket match locations. F

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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.

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Book SynopsisSHORTLISTED FOR THE CRICKET SOCIETY AND MCC BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD 2020The much-loved former England player, Guardian cricket correspondent and TMS broadcaster tells the story of his life in cricket for the first time.In April 1974 new recruits Viv Richards, Ian Botham, Peter Roebuck and Vic Marks reported for duty at Somerset County Cricket Club. Apart from Richards, 'all of us were eighteen years old, though Botham seemed to have lived a bit longer - or at least more vigorously - than the rest.'In this irresistible memoir of a life lived in cricket, Vic Marks returns to the heady days when Richards and Botham were young men yet to unleash their talents on the world stage while he and Roebuck looked on in awe. After the high-octane dramas of Somerset, playing for England was almost an anti-climax for Marks, who became an unlikely all-rounder in the mercurial side of the 1980s. Moving from the dressing room to the press box, with trenchant observations about the modern game along the way, Original Spin is a charmingly wry, shrewdly observed account of a golden age in cricket.Trade ReviewA lovely read: self-written and thus well-written; authentic, genial and full of good anecdotes -- Matthew Engel * New Statesman *[Marks] must be cricket's most avuncular man, a warm, wry presence in voice and print. His memoir has those qualities too, as well as being deeply English, deeply modest...Marks' real gift as writer and broadcaster is an eye for human detail...this is a memoir in Vic Marks' image, and offers joy and solace in plentiful measures. -- Jon Hotten * Wisden Cricket Monthly *[Marks] is unfailingly courteous, friendly and knowledgable. His autobiography does absolutely nothing to dispel that impression. He tells his story in an engaging style... * Cricket Web *Elegantly written and...often gently penetrating in its judgements. * Country Life *There are some great anecdotes as well as a revealing account of his relationship with former Somerset skipper Peter Roebuck * Choice *a sunny and modest read * Literary Review *Table of Contents1: Taunton 1974 2: On the farm 3: Oxford 4: Full-time pro 5: Great losses 6: Great wins 7: Caps no. 55 and 499 8: One-day cricketer 9: On tour 10: Perth 11: Trouble over Bridgwater 12: Retired hurt 13: The Observer 14: Test Match Special (then) 15: Test Match Special (now) 16: Loose ends

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Book SynopsisThe summer of 2022 started so well with an opening round County Championship win at Gloucestershire but ended in the ultimate disappointment of relegation following a home defeat against the same opponents. There was still plenty of success to reflect upon throughout the club, however, most notably the Northern Diamonds winning their first ever regional title, the Rachael Heyhoe Flint Trophy, and the men's second team winning their Championship title under new coach Tom Smith's guidance. Harry Brook and Matthew Fisher made their senior England debuts, while Jonny Bairstow, Dawid Malan, Adil Rashid and Joe Root also contributed to an exhilarating year of international cricket. Departing the club is chair Lord Patel, while Stephen Vaughan has taken over as chief executive as well as new club captain Shan Masood.

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Book SynopsisWhen the first lockdown came, finding himself without cricket for the first time in his life, Geoffrey Boycott sat down and began to write a retrospective warts-and-all diary of each of his Test match appearances. It is illuminating and unsparing, characterised by Boycott’s astonishing memory, famous forthrightness and unvarnished, sometimes lacerating, honesty. That 100,000 word document forms the basis for Being Geoffrey Boycott, a device that takes the reader inside Geoffrey’s head and back through cricket history, presenting a unique portrait of the internal and external forces that compelled him from a pit village in Yorkshire to the pinnacle of the world game. Now 81 and still one of the most recognisable cricketers England has ever produced, Boycott has teamed up with award-winning author Jon Hotten in this catalogue of his tumultuous time with the national side. Dropped for scoring a slow double hundred, making himself unavailable to play for England for several years, captain for eight seasons of a group of strong, stroppy and extremely talented players at Yorkshire, bringing up his hundredth hundred at Headingley against the Old Enemy, seeing David Gower and Ian Botham emerge as future greats, playing under Mike Brearley in the 1981 Ashes, in this enlightening book Boycott reveals a host of never-before-heard details regarding his peers and his playing days.

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Book SynopsisThe Cricketers' Who's Who is the essential guide to the 2025 cricket season.

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Book Synopsis

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Book SynopsisA great cricket series, as reported by a great cricket writer. High hopes were held for the Ashes of 2023. They were exceeded in an instant classic of five Tests between a bold England and a battling Australia, finally drawn two-all. Ashes 2023 captures all the drama and skill, as well as the controversy over a stumping at Lord’s that followed in the tradition of Bodyline as a clash of cultures and of stereotypes. With a foot in both camps, Gideon Haigh wrote for The Australian in Australia and The Times in the UK. This book mixes his popular match reports with new material to create a priceless memento of an unforgettable series.Trade Review‘Exquisite.’ -- Patrick Goldsmith * Yorke Peninsula Country Times *

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Book SynopsisSeveral colourful troupes of clowns travelled the nation bringing to huge crowds a jaunty parade, an uproarious cricket match against the local club, much music and dancing, plus an enjoyable concert in the evening. They did so for some twenty years in the Victorian age, visiting hundreds of towns where they were warmly welcomed. Then, in the Edwardian period, the stellar clown Dan Leno recaptured this bright concept for charitable purposes. Unbelievably, this happy marriage of sport and show business has earned only ephemeral mention in the annals of either cricket or music hall and circus: indeed, it might be argued it was sometimes swept under the official carpet by prudish authority. Until now. For the first time ever, and with a magnificent array of dazzling illustration, the full tale of clown cricket is told, with its origins explained and its routines described – with all placed in its social context with reflections on cricket and theatre connections up to the present era. The collaboration has been unique. Members of both the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians and the British Music Hall Society have helped with the research and picture finding. Lords of Mischief fills a gap in the story of both fields in a joyous celebration of this coming together of cricketing and clowning.Table of ContentsForeword. Chapters -1-3. Clown Cricket. Clown Cricket: The Magic Lantern. Chapter. 5 Arthur Treloar. Chapter.The Bridge to Dan Leno. Chapter.7. Dan Leno and Clown Cricket. Chapter 8. A very Queer Cricket Match. Dan Leno v Heathfield 1900. Chapter 9.. Theatre of Cricket. Chapter 10. What of the Cricket Clown? The Play is over. Appendix 1. Clown cricket sources and References. Appendix 2. What is a clown? Appendix 3. Lord’s Minutes 1875. Index.

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

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Book SynopsisIn this highly entertaining book Fred Rumsey looks back on an eventful life, in which he opened the bowling for England in five Tests, single-handedly advanced the idea of a Professional Cricketers’ Association, pioneered the development of public relations in cricket, played a leading role in the expansion of the Lord’s Taverners and developed cricket and football tournaments in the Caribbean. There is fun aplenty, as befits one who was a friend of comedians Eric Morecambe and Dave Allen, but there is also a sense of social purpose, to be found not only in the years when he took on cricket’s establishment but in his long service to the charity work of the Lord’s Taverners and his close bond with the anti-apartheid South African journalist Donald Woods. From the poignancy of his description of an East End childhood during the Blitz to the wonderfully funny tale of his sharing a hotel room with Geoffrey Boycott, 'Sense of Humour, Sense of Justice' is full of delights – with insights into a rich array of characters, among them David Gower, Bobby Moore, David Frost and his great mate Colin Milburn.

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Book SynopsisThis July sees the publication of The Great Romantic, a new biography by Duncan Hamilton of the greatest cricket writer of all time, indeed the man who invented modern cricket writing as we know it: Neville Cardus. Cardus was for many years cricket correspondent of the (then Manchester) Guardian, but wrote for a host of other publications including Wisden. Before him, cricket writing meant rather drybones match reports full of statistics and jargon. Cardus wrote about the event: the sylvan ground, the emotion of watching a great batsman like Victor Trumper in full flow. For everyone who wants to sample his finest writings, Safe Haven now publishes a new volume of Cardus's best cricket writings. Here is Cardus on Don Bradman, Victor Trumper, Denis Compton and Richie Benaud, at Roses matches and the arcadian cricket festival at Dover beneath Shakespeare Cliff, seeing the Australians defeated at Eastbourne - and of course at the home of cricket, Lord's. A handsome small hardback with retro cover illustration, here is a book for every lover of fine writing on the Summer Game.

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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 *

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Book SynopsisFrom one of India's finest writers, thinkers and commentators, a memoir of a love affair with cricket.As a fan, player, writer, scholar, controversialist and administrator, Ramachandra Guha has spent a life with cricket.In this book, Guha offers both a brilliantly charming memoir and a charter of the life of cricket in India.He traces the game across every level at which it is played: school, college, club, state and country. He offers vivid portraits of local heroes, provincial icons and international stars.Following the narrative of his life intertwined and in love with the sport, Guha captures the magic of bat and ball that has ensnared billions.Trade Review A DAILY TELEGRAPH BEST SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR 2020 ‘Guha is a distinguished historian, biographer of Gandhi, a courageous political activist — and also an absolute cricket nut … Watching a serious intellectual grapple with his own relationship with sport is always revealing … [A] passionate, unique book … Guha’s totally in love, that’s the thing – and it’s the love that shines through on every page’Ed Smith, Financial Times ‘Guha also fills the same role within India that Scyld Berry and Gideon Haigh do in England and Australia. In other words, he is the deepest and wisest chronicler of his cricketing nation’Daily Telegraph, Best Sport Books of the Year, 2020 ‘Guha is an historian, environmentalist, journalist and political biographer of wide-ranging distinction … An engagingly generous celebration of cricket and cricketers, Indian and firangis alike … A book that should not be ignored’David Crane, Spectator ‘Delightful … Guha, one of India’s best-known historians and public intellectuals, is a bona fide cricket obsessive … His deep knowledge of the game allows him to bring a historian’s perspective when writing about players … The Commonwealth of Cricket is a return to his cherished first love. It should be celebrated’Soumya Bhattacharya, New Statesman ‘Powerful … The Commonwealth of Cricket is a memoir of his lifelong obsession with the game … It is, not surprisingly, a delightful read – but it also carries a political message’Emma John, Guardian ‘Guha’s book is timely … It is also at odds with the way many see the game in India today … In that sense it is a love-letter to a game as it was and can be again’Mike Atherton, The Times ‘Enchanting … Deeply enriching … He writes about the game as he first knew it, with the unguarded fondness of youth’Paul Edwards, The Cricketer

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