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This selection of the very best, and most intriguing, writing on cricket, drawn from the mid-eighteenth century to the present day, adopts a fresh approach. It is arranged around the theme of the many things that must happen simply for a day’s play to happen – from creating a clearing in a Malaysian jungle to getting to the ground – so includes, alongside writing by players both great and unknown, the perspectives of spectators, umpires, scorers and other unsung heroes of the game.
There are contributions from John Arlott, Neville Cardus, C. L. R. James and E. V. Lucas; Marcus Trescothick writes on his introduction to cricket aged three; Angus Fraser on meeting Nelson Mandela; Phil Tufnell on being shanghaied into getting a haircut by Mike Gatting; and Rachael Heyhoe Flint on being the first woman to step onto the Lord’s ground as a player.
But it is the cricket itself and the outstanding players and their achievements that remain the focus – the greats of the recent and distant past involved in some of their most famous exploits.
From ‘disgraceful scenes at Lord’s’, described by Irish writer Robert Lynd, to North America, which W. G. Grace toured in 1872, and from a match played on ice to the tropical islands of Fiji and Samoa, this is a collection that does full justice to the extraordinary breadth, diversity and enduring fascination of the greatest game in the world.
There are contributions from John Arlott, Neville Cardus, C. L. R. James and E. V. Lucas; Marcus Trescothick writes on his introduction to cricket aged three; Angus Fraser on meeting Nelson Mandela; Phil Tufnell on being shanghaied into getting a haircut by Mike Gatting; and Rachael Heyhoe Flint on being the first woman to step onto the Lord’s ground as a player.
But it is the cricket itself and the outstanding players and their achievements that remain the focus – the greats of the recent and distant past involved in some of their most famous exploits.
From ‘disgraceful scenes at Lord’s’, described by Irish writer Robert Lynd, to North America, which W. G. Grace toured in 1872, and from a match played on ice to the tropical islands of Fiji and Samoa, this is a collection that does full justice to the extraordinary breadth, diversity and enduring fascination of the greatest game in the world.
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Reviews
Outstanding ... sure to be regarded as a classic of its kind.
'Perfect material to help ease you through the cricket breaks on a glorious sleepy summers day . . . or to alleviate the boredom spent sheltering from the belting rain under the pavilion.'
This is a top-drawer selection of the very best and most intriguing writings on cricket, ranging from the 18th Century to the present day.
A fascinating range of 155 articles selected from sources of all periods and all quarters . . . the book, itself, is outstanding and cannot fail to please.
An absolutely marvellous book, a bedside and fireside joy. And it looks and feels good, too. Surely a Christmas necessity!
An amazing compilation of every facet of cricket imaginable - bright and breezy reading. Both a high quality 20/20 - a huge variety of entertainment coming from the most unlikely sources! - and a timeless Test because it is the sort of book you can dip in and out of and still not lose the thread! A triumph of devotion to the game!
A hugely enjoyable anthology where blogs mix with erudite historical pieces and personal recollections mingle with more magisterial pronouncements on the game at large . . . The book is full of well-chosen, fine writing and represents a very good reintroduction to the joys of anthology. An excellent index completes the package. A very decent collection and most enjoyable.
A pleasing mix of voices that capture the spirit of the game.
Cricket, as Sam Johnson might have averred, has all that life affords. Almost every aspect is touched upon in this delightful collection. It is the product of wide reading, deep interest and a versatile mind.
Ranges far and wide through the literature of the game ... almost certainly the only book in history to combine the best bits of Gus Fraser and Charles Dickens. Something for everyone, then.
Read the book if you love cricket or if you love life – or if, like so many of us out there, you believe the two expressions are interchangeable.
There is a treat around every corner ... this will stay on the bedside table for some time ... It is a splendid reminder that we have the best game in the world, and the best writers too.