*Standard hardback edition* The 159th edition of the most famous sports book in the world - published every year since 1864 - contains some of the world's finest sports writing, and reflects on a year when Azeem Rafiq forced the sport to examine, more painfully than ever, its attitude to racism. The launch of The Hundred gave a huge boost to the women's game while raising many questions about the men's. Then, in the last two months of the year, Australia's men won the World T20 and retained the Ashes. Writers include Lawrence Booth, Stephen Fry, Mike Atherton, Gideon Haigh, Henry Blofeld, Vic Marks, Tanya Aldred, Andy Bull, Tim de Lisle, Emma John and Scyld Berry. As usual, Wisden includes the eagerly awaited Notes by the Editor, the Cricketers of the Year awards, and the famous obituaries. And, as ever, there are reports and scorecards for every Test, together with forthright opinion, compelling features and comprehensive records. "There can't really be any doubt about the cricket book of the year, any year: it's obviously Wisden" Andrew Baker in The Daily Telegraph @WisdenAlmanack

The first Australian cricket tour to India possesses an inherent intrigue that, for inexplicable reasons, has fallen into obscurity. Megan Ponsford rectifies this through her investigation of the uneasy relationships between Australia, British India and Indian nationalism during the interwar period, using the 1935/36 tour as a case study. The unique liaison between the entrepreneurial tour manager Frank Tarrant and the Maharaja of Patiala, who financed the exercise, led the way. From the palaces of the Raj to the foothills of the Himalayas, the evolving racial consciousness of the ragtag team of Australia cricketers defines the tour. The cricket establishment was also challenged as the tour defied the amateur game with participation encouraged by the Maharaja's deep pockets. Employing a unique methodology, this book interprets the material culture located in the archives of the Australian and Indian cricketers. In the absence of first-hand accounts, these artefacts enable insight into the forgotten and overlooked sportspeople who are finally given the voice and acknowledgement they deserve. It is a brilliant new contribution to the study of both cricket and history, and will be a great resource for academics, researchers, and advanced students of History, Politics, Sports, Sociology, and Cultural Studies. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

This book investigates the complex relationship between embodiment, identity and disability sport, based on ethnographic research with an international-level visually impaired cricket team. Alongside issues of empowerment, classification and valorisation, it conceptualises the sensuous dimension of being in disability sport and challenges the idealised notion of the sporting body. It explores the players' lived experiences of participating and competing in an elite disabled sport culture and uses an embodied theoretical approach drawing upon sociology, phenomenology and contemporary disability theory to examine aspects of this previously unexamined research "site," both on and off the pitch. Written in a way that values and accurately represents the participants' traditionally marginalised voices, the book analyses the role that elite disability sport plays in the construction of identity and helps us to better understand the relationships between disability, sport and wider society. Embodiment, Identity and Disability Sport is essential reading for any student, researcher, practitioner or policymaker working in disability sport, and a source of useful new perspectives for anybody with an interest in the sociology of sport or disability studies.

Based on extensive empirical research Investigates cricket's shifting popularity in contemporary British society Considers the international context and offers comparisons with other cricketing nations

"In a League of Their Own" is an insightful look at how many of the game's great players rate their best cricketers of the 20th and 21st century. One hundred World XI's have been selected. Players from the days of Jack Hobbs and Donald Bradman right up to Shane Warne and Sachin Tendulkar of the current day are all discussed. Find out which fast bowlers Sunil Gavaskar chose in his team - as one of the best opening batsmen of all time there is no better judge. Discover the most popular choices from over a century of Test cricket culminating in the best team of all-time selected by the greats themselves.

The world's bestselling cricket annual. The indispensable pocket guide to the cricket season. The 74th edition of the Playfair Cricket Annual is packed with all the information you need to follow the cricket season in 2021, as well as a review of events during the previous Covid-impacted twelve months. India are the main attraction this coming season, and here you'll find comprehensive Test match and limited-overs records and career records to help you follow the action. County cricket is covered in unrivalled depth, with biographies of all players registered to the counties at the start of the season, full coverage of last summer's events and a fixture list for all major domestic matches in 2021. There are also sections on women's cricket and the major domestic T20 competitions from around the world, which in 2021 will include The Hundred. For any cricket fan, the season is never complete without a copy of Playfair to guide you through it all.

Every cricket lover, for better or worse, has their year. The year it all fell into place or all fell apart. A year of triumph or disaster; of tragedy or comedy. This being cricket, there's normally a bit of everything. Covering 50 different seasons, from 1934 right up to the weird summer of 2020, a series of journalists, poets, musicians, comedians, and ex-players - plus the odd England captain - have come together to produce a collection of personal essays, using the game of cricket as the backdrop to tell the story of their own Golden Summers. 50 voices for 50 years: each one delving into the year that means the most to them. This is Golden Summers.

Nominated for Cricket Society Book of the Year Award 2002.
Winner of the 2001 Lord Aberdare Prize for Sports History.
Any attempt to understand the nature of social relations and cultural identities in modern Britain must consider the significance of sport. Sports have had a crucial role in sustaining national consciousness. Because cricket has so often been regarded as a symbol of Englishness, especially amongst those with economic and political influence, the role of race in the sport provides penetrating insights into English national identity, from the belief in racial superiority underlying imperial expansion through to more recent debates about sporting links with South Africa, and racial animosities at test matches.
This book examines cricket and race in England over the past century and a half. The author considers how far and in what respects cricket has reflected the racist assumptions of whites, and its role as an arena for ethnic conflict as well as understanding and harmony in England. In the first half of the twentieth century, commentary on the playing abilities of West Indian cricketers was often superficially laudatory but condescending in tone, and argued that racial characteristics would limit their achievements as players. More recently, campaigns to combat racism in the sport and the contributions of African-Caribbeans and Asians to recreational cricket show how central cricket is to appraisals of the cultural factors that have shaped ethnic relations. This absorbing book provides an incisive overview of the interconnections among cricket, race and culture.

Jonathan Trott was England's rock during one of the most successful periods in the team's history - he scored a century on debut to clinch the Ashes in 2009, and cemented his position as their pivotal batsman up to and beyond the team's ascendancy to the number 1 ranked test team in 2011. Yet shortly after reaching those heights, he started to crumble, and famously left the 2012-13 Ashes tour of Australia suffering from a stress related illness. His story is the story of Team England - it encompasses the life-cycle of a team that started out united by ambition, went on to achieve some of the greatest days in the team's history but then, bodies and minds broken, fell apart amid acrimony. Having seen all of this from the inside, Jonathan's autobiography takes readers to the heart of the England dressing room, and to the heart of what it is to be a professional sportsman. Not only does it provide a unique perspective on a remarkably successful period in English cricket and its subsequent reversal, it also offers a fascinating insight into the rewards and risks faced as a sportsman carrying the hope and expectation of a team and a nation. And it's a salutary tale of the dangers pressure can bring in any walk of life, and the perils of piling unrealistic expecations on yourself.

How can the diffusion and development of women's cricket as a global sport be explained? Women 's Cricket and Global Processes considers the emergence and growth of women's cricket around the world and seeks to provide a sociological explanation for how and why the women's game has developed the way it has.

Of all the rules governing sport, the laws of cricket are among the oldest. The first written rules of 1744 survive uniquely on the border of a piece of linen at the MCC Museum of Cricket. They were drawn up by certain 'Noblemen and Gentlemen' at a time when gambling on cricket matches was rife. The 'laws' were codified to ensure a fair outcome when so much was riding on the game. The story of the evolution of these laws and how they affected the game is a fascinating and seldom told chapter in the history of cricket. Following on from the success of The Rules of Association Football 1863 and The Original Rules of Rugby, this book reproduces the complete text of the original laws and is illustrated with images from the unique manuscript held at the MCC as well as images of the game from the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries. It also includes what is thought to be the first known image of cricket dating from a fourteenth-century manuscript now in the Bodleian Library.

In this true-life sporting memoir of one of the best batsman in the game who stunned the cricket world when he prematurely ended his own England career, Trescothick's brave and soul-baring account of his mental frailties opens the way to a better understanding of the unique pressures experienced by modern-day professional sportsmen. At 29, Marcus Trescothick was widely regarded as one of the batting greats. With more than 5,000 Test runs to his name and a 2005 Ashes hero, some were predicting this gentle West Country cricket nut might even surpass Graham Gooch's record to become England's highest ever Test run scorer. But the next time Trescothick hit the headlines it was for reasons no one but a handful of close friends and colleagues could have foreseen. On Saturday, February 25, 2006, four days before leading England into the first Test against India in place of the injured captain Vaughan, Trescothick was out for 32 in the second innings of the final warm-up match. As he walked from the field he fought to calm the emotional storm that was raging inside him, at least to hide it from prying eyes. In the dressing room he broke down in tears, overwhelmed by a blur of anguish, uncertainty, and sadness he had been keeping at bay for longer than he knew. Within hours England's best batsman was on the next flight home. His departure was kept secret until after close of play when coach Duncan Fletcher told the stunned media his acting captain had quit the tour for personal, family reasons. Until now, the full, extraordinary story of what happened that day and why, of what preceded his breakdown has never been told. He reveals for the first time that he almost flew home from the 2004 tour to South Africa, what caused it, and what followed--his comeback to the England side and a second crushing breakdown nine months later that left him unable to continue the 2006-2007 Ashes tour down under. "Coming Back to Me" will replace the myths and rumors with the truth as Trescothick talks with engaging openness and enthusiasm about his rise to the top of international cricket; and describes with equal frankness his tortured descent into private despair.

This book explores issues related to the abuse of referees and match officials in sport. Drawing on original empirical research in football, rugby union, rugby league and cricket, it provides an insight into the complexities involved in the recruitment, retention and development processes of match officials from across the global sports industry. Using an evidence-based approach, the book examines why abuse occurs, the operational environments in which match officials operate, and underlying issues and trends that cut across sports and therefore can be linked to wider societal trends. It challenges global sport policy and discusses the development of an inclusive, cohesive and facilitative environment for match officials, players, coaches and spectators to ensure the future provision of global sport. Referees, Match Officials and Abuse is an invaluable resource for all students, scholars and national governing bodies of sport with an interest in match officials, sports governance, sport policy, sport management and the sociology of sport.

'Fascinating and insightful . . . lifts the curtain to reveal the inner workings of international cricket. A must-read for any cricketer, coach or fan' Eoin Morgan 'This path-breaking book should be compulsory reading for commentators and captains - and all cricket fans' Mervyn King 'Clever and original but also wise' Ed Smith How valuable is winning the toss? And how should captains use it to their advantage? Why does a cricket ball swing? Why don't Indians bat left-handed? What is a good length and why? Why are leg-spinners so successful in T20 cricket? Why did England win the World Cup? Why do all Test bowlers bowl at either 55 or 85mph? Why don't they pitch it up? All cricketers long to know the answer to these questions and many more. Only fifteen years ago it would have been difficult to answer them - cricket was guided only by decades-old tradition and received wisdom. Data has changed everything. Today we can track every ball to within millimetres; its release point, speed and bounce point are measured as are how much the ball swings, how much it deviates off the pitch, the exact height and line that it passes the stumps, and multiple other variables. Hitting Against the Spin is the story of that data, and what it can tell us about how cricket really works. Leading cricket thinkers Nathan Leamon and Ben Jones lift the lid on international cricket and explain its hidden workings and dynamics - the forces that shape cricket and, in turn, the cricketers who play it. They analyse the unseen hands that determine which players succeed and which fail, which tactics work and which don't, which teams win and which lose. They also explore the new world of franchise cricket as well as the rapid evolution of the T20 format. Revolutionary in its insights, Hitting Against the Spin takes you on a fascinating whistle-stop tour of modern cricket and sports analytics, bringing cricket firmly into the twenty-first century by revealing its long-kept secrets. This is the most important cricket book in decades.

Available in paperback for the first time, Cricket and Community in England: 1800 to the Present Day is a path-breaking enquiry into the social history of the summer game. It is written by two specialist cricket historians and based on extensive primary research. It traces the history of the sport at grassroots level from its origins right up to the present day. It will appeal to the cricket historian and the general sports enthusiast alike. The book has two main goals: to provide readers with an accessible introduction to the history of grassroots cricket in England and to supply a clear overview of the different phases of this history. The structure of book is chronological but also thematic. The six chapters look at such issues as early cricket, the origins of clubs, competition, the two world wars, multiculturalism and cricket in the twenty-first century. -- .

Welcome to The Wicked Wit of Cricket, a compendium packed with the game’s greatest stories from both on and off the field. ‘The English,’ as George Bernard Shaw once remarked, ‘are not very spiritual people, so they invented cricket to give them some idea of eternity.’ Some might call it eternity. Others might instead regard it as heaven. The world of cricket is nevertheless one that is filled with larger than life characters – be they the great players, the unforgettable commentators, the legendary umpires or the most enthusiastic and barmiest fans. The contest between leather and willow is, after all, only challenged by soccer as the world's most popular sport. The Wicket Wit of Cricket is a sumptuous feast of cricket’s greatest tales, legends and anecdotes all spread out across the clubhouse table in bite-sized pieces. Bringing together the sport’s most famous quips, insults, pranks, mishaps, incredible facts, outrageous incidents, plus all those great moments of commentary where the words did not come out quite as intended. This is a book packed not just with wicked wit but with wicket wit as well!

The Player From 'Ponty' is the biography of Glamorgan cricketer Bernard Hedges, the talented sportsman from the valleys of south Wales who played rugby for Pontypridd and Swansea, represented a Great Britain side at football and became a widely respected cricketer with Glamorgan between 1950 and 1967, who: Scored 17, 773 first-class runs - Glamorgan's 7th all-time top run scorer. Hit Glamorgan's first one-day century, v Somerset in the Gillette Cup in 1963. Was one of only six Glamorgan players to score 2,000 runs in a season (2,026 in 1961). Bernard's journey from his early days in Rhydyfelin - the eldest of eight children raised in a small council house - to the local grammar school, his National Service days, and to his professional career with Glamorgan is lovingly revealed by his son Stephen, who tells the story of the sporting life of a man who epitomised the 'unsung hero' by showing great grit and determination to make the most of the sporting talent he had.

THE HILARIOUS NEW BOOK FROM ONE OF BRITAIN'S BEST-LOVED NATIONAL TREASURES! This is not a book of life lessons. But Freddie Flintoff has had a moment to reflect and he's noticed that throughout his four decades, although there's been little method in the madness, there has been the occasional common thread. The Book of Fred is filled with anecdotes, observations and the odd opinion all told with Fred's trademark humour and no-nonsense style. Fred's approach to life draws on the sublime (his series winning performance in the 2005 Ashes) and the ridiculous (singing Elvis Presley's 'Suspicious Minds' in front of a live audience), from highs (making the transition to top TV presenter) to occasional lows (accidentally upsetting the lovely Bruce Forsyth), from the profane (discussing Shane Warne's barnet with Hollywood royalty) to the profound (why 'having a go' leads to self-respect). Throughout, Fred shares his code for success, happiness and a life fully lived - and gives his readers a laugh, some joy, and (the occasional) pause for thought along the way.

Cricket and broadcasting explores how the significance of radio and television to cricket in England has grown since the beginnings of broadcasting. Since the Second World War cricket has been increasingly shaped by its relationship with broadcasting which has been a force for conservatism and change. Representations of cricket on radio and television have done much to determine levels of interest and participation in the sport. Major changes such as the growth of the limited-overs game, the expansion of international cricket, reforms to County Championship and the rise of sponsorship were dependent on support from television, and income from television has enabled county cricket to survive as the highest form of domestic cricket in England. This accessibly written book will be essential reading for scholars and students of sports history, social and cultural history, and media studies. -- .

Cricket is an enduring paradox. On the one hand, it symbolises much that is outmoded: imperialism; a leisured elite; a rural, aristocratic Englishness. On the other, it endures as a global game and does so by skilful adaptation, trading partly on its mythic past and partly on its capacity to repackage itself. This ambitious new history recounts the politics of cricket around the world since the Second World War, examining key cultural and political themes, including decolonisation, racism, gender, globalisation, corruption and commercialisation. Part One looks at the transformation of cricket cultures in the ten territories of the former British Empire in the years immediately after 1945, a time when decolonisation and the search for national identity touched every cricket playing region in the world. Part Two focuses on globalisation and the game's evolution as an international sport, analysing: social change and the Ashes; the campaigns for new cricket formats; the development of the women's game; the new breed of coach; the limits to the game's global expansion; and the rise of India as the world's leading cricket power. Cricket: A Political History of the Global Game, 1945-2017 is fascinating reading for anybody interested in the contemporary history of sport.

Ever since different communities began processes of global migration, sport has been an integral feature in how we conceptualise and experience the notion of being part of a diaspora. Sport provides diasporic communities with a powerful means for creating transnational ties, but also shapes ideas of their ethnic and racial identities. In spite of this, theories of diaspora have been applied sparingly to sporting discourses. Despite W.G. Grace's claim that cricket advances civilisation by promoting a common bond, binding together peoples of vastly different backgrounds, to this day cricket operates strict symbolic boundaries; defining those who do, and equally, do not belong. C.L.R. James' now famous metaphor of looking 'beyond the boundary' captures the belief that, to fully understand the significance of cricket, and the sport's roles in changing and shaping society, one must consider the wider social and political contexts within which the game is played. Contributions to this volume do just that. Cricket acts as their point of departure, but the way in which ideas of power, representation and inequality are 'played out' is unique in each. This book was published as a special issue of Identities.

Never Surrender: The Life of Douglas Jardine is the enthralling story of England's most controversial cricket captain, forever associated with bodyline bowling on MCC's tour to Australia in 1932/33. Despite his privileged upbringing and amateur status, Jardine's steely personality and win-at-all-costs ethos was more akin to the professional game. Confronted with the run-making genius of Australia's Don Bradman in 1932/33, Jardine resorted to a form of intimidatory bowling that helped England regain the Ashes, but his tactics shocked Australia and brought relations between the two countries to the point of collapse. To restore harmony, Jardine was disowned by the MCC cricket establishment and shunned thereafter, but now - in a more modern, competitive age - his reputation has undergone a rehabilitation, not least in Australia. Drawing on fresh material, award-winning cricket author Mark Peel reappraises an outstanding leader whose care for those he valued knew no bounds.