It's one thing to be 14 years old and a loser. It's one thing to be the class swot, and hopelessly infatuated with someone who doesn't know you exist. But what kind of teenager is besotted with an entire sports team - when the players are even bigger losers than she is? In 1993, while everyone else was learning Oasis lyrics and crushing on Kate Moss or Keanu, Emma John was obsessing over the England cricket team. She spent her free time making posters of the players she adored. She spent her pocket money on Panini stickers of them, and followed their progress with a single-mindedness that bordered on the psychopathic. The primary object of her affection: Michael Atherton, a boyishly handsome captain who promised to lead his young troops to glory. But what followed was one of the worst sporting streaks of all time - a decade of frustration, dismay and comically bungling performances that made the England cricket team a byword for British failure. Nearly a quarter of a century on, Emma John wants to know why she spent her teenage years defending such a bunch of no-hopers. She seeks out her childhood heroes with two questions: why did they never win? And why on earth did she love them so much?

Jonathan "Aggers" Agnew, England's voice of cricket, showcases some of the very best writings on the noble game, from the 1930s to the present day. In this wide-ranging and beautifully-produced anthology, Test Match Special's Jonathan 'Aggers' Agnew, chooses a wide variety of writings on the sport that has consumed his life, from the 1932/33 Ashes (Bodyline) series right up to the present day. In a series of carefully considered, thematically organised reflections, he examines the importance of their contribution to our understanding and appreciation of cricket. With input from several eminent cricketing historians, including the librarian at Lord's, the book contains a fascinating range of material, from renowned classics to books that have hardly seen the light of day in the United Kingdom (e.g. The Hanse Cronje Story by Garth King); from overseas fiction to modern day autobiographies (Marcus Trescothick, Simon Hughes, Mike Brearley etc.) that have attained classic status. With 75 seminal cricket images, original line drawings and a comprehensive index, this book is a must-have for any self-respecting cricket fan.

Alex Blackwell lived and breathed our national sport of cricket for thirty years. Starting as a kid, she spent her childhood and teen years on the field with her identical twin, Kate, who was equally devoted to the bat and ball. While both sisters went on to represent Australia, Alex built a 15-year career in the green and gold, eventually rising to the captaincy, notching up an eye-watering list of sporting achievements and etching her name into cricket's history. But life off the field brought challenges of its own. From her professional debut, Alex was unafraid to call out hypocrisy and go in to battle against the traditional hierarchies of the game. Speaking out and becoming a passionate advocate for women and LGBTQI people in sport won her many fans and much respect, but it didn't come without a price. Fair Game is the unmissable account of life and leadership inside Australia's most loved sporting team, told by one of its most capped players of all time. This is the story of the sacrifices and victories, the extreme highs and devastating lows, that come with playing sport at the highest level, and of what it takes to be truly courageous on and off the field.

'He played that so late, it was almost posthumous.' (John Arlott) For over fifty years, Test Match Special has provided the soundtrack to many cricket fans' lives - now this book collects its greatest hits. Here are all the witty sayings, bons mots, doubles entendres, wise words and priceless moments from the whole TMS team past and present, and of course their many and varied celebrity guests. Whether it's classic Test moments or hilarious asides from the boundary, you'll find the perfect line for every occasion. Collecting over half a century of quips and quotes, and beautifully illustrated throughout, The Wit and Wisdom of Test Match Special is a cricket fan's indispensable guide to bats, bowls, beards and bakes.

*Paperback edition* The 158th 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 an unprecedented year dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Writers include Lawrence Booth, Sir Garfield Sobers, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Gideon Haigh, Andy Zaltzman, Tom Holland, Duncan Hamilton, Robert Winder, Matthew Engel, Scyld Berry, Derek Pringle, Jack Leach and James Anderson. 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

Samir Chopra is an immigrant, a "voluntary exile," who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influence-really, an obsession-for him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom. Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This "shapeshifting" exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is "cricket's greatest modern crisis." But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts about the sport and its global influence are not those of a player. He provides access to the inner world of the global cricket fan navigating the world that colonial empire wrought and that cricket continues to connect and animate. He observes that the Indian cricket team carries many burdens-not only must they win cricket matches, but their style of play must generate a pride that assuages generations of wounds inflicted by history. And Chopra must navigate where he stands in that history. The Evolution of a Cricket Fan shows Chopra's own wins and losses as his life takes new directions and his fandom changes allegiances.

***** 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 2022 Felix 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?

Samir Chopra is an immigrant, a "voluntary exile," who discovers he can tell the story of his life through cricket, a game that has long been an influence-really, an obsession-for him. In so doing, he reveals how his changing views on the sport mirror his journey of self-discovery. In The Evolution of a Cricket Fan, Chopra is thus able to reflect on his changing perceptions of self, and of the nations and cultures that have shaped his identity, politics, displacement, and fandom. Chopra's passion for the sport began as a child, when he rooted for Pakistan and against his native India. When he migrated, he became a fan of the Indian team that gave him a sense of home among the various cultures he encountered in North America and Australia. This "shapeshifting" exposes the rift between the Old and the New world, which Chopra acknowledges is "cricket's greatest modern crisis." But it also illuminates the identity dilemmas of post-colonial immigrants in the Indian diaspora. Chopra's thoughts about the sport and its global influence are not those of a player. He provides access to the inner world of the global cricket fan navigating the world that colonial empire wrought and that cricket continues to connect and animate. He observes that the Indian cricket team carries many burdens-not only must they win cricket matches, but their style of play must generate a pride that assuages generations of wounds inflicted by history. And Chopra must navigate where he stands in that history. The Evolution of a Cricket Fan shows Chopra's own wins and losses as his life takes new directions and his fandom changes allegiances.

This fascinating book takes a very different look at Australia's most popular sporting hero, Sir Donald Bradman. Unlike the mostly reverent literature on 'The Don', this 2003 book explains how his iconic status was created and sustained, and what his popularity and heroism say about the meaning of Australian nationhood. Brett Hutchins' unique analysis reveals the mythical character of so many representations of The Don, and connects them to broader social phenomena and the cultural contexts in which they were created. Hutchins considers the many ways in which Bradman has been represented - as a symbol of Australian masculinity, as the quintessential Australian boy from the bush, as the 'battler', and as the hero at a distance from the political. Hutchins is able to show that many of the truisms we take for granted about Bradman and his role in Australian culture are open to challenge.

WINNER OF THE 2021 WISDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD, this book is a celebration of the elegance and timeless beauty of cricket its greatest and most stylish players, from past heroes to today s stars, along with its idyllic and hallowed grounds. Cricket has been played for over three hundred years and in some ways remains largely unchanged. It is this timelessness, and the style and spirit in which the game is conducted, which is celebrated in This Is Cricket. The book brings together such idyllic settings as Sir Paul Getty s Ground in Buckinghamshire, U.K., surrounded by rolling countryside, with the Otago cricket ground in New Zealand set against a backdrop of mountains, as well as the sport s most hallowed pitches, including Lord s (opened by Thomas Lord in 1814) and Melbourne Cricket Ground, which hosted the first-ever International Test match in 1877. Readers will venture on a journey to the Caribbean, where the fast bowling attack of the West Indies reigned in the 1970s, and to India, where cricket soared to new heights in the 1980s. From Shane Warne s hat-trick at the MCG in 1994 to Ben Stokes s heroics at Lord s and Headingley in 2019, This Is Cricket captures many of the game s most extraordinary events and players. The striking images of on-field action as well as candid dressing-room moments, some published here for the first time, are taken by some of the most respected photographers in sport. Featuring bucolic village greens, charming pavilions, endearing team portraits, extraordinary catches, devastating bowling, heroic batting, stylish sweaters, and silly fancy dress, this book illustrates why cricket is the second most popular sport in the world and why it is truly loved by so many.

Cricket is a game that has always attracted mavericks and characters. Cantankerous batsmen, lethal bowlers, criminal wicket keepers and philandering fielders feature as The Middle Stump looks at the good, the bad and the potentially dangerous of the cricket world. Dan has interviewed some of the biggest names in the game and those sitting on the knolls in the sun, and has spoken to everyone who is anyone in the cricket world. Now, based on years of cricket fandom and limited ability, he has collected the portraits of the most interesting players from recent years. Written in the same tongue-in-cheek and honest style that we have all come to love from The Middle Stump, this is a great read for all cricket fans.

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

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.

Here, for the first time, the Oval Test match of 1882 - every bit as dramatic as anything in the 2005 season - is recreated ball by ball all the way to the agonising climax when Australia won by 7 runs. Here, too, is the social context of that match, from the founding of Australia, spiced with a host of insights into how cricket was born and how it grew in a vast, rugged land. The story of The Ashes is more, much more. When the Hon. Ivo Bligh took an England team to Australia in 1882 - 83 he said he was going to reclaim the Ashes of English cricket, lost at the Oval. That led to a meeting with a property baron near Melbourne, an invitation for the team to stay at his mansion for Christmas - a knock-about match against the staff - and the baron's wife, who had a little urn on her mantelpiece. We know what went in it!

A new illustrated edition of the classic book of cricketing advice. Foreword by former England Test cricketer and bestselling author Derek Pringle. The advice found in Don'ts for Cricketers was originally printed in 1906 and contains hundreds of snippets of entertaining, timeless and amusing advice for cricketers of all abilities. The content, ranging from technique and equipment to etiquette on the field, provides a fascinating snapshot of life in early twentieth-century Britain. Advice includes: 'Don't be in two minds about how you are going to play the ball, for that way madness lies.' 'Don't be sulky or sad if your bowling is punished or your captain takes you off bowling when you want to continue.' 'Don't forget the motto of that famous old cricket club, I Zingari: "Keep your promise, keep your temper, keep your wicket up."'

This fascinating book takes a very different look at Australia's most popular sporting hero, Sir Donald Bradman. Unlike the mostly reverent literature on 'The Don', this 2003 book explains how his iconic status was created and sustained, and what his popularity and heroism say about the meaning of Australian nationhood. Brett Hutchins' unique analysis reveals the mythical character of so many representations of The Don, and connects them to broader social phenomena and the cultural contexts in which they were created. Hutchins considers the many ways in which Bradman has been represented - as a symbol of Australian masculinity, as the quintessential Australian boy from the bush, as the 'battler', and as the hero at a distance from the political. Hutchins is able to show that many of the truisms we take for granted about Bradman and his role in Australian culture are open to challenge.

Bringing together leading international writers on cricket and society, this important new book places cricket in the postcolonial life of the major Test-playing countries. Exploring the culture, politics, governance and economics of cricket in the twenty-first century, this book dispels the age-old idea of a gentle game played on England's village greens.

This is an original political and historical study of the game's development in a range of countries and covers:

* cricket in the new Commonwealth: Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Caribbean and India
* the cricket cultures of Australia, New Zealand and post-apartheid South Africa
* cricket in England since the 1950s.

This new book is ideal for students of sport, politics, history and postcolonialism as it provides stimulating and comprehensive discussions of the major issues including race, migration, gobalization, neoliberal economics, the media, religion and sectarianism.

THE WISDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR and THE CROSS SPORTS BOOK AWARDS CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR. 'The most complete, best researched, roses-and-thorns history of cricket in Pakistan' Independent 'As good as it's likely to get' Guardian The nation of Pakistan was born out of the trauma of Partition from India in 1947. Its cricket team evolved in the chaotic aftermath. Initially unrecognised, underfunded and weak, Pakistan's team grew to become a major force in world cricket. Since the early days of the Raj, cricket has been entwined with national identity and Pakistan's successes helped to define its status in the world. Defiant in defence, irresistible in attack, players such as A.H.Kardar, Fazal Mahmood, Wasim Akram and Imran Khan awed their contemporaries and inspired their successors. The story of Pakistan cricket is filled with triumph and tragedy. In recent years, it has been threatened by the same problems affecting Pakistan itself: fallout from the 'war on terror', sectarian violence, corruption, crises in health and education, and a shortage of effective leaders. For twenty years, Pakistan cricket has been stained by the scandalous behaviour of the players involved in match-fixing. After 2009, the fear of violence drove Pakistan's international cricket into exile. But Peter Oborne's narrative is also full of hope. For all its troubles, cricket gives all Pakistanis a chance to excel and express themselves, a sense of identity and a cause for pride in their country. Packed with first-hand recollections, and digging deep into political, social and cultural history, Wounded Tiger is a major study of sport and nationhood.

Cricket Drona takes us through the life of cricketing genius Vasoo Paranjape, who left a defining impact on the game, shaping the careers of some of Indian cricket's greatest figures, from Sunil Gavaskar to Sachin Tendulkar, from Rahul Dravid to Rohit Sharma. This book is a first-hand chronicle of stories, life lessons and game-changing experiences, written in the words of those who were lucky enough to have crossed paths with Paranjape at just the right time in their careers. For generations of cricketers across India, and even for some in other parts of the world, Paranjape has been an inspiration, a mentor, friend and guide. Peel back the layers and get to the core of a life that nurtured and nourished generations of India's best cricketing talent.

The latest release in the Remarkable illustated sports series features Britain's idyllic village cricket grounds. Featuring original photography from all corners of the British Isles. Written by Brian Levison, author of the 8,000-selling Remarkable Cricket Grounds, an Amazon No.1 bestseller.

The truth is that professional sport is a breeding ground for addictive behaviour. Luke Sutton is a business owner and successful agent to sporting stars such as James Taylor, Nile Wilson and Sam Quek, but his life didn't always look so positive. Back from the Edge reveals the huge ups and major downs that a professional career in sport can bring - and the mental health difficulties that can plague a sportsperson along the way. Luke knows this more than most. Brutually but refreshingly honest, this no-frills autobiography of the former professional cricketer describes in detail the moment he hit rock bottom, how he got there, his rollercoaster journey through rehab, and the important lessons he's learnt since. Throughout the book, Luke remains candid and reveals how his addictions affected his personal life, from his friends to family to his children. Back from the Edge is heart-wrenching. It's also thoroughly genuine, funny and utterly inspirational, and has allowed the former cricketer to speak about his mental health and to raise awareness of addiction in sport. Now a sports agent, he is perfectly placed to spot the warning signs in young stars, and to support them before they spiral into the same type of experiences he faced.

Combining reportage, anecdote, biography, history and personal recollection, A Last English Summer is an honest and passionate reflection on cricket's past, present and future. A memorable and acutely observed portrait of one summer of cricket from an award-winning sports writer who has watched - and loved - cricket since he was a boy, it is essential reading for anyone who cares about the English game. In 2009 the county system looked directionless and obsolete; more than ever the players blessed with central contracts seemed apart from, rather than a part of, the domestic game; the Ashes series was for the first time only available on pay-TV; and, of course, the juggernaut of Twenty20 threatened to flatten all but the Test form of the game, suggesting it may soon eclipse even that as well. Duncan Hamilton has preserved this seminal, convulsing season, which in years to come may be seen as a turning point in the history of cricket in a way that overshadows even the Packer Revolution of the 1970s. In the process he embarks on a journey - often a deeply personal one - through the history and spirit of the game. He experiences irresistible nostalgia for what has been and will never return, together with an overwhelming love for the game that transcends even the most dramatic shifts in the way it is played.

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 People A 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.

***** A BBC RADIO 4 BOOK OF THE WEEK & SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER "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 "Whether you love cricket or are still confused by the rules of the game, you'll love this. Felix's writing is warm and witty. A joy to read." - Cariad Lloyd Felix 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?

When England cricket captain Tony Greig announced that he intended to make the West Indies 'grovel', he lit a fire that burned as intensely as the sunshine that made 1976 one of the most memorable summers in British history. Spurred on by what they saw as a deeply offensive remark, especially from a white South African, Clive Lloyd's touring team vowed to make Greig pay. In Viv Richards, emerging as the world's most exciting batsman, and fast bowlers Michael Holding and Andy Roberts they had the players to do it. Featuring interviews with key figures from English and West Indian cricket, Grovel!: The Story and Legacy of the Summer of 1976 provides a fascinating study of the events and social issues surrounding one of the sport's most controversial and colourful tours - as well as addressing the decline of West Indies cricket and its loss of support in the new century.