The quintessential barking-mad Yorkshire cricketer, 'Hoggy's' record-breaking bowling exploits for England allied to his humorous, uniquely oddball yet hugely endearing attitude to sport and life makes this essential reading for all lovers of the game. More than just a line-and-length cricketer's biography, Hoggy offers an entertaining insight into the weird and wonderful world of one of cricket's true characters. From the pub to the wicket and everywhere in-between, the dogged nightwatchman and wicket-taker looks beyond the runs and wickets to reveal what cricketers really get up to on tour and in the dressing room ...

In November 2010, Andrew Strauss faced the ultimate challenge for an England cricket captain: winning the Ashes on Australian soil, a feat that had not been achieved for 24 years. By the end of a series that gripped the nation, he had led his team to an overwhelming victory--inflicting an unprecedented three innings defeats on the old enemy. Winning the Ashes Down Under is the captain's story of a tour that exceeded all expectations. It not only reveals what went on behind the scenes as Andrew Strauss and coach Andy Flower put together their team of winners, but also paints a very personal picture of day-to-day life on tour. It is an inspiring tale of how hostile conditions, injury, and intimidating reputations were overcome by leadership, planning, a slice of good fortune--and extraordinary performances from the likes of Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott with the bat, and James Anderson and Chris Tremlett with the ball. Ranging from reverse swing to the sprinkler dance, from referrals to sledging, from despair at Perth to triumph at Sydney, this is the definitive account of a series that will live long in the memory.

Black Swan Summer tells the extraordinary story of Western Australia's first season of Sheffield Shield cricket, when an unheralded group of unknown, unfashionable and inexperienced players won Australian cricket's biggest prize at their first attempt. But it's more than just a story of an upset result in a cricket competition. It's a chronicle of the summer in which Don Bradman scored his 100th century, India toured Australia for the first time and the country plunged into political turmoil - which not everyone noticed, because they were at the cricket. The book explains the connections between men who returned from war to play cricket, the fear of communism, Mahatma Gandhi, rationing, Keith Miller, Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh, Ray Lindwall's back foot and a boxer called the Alabama Kid. Drawing on the personal reminiscences of the last three surviving cricketers from the 1947/48 season, it brings that hot, wet summer vividly to life.

The story of a lifetime at the very centre of international cricket, from the most respected TV commentator in the game. Few people understand cricket as well as Richie Benaud. For sixty years, as player and commentator, he has set the standards for others to follow and has witnessed all the major events in the game. No one else has found such favour with the vast numbers of cricket lovers in both Britain and Australia. A high-class attacking batsman and masterful legspin bowler, he captained Australia in 28 of his 63 Tests, regaining the Ashes in 1958-59 and taking part in both Laker's match in 1956 and the Tied Test in 1960. His television career, which began in 1963 while he was still a Test player, has coincided with a period of astonishing change - in the way the game is played, with the increasing popularity of the shorter formats, and in the way it is broadcast, with the innovations that began with World Series Cricket. In Over But Not Out, Richie Benaud has added extensive new material to his acclaimed Anything but . . . an Autobiography in order to cover the years since its publication; he not only revisits his long and remarkable career but also casts his eye over cricket in the 21st century. He gives his distinctive take on series such as the 2005 and 2009 Ashes and contemplates the future of the game he loves, revealing strong and sometimes surprising opinions on Twenty20, day-night games, technology, referral systems, no-balls, neutral umpires and match-fixing. Packed with stories and illuminated by his characteristic incisiveness and independent-minded good sense, Over But Not Out is required reading for all followers of the game.

Curious about the game of cricket? Start here! Cricket For Dummies, Third Edition will help you understand the basics of cricket, the internationally popular sport that has leagues around the globe. With this guide, you can enjoy watching matches, and even set up a casual game with friends. The book includes clear explanations of the rules, step-by-step guides to strategy and tactics, and info on all the most popular tournaments around the globe. Learn about the cricket greats of today and yesterday, plus get updates on the latest developments, including Major League Cricket and the Cricket World Cup. This new edition of Cricket For Dummies is a fascinating and thorough introduction to the sport, in the classic, easy-to-understand Dummies style. Learn the laws of cricket so you can watch games and follow league play Set up a game of cricket and play with your friends Get the latest updates in the cricket world, including upcoming must-watch tournaments Figure out the strategies and techniques that make cricket so interesting Cricket For Dummies, Third Editionis a valuable resource for new fans who want to understand the game of cricket.

The definitive cricket quiz book with 2000 quality questions on all aspects of the game. Since England won the Ashes in 2005 cricket has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. This book will appeal to quiz goers but also to cricket enthusiasts to enjoy as an informative read. Some of the facts and brainteasers will amuse and entertain as well. Questions allude to all facets of the game including the laws of cricket, the politics, the history, the venues, the teams, the players, the results and the winners and the losers. The major tournaments are covered - the Test Matches, One Day Internationals, The World Cup, Twenty 20, County Cricket and Ashes contests. Each quiz deals with a single category such as a county, a venue or a player but there are also some quirkier sections such as 'Cricket's Bad Boys', 'The Big Hitters', 'Players nicknames and middle names'. The questions vary in their level of difficulty and follow the formats listed here: * straightforward question and answer * true or false * who am I? * anagrams e.g. which player's name is an anagram of 'Fanned off twirl' * who said? * brainteaser e.g. which England player's name end in the letter i?

What follows, which explores some of the charms, the quirks and the peculiar allure of cricket from a variety of perspectives, is not intended as a memorial for long-lost sepia days. The game is still alive. Whether it turns out to be therapy for me or entertainment for you remains to be seen. To achieve both would be a bonus. From Somerset stalwart to acclaimed writer and broadcaster, Vic Marks has lived a life steeped in cricket. In Late Cuts he takes us beyond the boundary rope, sharing the parts of the game fans don't get to see, from the food served at lunchtime (then - sweaty ham; now - quinoa, cranberry and feta salad) to the politics of the dressing room. Whether revisiting his playing days to reveal the secrets of bowling a killer spell and what it feels like to be heckled by a riled-up crowd, or ruminating on the current state of the game (don't mention The Hundred!), this amusing and insightful collection will delight all cricket lovers.

Few other team sports can equal the global reach of cricket. Rich in history and tradition, it is both quintessentially English and expansively international, a game that has evolved and changed dramatically in recent times. Demonstrating how the history of cricket and its international popularity is entwined with British imperial expansion, this book examines the social and political impact of the game in a variety of cultural sites: the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. An international team of contributors explores the enduring influence of cricket on English identity, examines why cricket has seized the imagination of so many literary figures and provides profiles of iconic players including Bradman, Lara and Tendulkar. Presenting a global panoramic view of cricket's complicated development, its unique adaptability and its political and sporting controversies, the book provides a rich insight into a unique sporting and cultural heritage.

Love him or loathe him, Ricky Ponting is one of the biggest names in cricket, having been at the heart of so many memorable Ashes and Test encounters over the years. Coinciding with the end of Ponting's spectacular career, 'At the Close of Play' is a must-read for all cricket fans.

The 1970s in the East Midlands was a decade of mediocrity. As a young girl growing up there, Michele Savidge seemed destined for a prosaic life. But everything changed when as a 12-year-old she saw Viv Richards bat. At that moment, she fell in love with Richards and with West Indies cricket. She set her sights on becoming a cricket journalist and realised that dream in spite of the obstacles in her way. Between Overs is an elegiac, often comedic, romp through the trials Michele faced. It includes outrageous 'Me Too' incidents, in-depth appraisals of her hero Viv Richards and a close encounter with actor Peter O'Toole. Births, life, bereavement and depression took her away from the sport she loved. But the 2019 Cricket World Cup, a purple and green polyester tracksuit and the intense climax of the final at Lord's saw the old flame rekindled and taught Michele how to love life - and cricket - again.

Graham Thorpe's achievements on the cricket field contrasted wildly with his personal problems, where drink and depression combined to send him spiralling off the rails. This is his brutally honest life story, including his dramatic retirement from Test cricket, and updated to include England's 2005 Ashes win, and his new coaching career. Graham Thorpe was one of the best batsmen in world cricket for more than a decade. Yet the national press hounded him as 'English cricket's most disturbed player' for pulling out of a series of tours and turning his back on the game more than once. With painful candour and often unexpected humour, Thorpe dissects his career in cricket and the inner recesses of his private life: the impact of his bitter divorce; the suicidal depression that afflicted him in his darkest hours; the reasons why he needed to 'save himself' by withdrawing from past England tours; the elation of his magnificent century on his comeback Test at the Oval in 2003; and his fresh outlook in life with a new partner after confronting his own failings and past troubles. Twelve years on from his Test debut against Australia, Thorpe took the decision to retire from international cricket after the disappointment of his controversial non-selection for the Ashes 2005 tour. With updated material on his coaching spell in Australia - where he gained valuable insight into cricket's No 1 nation - his new-found media role and his still-relevant views on where English cricket is heading post-Ashes 2005, Thorpe will continue to be an important figure in the game for years to come.

Few modern British sportsmen have fascinated the public more than Geoff Boycott. In this first comprehensive and balanced account of Boycott's life - fully updated to include his battle against cancer - award-winning author Leo McKinstry lifts the lid on one of cricket's great enigmatic characters. A record-breaking Test cricketer and acerbic commentator, Geoff Boycott has never been far away from controversy during his long career in the game. Based on meticulous research and interviews with a host of players, Test captains, officials, broadcasters, friends and enemies, this definitive biography cuts through the Boycott myth to expose the truth about this charismatic, single-minded and often exasperating personality. What was Boycott like as a schoolboy? How did his England cricket colleagues such as Graham Gooch, Dennis Amiss and Brian Close feel about him as a person? Why was he so unpopular in his early career for Yorkshire? And what is the real truth about the relationships that soured his private world? From his upbringing as a miner's son in a Yorkshire village, through highlights like his hundredth century at Headingley against Australia, to the low points such as the damaging court case in France, this warts-and-all account of his life makes for captivating reading.

Get 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 career. He introduces a cast of genuinely colourful characters found in dressing-rooms and commentary boxes from around the world, and in the process offers a uniquely warm and quirky homage to his sport. A perfect gift for all cricket fans. Raves for Tuffers' Cricket Tales: 'Hilarious' (Daily Star Sunday); 'Amusing' (All Out Cricket); 'Deliciously eccentric' (Lytham St Anne's Express) Five star reader reviews for Tuffers' Cricket Tales: 'Just like having Tuffers reading it to you. A well written book, a vivid imagination and lots of stories to make you laugh' 'This book proves once and for all that Tuffers is a national treasure. The beauty of this book is that even people who only like cricket a little, love Tuffers a lot. A winner' 'This book is an absolute hoot. There's a funny story pretty much on every single page, and the warmth of Tuffers' heart shines through. An absolute must for all cricket fans'

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.

Described as the most exciting batsman to emerge since David Gower retired, Michael Vaughan provides a personal view of his own amazing acheivements during 2002. He also contemplates the controversy that surrounded England's ill-fated World Cup mission, and discusses the real story behind the decision not to go to Zimbabwe. Vaughan's thoughts about Nasser Hussain, the captain he has served most, and his other international and county colleagues are also shared. Every aspect of an intense and exciting year gets Vaughan's complete consideration - from being given out handled ball in India to clean bowling Sachin Tendulkar, from being targeted by Glenn McGrath to winning the Player of the Series award in the Ashes battle, and on to the World Cup fiasco. This is a compelling insight into the world of the 2002 Cricketer of the Year.

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.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest bowlers in the history of cricket, Shane Warne was a giant of his time. A sporting hero and national icon, young cricketers today are inspired by his leg spin legacy. Perhaps the most charismatic personality of any sport, Shane Warne's triumphs restored craft and subtlety to the foreground of the game. Taking the highest number of Test wickets when he retired - 708 at 25.14 apiece, he was chosen by Wisden as one of the five outstanding players of the 20th century. The rebel who used his injury in his early years to build strength in his wrists and upper body, his unwavering optimism and unassailable competitive spirit became a defining feature of the leading man of cricket. Packed with quotes and insights The Little Book of Shane Warne explores the man who, by unanimous consent, pitched the ball of the century, and earned his place in the pantheon of exceptional players. 'He was the best of them all and you can't say any more than that.' Michael Parkinson 'People put down their beer every time Shane Warne came on to bowl.' Ian Chappell

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.

Every cricket lover recalls the deeds of one Ian Botham during England's against-all-odds Ashes victory against Australia in 1981. Now, twenty years on from that memorable event, what could be more appropriate than to look back and remember when English cricket was on top of the world and reflect on the personalities past and present who have made the game so enjoyable to so many people.

'Botham's Century' is a unique collection of 100 cricketing characters taken from his own personal scrapbook. Players, some household names and others not so well known; umpires and coaches; mentors; television commentators; writers; groundsmen; popstars and philanthropists – in fact all those who in Botham's opinion have been an influence for good in the game during his era.

Featured among the cast of characters are the likes of the legendary Don Bradman, Garfield Sobers and Sunil Gavaskar; Botham's soulmate and sparring partner Viv Richards; rival fast bowlers Dennis Lillee and Jeff Thomas; and more recent stars of the game in Brian Lara, Shane Warne and the irresistible Darren Gough.

Not forgetting the more eccentric personalities encountered along the way, such as Dickie Bird, Jack Russell and Phil Tufnell; the late John Arlott and Brian Johnston from the commentators box; and Elton John, Mick Jagger and other celebrities from the world of pop and showbiz.

Entertaining, controversial, and written in typical swashbuckling style, these portraits from Botham's Hall of Fame are sure to incite a plethora of opinions from both those inside and outside the game. 'Bothams Century' will be a treasured item for cricket fan's and nostalgia lovers, as well as those just seeking a jolly good read.

Golden-haired and handsome, brothers Shane and Brett Lee are the latest in a long line of famous Australian cricket siblings. Brett's older brother Shane is also an impressive cricketer and an all-rounder of enormous talent. This is the incredible and inspiring story of these two cricketing firebrands and their stratospheric rise from the state game to their donning of the baggy green. From their backyard cricket days in Wollongong to the cauldron of international matches, the Lees have dealt with not only media scrutiny and injury worries, but also some of the world's finest batsmen, to hold their own amongst the game's elite. This is their story.

THE #5 TIMES BESTSELLER Ever wondered what it's truly like being an England test cricketer? Why not ask England's greatest ever bowler? Jimmy Anderson invites you into his world of cricket and gives you a very personal insight into what it's like playing at the top level. Through stories of his 16-year international career, Jimmy draws back the curtain on test cricket to reveal bizarre superstitions and rituals, strange training camps, the personalities he's encountered, life on tour and what it's like being a bowler in a batsman's world. Bowl. Sleep. Repeat. is a fascinating, entertaining and deeply personal look at the game of cricket and what life's like beyond the boundary rope.

For most of his professional life Michael Parkinson has been a highly regarded sports journalist. This consistently entertaining collection of his best articles reminds us that his first love is cricket and the people who excel at it. His ambition to play for England was thwarted, but not before he opened the batting with a young Dickie Bird at Barnsley. Along with hilarious memories of his cricket mad father and a lost youth emulating his heroes in street games, Michael Parkinson has written compelling descriptions of great players he has known and the moments or matches during which they became famous. Unsurprisingly, there is an edge to what the author has to say about cricket administrators and the way the game is run; the book is a sheer joy to read and written with the author's easy assurance.

Ian Botham's bestselling autobiography is an explosive blend of sex and drug allegations, personal upheavals, confrontations with peers and remarkable record-breaking feats. Voted favourite cricketer of the 20th century in a recent survey, Botham's outstanding contribution to the game, both as a player and an outspoken commentator for Sky television, makes for compelling reading.

In this fully revised and updated edition, Botham laments the continued decline of English cricket while putting forward his argument for a change in the selectorial process. Away from the game, he writes about his most recent charity walk for Leukaemia Research and where he sees his long-term future.

'Plenty of indiscretion, malice and comedy'
DAILY TELEGRAPH

'Catches the authentic flavour of the man'
INDEPENDENT

'The juggernaut of sports autobiographies'
EXPRESS

In 1932, England's cricket team, led by the haughty Douglas Jardine, had the fastest bowler in the world: Harold Larwood. Australia boasted the most prolific batsman the game had ever seen: the young Don Bradman. He had to be stopped. The leg-side bouncer onslaught inflicted by Larwood and Bill Voce, with a ring of fieldsmen waiting for catches, caused an outrage that reverberated to the back of the stands and into the highest levels of government. Bodyline, as this infamous technique came to be known, was repugnant to the majority of cricket-lovers. It was also potentially lethal - one bowl fracturing the skull of Australian wicketkeeper Bert Oldfield - and the technique was outlawed in 1934. After the death of Don Bradman in 2001, one of the most controversial events in cricketing history - the Bodyline technique - finally slid out of living memory. Over seventy years on, the 1932-33 Ashes series remains the most notorious in the history of Test cricket between Australia and England. David Frith's gripping narrative has been acclaimed as the definitive book on the whole saga: superbly researched and replete with anecdotes, Bodyline Autopsy is a masterly anatomy of one of the most remarkable sporting scandals.