The 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.

With the striking success of Shane Warne and Abdul Qadir in modern Test cricket, wrist-spin bowling is definitely back in fashion. In this fully illustrated and readable book, Peter Philpott shows players and coaches at all levels how to acquire the skills of this highly dexterous style of bowling. Areas include: the basic techniques covered step by step; solving bowling problems; how to bat against wrist-spin; mental and physical preparation for matches and the tactics to use. There is a Foreword by Keith Andrew

Beyond The Pavilion spans seventy years of social, regional and cultural history through the eyes of one of cricket’s earliest Test match wayfarers, Barry Knight. As a ten-year-old, Barry saw Don Bradman’s 1948 ‘Invincibles’ at Lord’s. His early days were spent playing street cricket in London’s East End, captaining his school against Eton College, and later captaining England Schoolboys. At the age of fifteen, he was recruited to play for Essex and went on to become one of England’s finest all-round cricketers. In this memoir, Barry reflects on his international playing career and his experiences touring India, Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand in the 1960s. He recounts tours with Fred Trueman, Geoff Boycott, Ted Dexter, and Colin Cowdrey and playing against the era’s best Australian, Indian, Pakistani, and West Indian players. He also shares stories about life in London in the Swinging Sixties and his place in the D’Oliveira affair, and the anti-apartheid protests. After his retirement, Barry moved to Australia in the 1970s and became Australia’s first professional cricket coach mentoring and developing three Test match captains: Allan Border, Mark Taylor and Steve Waugh. He also had a front-row seat in the development of World Series Cricket. The book includes endorsements from leading players, commentators and journalists, including Sir Garfield Sobers, Allan Border, Ian Chappell, Barry Richards, Geoffrey Boycott, Doug Walters and Sir Michael Parkinson. This sporting memoir is richly illustrated with photographs from Andrew Leeming’s and other private collections.

Widely regarded as one of the most important and influential sports books of all time, C. L. R. James's Beyond a Boundary is-among other things-a pioneering study of popular culture, an analysis of resistance to empire and racism, and a personal reflection on the history of colonialism and its effects in the Caribbean. More than fifty years after the publication of James's classic text, the contributors to Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket investigate Beyond a Boundary's production and reception and its implication for debates about sports, gender, aesthetics, race, popular culture, politics, imperialism, and English and Caribbean identity. Including a previously unseen first draft of Beyond a Boundary's conclusion alongside contributions from James's key collaborator Selma James and from Michael Brearley, former captain of the English Test cricket team, Marxism, Colonialism, and Cricket provides a thorough and nuanced examination of James's groundbreaking work and its lasting impact. Contributors. Anima Adjepong, David Austin, Hilary McD. Beckles, Michael Brearley, Selwyn R. Cudjoe, David Featherstone, Christopher Gair, Paget Henry, Christian Hogsbjerg, C. L. R. James, Selma James, Roy McCree, Minkah Makalani, Clem Seecharan, Andrew Smith, Neil Washbourne, Claire Westall

In 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.

South Africa has produced more great cricket all-rounders than any other country, and Jacques Kallis and 12 Other Great South African All-Rounders, a first on these remarkable players, is based on records, articles and interviews with living players as well as archival research of early players.

Over a hundred years ago, there was Jimmy Sinclair, the first man to score a century and take six wickets in an innings in a test match. More recently was the brilliant era of Eddie Barlow, Tiger Lance, Mike Procter and Clive Rice, as well as Tony Greig and Basil D’Oliveira, South Africans who played for England. A great tradition was established for the modern era: since re-admission in 1992 there has been Brian McMillan, Shaun Pollock, Lance Klusener and, the greatest of them all, Jacques Kallis. Jacques Kallis and 12 Other Great South African All-Rounders is about the 13 men each of whom were worth two or three players in one, worth their place as batsmen or bowlers, adored by the fans, and capable of changing a game with either of their skills.

With a readable mix of anecdotes, commentary and statistics, Jacques Kallis and 12 Other Great South African All-Rounders is the first book about these multitalented heroes of cricket. A very special feature of the book is the inclusion of the careers of four black allrounders who were unable to play for national teams because of their race.

This book includes comprehensive coverage of every League in the North West plus Youth and Women's Cricket, Leagues, Clubs, Contacts, Fixtures, New Structures, Previews and Reviews, Facts, Figures and Tables.

For many decades, women and girls' cricket has been under-represented, under-financed, undervalued and lacking in true organisation. Despite this, many thousands of female players over the years have fought against the barriers, developed their skills and fallen in love with this incredible sport. Recent years have seen an explosion of female participation, broadcast coverage, new teams, new clubs, new competitions and an undeniable sense that women and girls' cricket is establishing itself as the most significant growth area of the game. We've seen full houses at Lords and the MCG, we've seen the success of the Hundred, the Women's Big Bash, the prospect of a Women's IPL and most importantly, thousands of new players across the world benefitting from everything cricket has to offer. What is needed now, is to build on these successes, to provide resources and information for clubs, schools and coaches to start, to grow and to coach their own programmes. This book is the answer. Lydia Greenway has written a full guide on coaching, administration, formats, techniques, EDI and more. Packed with practical advice, the book has original contributions from some of the most influential players, administrators, coaches and broadcasters in the world, including: Charlotte Edwards, Alyssa Healy, Heather Knight, Kate Cross, Ebony Rainford-Brent, Henry Moeran, Nat Sciver, Isa Guha, Lisa Sthalekar, Mel Jones, Lisa Keightley, Alex Hartley, Clare Connor, Ali Mitchell, Charles Dagnall, Katherine Brunt, Amy Jones and more.

Sachin and Azhar at Cape Town is the story of an incredible partnership between Tendulkar and Azharuddin in the Newlands Test of 1997. Replying to 529, India slumped to 58/5 against Donald, Pollock, McMillan and Klusener. What followed was an exhilarating counter-attack from both ends, seldom seen in Test cricket. With Nelson Mandela watching on - he met the players during lunch that day - the pair added a magical 222 in 40 overs, treating the lethal bowling attack with disdain. Arunabha Sengupta and Abhishek Mukherjee relive the partnership, recounting and analysing every stroke, but as they do, they also bring to life the cricket, history and society of the two countries. Covering a multitude of topics as diverse as apartheid, Mandela and Gandhi, Indians in South Africa; cricket isolation and non-white cricket in South Africa, rebel tours; the television revolution and commercialisation of cricket; with other historical details and numerical analysis of the game supporting the text, this is a fascinating snapshot of cricket at that time through the prism of that impressive sixth-wicket stand.

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.

Test your knowledge of cricket over a wide range of topics: not only run outs and centuries but also cricketers who share their names with film stars and animals - everything from 'Tipping the Scales' to 'Holy Orders'. There are 18 picture rounds - memorable moments of cricket history and images of celebrity cricketers - and 16 rounds where well-known cricketers have set questions about themselves. Perfect rain break reading - full of fun and quirkiness! All proceeds are being donated to the Professional Cricketers' Association's Trust.

'A surprising gem' Wisden Cricketers' Almanack 'In summertime village cricket is the delight of everyone' the English judge Lord Denning famously wrote, in a case brought by someone who clearly disagreed with him. The case was just one example of how the game of cricket cannot always avoid the law. Neighbours or passers-by get hit by stray cricket balls, protesters interrupt matches, players get into fights, take drugs, and sue each other for libel. Court and Bowled examines a number of stories where cricket or cricketers gave rise to a legal dispute. Some involved the giants of the game such as Grace, Botham and Imran. Others involved village cricketers of more modest talents who were unable to keep the peace between themselves. Some cases were of critical importance to the game, such as Kerry Packer's High Court action in the late 1970s. Others were rather more trivial, such as spectators indulging in lewd attention-seeking behaviour. All of the stories demonstrated something common to both cricket matches and court cases: behind the intrigue, entertainment and theatrics of both there are always real people and real human stories. The book is written in a clear, accessible style, free of legal technicalities. It has been updated for the paperback edition to include the tragic death of Phillip Hughes, the perjury trial of Chris Cairns and the ball-tampering incident involving Faf du Plessis.

Bails and Boardrooms is the story of one of Middlesex cricket's best-loved players - a man who used the sport to change his life. David Nash lived and breathed cricket from a very young age. Touted as a future England star at age 15, he eventually found the strains of life as a professional cricketer too great and suffered severe mental-health issues. But the end of Nashy's 16-year Middlesex career proved to be the beginning of something far greater. Determined to make something more of his life, he set out on a journey that would see him build a multi-million-pound business. It was a business that would be his proudest achievement. This book charts Nashy's extraordinary life, from a cricket career of unfulfilled potential to building a business using the lessons he learnt from sport and raising millions for charity. This is a story for anyone who loves cricket or is interested in entrepreneurship. It's a story that shows how hard work, determination and talent can take you almost anywhere.

*Large format hardback* The 156th edition of the most famous sports book in the world--published every year since 1864--contains some of the finest sports writing of the year and covers every first-class game in every cricket nation, making it the cricketers' bible worldwide. @WisdenAlmanack

If someone were to say 'it's not tennis', or 'not football' of shabby behaviour in any walk of life, he or she would not be understood. If they said 'it's not cricket', they probably would be (though less reliably than a century ago). Is there some special spirit of cricket? The laws of cricket, like the laws of the land, aim at a sort of justice or balancing between different factions. The purpose behind cricket's laws, and behind changes in them, is often to calibrate the balance in the game between batsmen and bowlers, between attack and defence, between safety and risk. Cricketing lawmakers are interested in the overall appeal of the game to players and spectators alike. In Spirit of Cricket, Mike Brearley alternates between issues and examples within the game - from 'Mankading' and the 'Sandpaper' affair to sledging, mental disintegration and racism - as well as broader issues such as the spirit and letter of the law. Brearley examines the issue of how far what purports to be justice (in law or in spirit) may or may not be the expression of the powerful within the activity or within society. He also contrasts cheating and corruption, and reflects on the nature of penalties in regard to each. He discusses the significance of the notion of the spirit of the game for umpires, groundsmen, administrators, media and spectators - and, of course, for players. Intelligent and insightful, Spirit of Cricket points to qualities in cricket that enhance our development as people - including a sense of fair play, the embracing of striving both for our team and for ourselves and the important values of playfulness in life and professional sport.

For cricket enthusiasts there is nothing to match the meaningful contests and excitement generated by the game's subtle shifts in play. Conversely, huge swathes of the world's population find cricket the most obscure and bafflingly impenetrable of sports. The Changing Face of Cricket attempts to account for this paradox. The Changing Face of Cricket provides an overview of the various ways in which social scientists have analyzed the game's cultural impact. The book's international analysis encompasses Australia, the Caribbean, England, India, Ireland, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. Its interdisciplinary approach allies anthropology, history, literary criticism, political studies and sociology with contributions from cricket administrators and journalists. The collection addresses historical and contemporary issues such as gender equality, global sports development, the impact of cricket mega-events, and the growing influence of commercial and television interests culminating in the Twenty20 revolution. Whether one loves or hates the game, understands what turns square legs into fine legs, or how mid-offs become silly, The Changing Face of Cricket will enlighten the reader on the game's cultural contours and social impact and prove to be the essential reader in cricket studies. This book was published as a special issue of Sport in Society.

One of cricket's great characters, Franklyn Stephenson was branded a 'rebel' for touring in apartheid South Africa with a West Indian XI. As a black sportsman, he knew his actions went against the wishes of the authorities and that there would be consequences, yet he overcame the character slurs and subsequent bans from both his beloved Barbados and the West Indian Test selectors. Recognised as the first fast bowler to develop a cunning slower ball, Stephenson became one of the world's top all-rounders. The beaming Barbadian achieved cricketing immortality in 1988 by completing the domestic Double of scoring 1,000 runs and taking 100 wickets during an English summer - a feat that is unlikely to be repeated. Read about encounters, on and off the field, with household names such as Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, Clive Lloyd and Desmond Haynes - and a lifelong friendship with Sir Garfield Sobers. From a childhood full of dramatic life experiences to the heights of one-day finals at Lord's, here is the story of an amiable cricketing giant.

'Punchy’s Hampshire Years' tells the story of Alan Rayment’s life from 1949 to 1959, the years when he spent his summers inside the game of cricket. The book, following on from 'Punchy through the Covers', was to be the second of a three-volume autobiography, but sadly Alan Rayment died before he was able to complete it. Stephen Chalke has drawn together the written chapters, as well as notes, taped conversations and other titbits, to complete the story. There are delightful insights into the life of a professional county cricketer in the 1950s, a fascinating account of the successful ballroom dancing business that Alan and his wife Betty developed during those years and powerful descriptions of the life-changing spiritual experiences that led him to leave behind his life in cricket and dance. Even when he spends the summer of 1959 as an assistant coach at Lord’s, Alan’s radical thinking comes to the fore, generating a most surprising tale. In the words of his former Hampshire captain Colin Ingleby-Mackenzie, Alan Rayment had 'great ability and insight into people’s characters' and 'a number of qualities unusual in the normal first-class cricketer’ – and 'Punchy’s Hampshire Years' bears that out. Warmth and humour combine with a free-thinking spirit, ever curious to explore fresh worlds and new ideas, making this a stimulating memoir which is, indeed, much more ‘unusual’ than one by a ‘normal first-class cricketer’.

Wisden India Almanack, now in it's sixth edition pays homage to India's women cricketers, who over the past couple of years have been among the most talked-about, the most keenly followed and the most vociferously encouraged in the country. Starting with Menon and including Karunya Keshav, Sharda Ugra, Lawrence Booth, Aakash Chopra, Amrit Mathur, Simon Barnes, Ian Chappell, Shehan Karunatilaka, Bhagwat Chandrasekhar, Erapalli Prasanna, Samanth Subramanian and many more, the discerning reader has plenty to read and savour over 800 pages.