Martin Chandler | 8:19am BST 06 July 2025
Ever since I began writing these overviews I’ve anticipated that, at some point, the variety of high quality titles will fall away. and that the attraction of print books and the acquisition of personal libraries will change into a factor of the previous. All I can say this time is that, but once more, authors and publishers have demonstrated that my expectations are nicely large of the mark.
A not insignificant a part of the explanation for this has been the emergence of Pitch as a daily writer of high quality titles, so I shall start with them. They’ve three extra titles due this 12 months all of which look fascinating. The primary is One thing Modified: Beefy, Boadicea, Brixton, Bunting and How Cricket Helped Change The Nation. It can actually attraction to these of us of a sure age, the blurb studying; by the prism of cricket and the transformative 12 months of 1981, Ben Dobson explores how sport and fashionable tradition can affect in addition to mirror society. Taking an revolutionary method, he considers the outstanding synergies between two of the period’s most iconic figures – Margaret Thatcher and Ian Botham.and the intriguing parallels of their careers, fortunes, elementary beliefs and the way their character traits and achievements would affect the way forward for Britain and its individuals. There may be due to this fact clearly no lack of ambition on the a part of writer Ben Dobson.
Following that’s An American Cricket Odyssey: A Journey into the Soul of Cricket in the US by Mark Greenslade and Beth Simpson. These of us who’ve loved the current efforts of Stephen Musk and Steve Smith to breathe new life into the historical past of American cricket, extra notably in Philadelphia, iwon’t discover this one including to their information of that period. This title appears to be rather more involved with the makes an attempt made to re-establish the sport within the US for the reason that flip of the twenty first century.
After which in October, simply in time for the Christmas current market, we might be getting Maestro: A Portrait of Garry Sobers, Cricket’s Biggest All-Rounder. There have been many books written about Sobers, however by no means a definitive biography. Writer David Tossell is at pains to explain this one as a portrait reasonably than a biography with a purpose to keep away from any suggestion that the good man has been concerned within the mission. Tossell did nevertheless spend time in Barbados researching the guide and, given his observe document, I’m assured that this one will quantity to as full a biography of ‘The Biggest’ as we’re ever going to get.
The great individuals at Fairfield Books have additionally been busy. Along with current autobiographies from Roland Butcher and the late David ‘Syd’ Lawrence they’ve additionally now launched Vic Marks’ The Cricket Captains of England (1979-2025) and, to sit down alongside it, have put out a brand new version of the guide that impressed it, Alan Gibson’s The Cricket Captains of England.
There are two extra books due this 12 months from Fairfield, each from former Warwickshire gamers. One is an autobiography from Andy Moles, Round The World in Forty Years. Moles is an fascinating character who opened the batting with appreciable success for Warwickshire for a decade within the Eighties/Nineteen Nineties. He has subsequently coached in South Africa, Hong Kong, Scotland, Kenya, New Zealand, Afghanistan and the Bahamas regardless of shedding his left leg under the knee to a surgeon’s knife in 2020 after contracting MRSA.
After which we’ve the autobiography of Ashley Giles, The King of Spain and I. His position within the superb Ashes summer time of 2005 implies that Giles’s place within the affections of English cricket lovers is safe for all times, and he too has had some fascinating roles within the sport since retirement, in his case in administrative capacities in addition to teaching.
One other UK writer, Bloomsbury, has three books in its schedule within the close to future, and have additionally lately launched Jarrod Kimber’s The Artwork of Batting, one I beforehand ignored.
The primary of Bloomsbury’s new titles is a glance again at England’s massively profitable tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1954/55 when Len Hutton’s staff secured a 3-1 Ashes victory. The writer is Richard Whitehead and the title Victory in Australia. The advantage of seventy years hindsight ought to make sure the guide is significantly better than any of the eleven modern accounts as Whitehead turns into the third man, after Alan Hill after which Frank Tyson, to pen a later retrospective.
Simon Wilde’s Chasing Jessop guarantees to be a guide for the true tragics amongst us. Because the document books present regardless of ‘Bazball’ the document for the quickest England Check century remains to be held by Gilbert Jessop, whose legendary innings in 1902, which turned nearly sure defeat right into a outstanding one wicket victory, took 76 balls to finish. Or did it? The unique scorebooks lengthy gone Wilde re-examines all of the obtainable modern proof with a purpose to set up whether or not the previous data are correct or not.
Lastly from Bloomsbury is 500 Declared by Scyld Berry. The sub-title is The Joys of Overlaying 500 Cricket Exams. Having already offered us with a wonderful autobiography Scyld will probably use the guide to have a look at the modifications in the best way the sport is performed which have occurred over these 500 Exams and his views on these modifications.
One other guide due from a mainstream writer is Tuffers’ Ashes Heroes: Legends and Characters from each side of Cricket’s Divide which is due from Harper Collins. It doesn’t sound like one for the connoisseur, however then I’ve thought that earlier than about books that bear Tufnell’s identify and been pleasantly stunned.
David Battersby can all the time be relied on to be engaged on one thing and he has simply launched one other publication on the Pakistan Eaglets. That is in contrast to his earlier books on that topic nevertheless. On this event the 16 web page brochure serves the twin function of celebrating the primary ever Eaglets sport in England, in 1952, and the two hundredth anniversary of Lansdown CC in Tub, the Eaglets hosts for that fixture.
David can also be doing a little bit of distributing on the facet, for a brand new guide revealed in.Pakistan as regards to Non Muslim Cricketers of Karachi, and written by Shah Wallullah Junaidi. That’s the second Pakistan revealed guide that has appeared this 12 months the primary being Nauman Niaz’s substantial work as regards to tall scoring, In a Totally different Realm.
As a proud Welshman there’s something else that David is concerned in, this time a collection of monographs which can be to be revealed by the CC4 Museum of Welsh Cricket. Every of the monographs is to be revealed in a restricted version of 100 copies and the primary, which has simply been launched, is Notes on the Evolution of Womens’ and Women’ cricket in Wales. The second might be Notes on Pre-Victorian Cricket in Wales and the third, and that is the place David will get concerned, is as regards to Glamorgan’s pre-season tour of the Caribbean in 1970.
And while as regards to Welsh cricket Andrew Hignell’s Glamorgan Cricketers collection, which is able to ultimately comprise biographies of all who’ve performed for the county, ought to see volumes 4 and 5 out earlier than the tip of the 12 months, masking the years 1980-1997 an 1998 to 2012 respectively. Lastly from Wales, and certainly Glamorgan, Richard Bentley has written a guide wanting on the excessive factors of the St Helen’s floor in Swansea, scene of greater than 400 First Class fixtures together with the Glamorgan v Nottinghamshire fixture in 1968 that noticed The Biggest hit Malcolm Nash for six sixes in an over.
Returning to museums the Gloucestershire Cricket Museum has lately revealed a booklet as regards to one of many county’s best gamers, Mike Procter. Hampshire Cricket Heritage revealed Stephen Saunders take a look at Hampshire’s Naval Cricketers earlier within the 12 months, and has simply launched one other booklet, John Winter’s reconstruction of the county’s 1975 John Participant League Triumph, Arlott, Rice and Richards.
From Australia The Cricket Publishing Firm have simply revealed a biography of Syd Emery by Pat Rodgers, From McDonaldtown to Lord’s. As to what may comply with Ronald Cardwell’s In Search of Frank Ward should be near being prepared and I consider {that a} new monograph within the Cricketers in Print collection is due quickly, this one being by Mike Coward on Rick McCosker. There are probably others within the pipeline, one in every of which should be Cardwell revisiting a topic he has written about earlier than, the 1919 Australian Imperial Forces facet that toured England, South Africa and Australia and I consider a guide on the New Zealanders tour of England in 1931 is sort of completed.
Elsewhere in Australia Ric Sissons and Peter Schofield’s newest guide has simply been launched. Trumper Throughout the Tasman, an account of the Australian non-Check tour of New Zealand in 1914 which noticed Victor Trumper enjoying his closing First Class fixtures. Revealed in a top quality restricted version the guide might be reviewed shortly.
Positively due from Australia in a number of weeks time is a biography of Bert Oldfield, and earlier than then Ken Piesse has assisted Greg Chappell in placing collectively an anthology of his writing which is to be revealed as The Chappell Chronicles. November ought to see the discharge of Ten Out by Ian Brayshaw
The above aside there are a number of different prospects. An account of the dual excursions of 1887/88 is completed and hopefully going to print within the close to future. The Percy McDonnell biography I’ve talked about beforehand could seem, as could a guide wanting again on the 1928/29 Ashes collection. For bibliophiles a guide is being ready about that trickiest of topics, the numerous early Australian annuals. By definition it’ll have a distinct segment market however I for one, regardless of having neither the means nor the will to construct a set of the annuals, would like to learn a definitive research of them.
And what of Clem Hill, absolutely a person who deserves a biography? Clem has been Archie Mac’s pending mission for so long as CricketWeb’s guide evaluate part has been going. In recent times I’ve heard of a few different potential biographers as nicely, however nothing has ever come of these both – maybe I ought to lock the three of them in an condo and never allow them to out till the job is completed?
Shifting on to India there are two titles which have simply been revealed. The primary is The Diary of a Cricketer’s Spouse by Puja Pujara, a guide I’ve not seen however it’s an fascinating thought, if certainly it’s a cricket guide in any respect, which I suppose it might not be. After which there’s an autobiography from Shikhar Dhawan, The One, Cricket, My Life and Extra. On a totally totally different tack is Gulu Ezekiel’s subsequent mission, due in August and at the moment titled Plucky 13: The Tales Behind the A number of Ranji Trophy Groups. It’s a lavishly illustrated espresso desk guide with a lot of contributors.
There are three books scheduled for launch by the ACS over the second half of 2025, two within the Lives in Cricket collection and the opposite within the Cricket Witness collection. The primary life in cricket is Fred Bakewell by Mick Pope which might be launched on 1 August. Throughout a handful of summers between 1928 and his fateful career-ending automotive crash in late August 1936 Northamptonshire opening batsman Bakewell scored over 14,000 First Class runs, together with 31 centuries, and his six Check caps for England produced a mean of 45.44 with one century towards West Indies at The Oval in 1933. A reformed borstal boy he was naturally gifted at sport: soccer and cricket and graduated rapidly to the ranks of county cricket in 1928 when nonetheless not out of his teenage years. Bakewell’s private life was clouded by turbulence each earlier than and after his enjoying days.
Bakewell might be adopted in November by The Hills of Rookwood: An Distinctive Sporting Household by Andrew Hignell. A lot farther from the mainstream of cricket literature this one tells the story of the Hill household of Rookwood who had connections with South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. It was right here that they initially made their cash earlier than Edward Inventory Hill was despatched throughout the Severn Estuary in throughout the early 1850s to handle the household’s new dry docks in Cardiff. It was an enormous success. Sir Edward, his little kids, and their very own offspring, all performed sport at county stage and in two nations – representing Glamorgan to the north of the Severn Estuary and Somerset to the south. Vernon Hill, who performed for Somerset and Oxford College from 1891 to 1912 and went on excursions of America with Frank Mitchell and PF Warner, and his son, Mervyn, who performed for Somerset and Glamorgan within the Nineteen Twenties and went on the primary MCC tour of India and Ceylon in 1926/27 are one of the best recognized however Hignell additionally consists of the story of Constance Hill, a pioneering determine within the early evolution of ladies’s cricket.
And at last the Cricket Witness collection will get one more contribution from nonagenarian Eric Midwinter; Christianity on the Crease: Cricket and the Church. This one won’t attempt to mythologise cricket nor to hunt out any sacred origins and attributes. It’s extra a sociological inquiry concerning the relationship of the Christian church, primarily the Church of England, with cricket. Generally the church, or branches of it, have frowned upon cricket, whereas at different instances it has discovered cricket to be a great tool in its evangelical mission. In so doing it has undoubtedly influenced the tone and conduct of the sport, though it has by no means really decided the apply and legal guidelines of cricket. The guide will cowl: The Pre-Victorian Period; Puritanism and Cricket in Britain; Hanoverian Diffidence: Cricket in a Riotous Society; The Victorian Period: How Anglicanism Influenced Cricket at House and Overseas; The Non secular Revival; The Public College Impact; The Oxbridge Impact; The Parochial Impact.
Pink Rose Books have simply revealed three new titles of their Monographs on North American Cricket collection, all three by Stephen Musk, Harry Brown’s Match, Carnage at Twilight and Their Most interesting Hour. That aside one other guide from Musk, on the 1922 tour of England by a staff of Canadians is all that we’ll undoubtedly see, though I used to be delighted to be taught very lately that they do have plans to publish Max Bonnell once more, with Father Marriott’s Summer season Holidays. Because the title suggests it is a biography of faculty grasp Marriott who spent three summers between the wars with Lancashire earlier than transferring to Kent. An completed leg spinner ‘Father’ performed as soon as for England, towards West Indies in 1933, and loved a outstanding debut, taking a outstanding 11 wickets.
Which brings me again the aforementioned Steve Smith who has already produced 4 books this 12 months (5 when you rely his fully reworked biography of Bart King) on The Australians tour of North America in 1893, the go to there of Lord Hawke’s XI in 1891, the Staten Island Cricket Membership and, for as soon as on a distinct theme, a guide concerning the historical past of the Sheffield Park Floor in Sussex. His one title to come back returns to the Philadelphians, and their seldom remembered tour of Jamaica in 1909.
A guide that has been a very long time within the writing is Windrush Cricket: Imperial Tradition, Caribbean Migration, and the Remaking of Postwar England by Dr Michael Collins. An affiliate professor of historical past at UCL Dr Collins’ guide is revealed by Oxford College Press and, on condition that it isn’t accompanied by the type of worth tags that typically connect to ‘educational’ books, ought to have large attraction.
And that, except one other title involving the Caribbean, is all I’m conscious of. That one is, while as regards to teachers, cricket historical past and West Indies from Professor Brian Stobbart. He has revealed Enjoying The Sport: How Cricket Made Barbados, a large ranging survey of the historical past of cricket on that small island that has produced such an enormous array of prime class cricketers from its tiny inhabitants.
