Cricket Books

[zaremba]

There's a great essay by someone whose name escapes me about a player whose name escapes me who played one First Class match, didn't bat or bowl (and may have fielded for one ball) which is a really good piece of writing about the magic of First Class cricket.

Someone will help me out with the names and details, I'm sure.

[fredfertang]

Fred Hyland - his one first class appearance for Hampshire in 1924 lasted two overs - I know a man who has already written a book about Clem Hill who is writing a book about him

[stumpski]

It might be the same one - I remember reading an essay in which the writer discovers that one of his teachers took part in a first-class match (for one of the Universities, presumably) that was abandoned after a very short time. In one of my cricket compendiums I'm sure.

[zaremba]

Fred Hyland - his one first class appearance for Hampshire in 1924 lasted two overs - I know a man who has already written a book about Clem Hill who is writing a book about him

Ah well, on second thoughts the magic of FC cricket isn't quite the same if the team you're turning out for is Pants

[zaremba]

It might be the same one - I remember reading an essay in which the writer discovers that one of his teachers took part in a first-class match (for one of the Universities, presumably) that was abandoned after a very short time. In one of my cricket compendiums I'm sure.

Yes that's the one. It's in a compendium by CMJ which a friend's wife bought me as a penance for accidentally locking me in a corridor outside her flat one day.

[stumpski]

Sounds like the sort of thing 'Crusoe' might have written, it was in that whimsical style.

[fredfertang]

This is Hyland's match

[zaremba]

And who wrote the essay?

I've a feeling it was Ralph Barker.

[fredfertang]

Yes that's the one. It's in a compendium by CMJ which a friend's wife bought me as a penance for accidentally locking me in a corridor outside her flat one day.

Do you really believe that Mr Z?

Sounds premeditated to me

................... anyway why were you there?

[Pratters]

AA Thomson had a wonderfully evocative way with words and wrote many fine books about the game but he wasn't one for stripping his subjects down to the bare bones and trying to work out exactly what made them tick - Rae on the other hand did, as best a writer can with no living contemporaries to talk to, dissect the myths so I'd recommend that - it's not rare and I am sure ABE will throw up several copies

Is abebooks.com an American site? If so I can buy loads of books as my brother is studying in the US at the moment.

[archie mac]

Is abebooks.com an American site? If so I can buy loads of books as my brother is studying in the US at the moment.

Not sure where the site is, but they have book dealers from all over the world, just depends on where the book is you want

[archie mac]

There was a Somerset player called McBryan who played in one Test in which he didn't bat or bowl - unlikely subject for a book you'd have to say.

Yes that is him. Really good read, although he does not spend much time on the Test

[Pratters]

Not sure where the site is, but they have book dealers from all over the world, just depends on where the book is you want

Great. I see a lot of UK booksellers. My other brother is studying in the UK.

[Pratters]

I have bought the following books, mostly after discussion with archie.

Andrews, Bill. The Hand that Bowled Bradman. Memories of a professional cricketer.

Cardus, Neville. Days in the Sun. A cricketer's journal. London,1924

Cashman, Richard. The "Demon" Spofforth. Kensington, (New South Wales), 1990

Fingleton, J.H. Batting From Memory. An autobiography.

Foot, David. Wally Hammond. The Reasons Why. A biography.

Hughes, Simon. A Lot of Hard Yakka.

Piesse, Ken. The Taylor Years. Australian Cricket 1994-99

Thomson, A.A. Cricketers of My Times

Low, Robert. W.G. A Life of W.G.Grace. 1st 1997

Simon Rae - WG

In Quest of the Ashes - Jardine

Wisden Almanack

Cricinfo Guide to Int cricket 2009 (I always find this book useful while watching games)

Cricket's strangest Matches

Hansie Cronje - Authorised Biography

Fast Men - Frith

Rain Men

Grovel

Have read 40 pages of Bodyline Autopsy. It is a good read so far though it started concentrating too much on the facts nearer to page 40.

[stumpski]

Great stuff, you've got plenty to be going on with there. Certainly there won't be anything you don't know about WG.

Not all of those titles are reviewed here; I imagine Archie will be hoping you'll supply us with one or two in due course.