Cricket Books

[archie mac]

Okay I have been a busy boy, three new book reviews

The latest by Gideon Haigh[http://cricketweb.net/content/bookre...wsIDAuto=2823] Silent Revolutions [/url]

Alex Buzo Legends of The Baggy Green

Just about every cricket term you could imagine Cricket Lexion

[luffy]

The Warwick Todd books are awesome

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by luffy

The Warwick Todd books are awesome

Reviews?

[archie mac]

Another Haigh book review, four stars for this one


Gideon Haigh Ashes Anecdotes

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by Matt79

I halfway through Armstrong's 100 Greatest Cricketers. I have to say I'm enjoying it and finding it more interesting than other "list of best cricketers ever" books, like the ESPN book of a few years ago. I think I like it so much because he's picked his hundred as 9 XIs, with one "100th man" to round it out - picking a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th XI etc is a peculiar and abiding fascination for me and I'm enjoying seeing someone else do it.

Unlike the ESPN book, or even Perry's Bradman XI's books, he actually provides some discussion as to why he ranks some players higher than others, whilst always flagging that he fully expects people to disagree. Also he has achieved so far a good balance between modern, post-war, between the wars, and 'Golden Age' players. I'm certainly learning about some players I hadn't previously read much about.

Mate, I'm reading the same book and picking my eqivalent 9 XIs...safe to say that KR Miller makes it a lot higher than the 4th XI where Armstrong picked him (I'm not sure anyone outside Kapil Dev's own immediate family has ever ranked him higher than Miller)! Also interesting that he makes no bones about not buying into some of the "myths" that surround some players and ranking them lower than is fashionable (such as Ponsford, Grimmett, even Nugget to a lesser extent). I'd be interested to see what your 9 XIs would be.

I'm really enjoying the book too though - he did a similar book a couple of years ago called Top 10s of Australian cricket, where he also took a different approach to ranking players - he divided up the history of Australian cricket into 10 "eras" and then picked the best player from each era, before ranking them in order to make his Top 10. The rationale being that oft-quoted maxim that a champion in one era would be a champion in any other era so his list was representative of all cricket history. Again, I didn't necessarily agree with his order, but it made for interesting reading.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by The Sean

Mate, I'm reading the same book and picking my eqivalent 9 XIs...safe to say that KR Miller makes it a lot higher than the 4th XI where Armstrong picked him (I'm not sure anyone outside Kapil Dev's own immediate family has ever ranked him higher than Miller)! Also interesting that he makes no bones about not buying into some of the "myths" that surround some players and ranking them lower than is fashionable (such as Ponsford, Grimmett, even Nugget to a lesser extent). I'd be interested to see what your 9 XIs would be.

I'm really enjoying the book too though - he did a similar book a couple of years ago called Top 10s of Australian cricket, where he also took a different approach to ranking players - he divided up the history of Australian cricket into 10 "eras" and then picked the best player from each era, before ranking them in order to make his Top 10. The rationale being that oft-quoted maxim that a champion in one era would be a champion in any other era so his list was representative of all cricket history. Again, I didn't necessarily agree with his order, but it made for interesting reading.

His poor rating of Grimmett really annoys me, in the Top 10 book. Also anyone in Bradman's era is at a big disadvantage

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by archie mac

His poor rating of Grimmett really annoys me, in the Top 10 book. Also anyone in Bradman's era is at a big disadvantage

That's a big issue I have with it too - what if Lillee, Trumper or Miller had played in the 1930s? They would only rank, at best, as Australia's 11th greatest player. He really isn't a big Clarrie fan at all, and goes out of his way to say so! He mentions it again more than once in this new book too, when explaining why he ranks Arthur Mailey above him.

The format in his new book also has a flaw in my eyes in that - with all due respect to wicketkeepers - there's no way I'd have 9 of them in my 100 cricketers ever. Perhaps I overrate all-rounders and underrate keepers, but a top 100 list that - nominally at least - has 9 of each seems skewed to me.

Still, as Armstrong himself says, it's an exercise in fun and half the point is that he's not a panel of experts, he's just a guy with an opinion like the rest of us, and we can agree or disagree with him as we like.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by The Sean

That's a big issue I have with it too - what if Lillee, Trumper or Miller had played in the 1930s? They would only rank, at best, as Australia's 11th greatest player. He really isn't a big Clarrie fan at all, and goes out of his way to say so! He mentions it again more than once in this new book too, when explaining why he ranks Arthur Mailey above him.

The format in his new book also has a flaw in my eyes in that - with all due respect to wicketkeepers - there's no way I'd have 9 of them in my 100 cricketers ever. Perhaps I overrate all-rounders and underrate keepers, but a top 100 list that - nominally at least - has 9 of each seems skewed to me.

Still, as Armstrong himself says, it's an exercise in fun and half the point is that he's not a panel of experts, he's just a guy with an opinion like the rest of us, and we can agree or disagree with him as we like.

Fair enough, he is not a bad writer, ghosts all of Steve Waugh's books.

I must admit I would rank Grimmett in front of Mailey and both behind Tiger

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by archie mac

Fair enough, he is not a bad writer, ghosts all of Steve Waugh's books.

I must admit I would rank Grimmett in front of Mailey and both behind Tiger

Ditto mate, I'd rank them exactly the same way.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by The Sean

Ditto mate, I'd rank them exactly the same way.

Where would you place Warne?

[The Sean]

Originally Posted by archie mac

Where would you place Warne?

Mate, for years I stayed misty-eyed over the greats of the past and stuck to an O'Reilly > Warne opinion, but it has to be said that I've come around these days. I have to put Warney at the top of the pile, for his sheer success and influence over such a long period of time. My great Aussie leggies ranking would go something like this:

1. Warne
2. Tiger
3. Grimmett
4. Benaud
5. Mailey
6. MacGill

With an honourable mention to Herbert "Ranji" Hordern, would have been very interesting to see how his Test career panned out but for a combination of WWI and his dedication to medicine over cricket.

The best part of this is that I know I don't have to explain to you who Hordern was, because I'd wager you know more about him than I do.

[Matt79]

Originally Posted by archie mac

Another Haigh book review, four stars for this one


Gideon Haigh Ashes Anecdotes

Three quarters through "Ashes Anecdotes" (Thanks Santa!) and have bought Silent Revolutions and have it in the que... both very good books! (and nicely reviewed Archie!)

[Matt79]

Re: rating the leggies, purely as bowlers, I'd have the same as Sean, but as overall players, Benaud would move past Grimmett into third for me.

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by Matt79

Three quarters through "Ashes Anecdotes" (Thanks Santa!) and have bought Silent Revolutions and have it in the que... both very good books! (and nicely reviewed Archie!)

Thanks mate

[archie mac]

Originally Posted by The Sean

Mate, for years I stayed misty-eyed over the greats of the past and stuck to an O'Reilly > Warne opinion, but it has to be said that I've come around these days. I have to put Warney at the top of the pile, for his sheer success and influence over such a long period of time. My great Aussie leggies ranking would go something like this:

1. Warne
2. Tiger
3. Grimmett
4. Benaud
5. Mailey
6. MacGill

With an honourable mention to Herbert "Ranji" Hordern, would have been very interesting to see how his Test career panned out but for a combination of WWI and his dedication to medicine over cricket.

The best part of this is that I know I don't have to explain to you who Hordern was, because I'd wager you know more about him than I do.

Rarely the old ones, but sometimes the new ones

I will hold on to O'Reilly one and Warne two, for a little longer, but after a few years we will realise just how good Warney is, and I might even change mm list, which at the moment would be


1 Tiger
2 Hollywood
3 Grum
4 Arthur
5 Ranji
6 Benaud
7 Gilla
8 Day light
9 Dutchy
10 More daylight
11 Jim Higgs