County Cricket Matters Issue 26

Martin Chandler | 8:21am GMT 08 March 2026

Published: 2026
Pages: 38
Author: Chave, Annie (Editor)
Publisher: County Cricket Matters
Rating: 5 stars

This is possibly the best so far from Annie Chave and the CCM team, so much so that after reading it I had a look through some of the early issues. I have, of course, given all 25 of those a five star rating. If pushed I will admit that is in part simply on a point of principle given what Annie’s mission statement is, but the magazine has always been a great read.

But CCM has changed over the years, and for the better, as I realised on thumbing through the older issues. It has never been formulaic, but for a good while the articles tended to follow a few particular themes and as a result the contents were in some ways a little predictable. I hasten to add that that observation is not in any way intended as a criticism.

That is certainly not the case with CCM26 however. Some of the articles are on topical subjects, two on the Ashes just gone being the clearest example, but that said both of those find original and thought provoking ways of looking at a series that gave England supporters all of hope, consternation and excitement but, sadly, in the wrong proportions.

It has to be said that Annie’s editorial, always well worth reading, is rather more downbeat in CCM26 than it has been in the past. Her fears for the future of red ball cricket have clearly grown in recent times in contrast to the way that mine have, in no small part down to her efforts, receded over the last few years. Perhaps I am being overly optimistic, but I am sure we all hope not.

The first substantial contribution to CCM26 is Annie’s interview. Why hasn’t she done Jack Russell before was the first thought that occurred to me, and it is certainly a fine piece of work. One of the most popular men to have played for England Jack is known for his eccentricities all but one of which he, essentially, gives a perfectly sensible explanation for.

Naturally the interview contains a bit of cricket content, but that is largely incidental to Annie’s main purpose which is simply to give the reader an opportunity to get to know Jack better, something she has a great talent for, as her splendid book from last year amply demonstrates.

And I mentioned earlier the Ashes series just gone, and there are two essays in CCM26 which concern themselves with the series. The first is Jeremy Lonsdale’s In Their Own Words, which contains some interesting observations on some of the off field comments attributed to the England players and management that those who made the comments would do well to take heed of.

Stuart Callison’s Don’t Cry For Me, Huw Turbervill is an eye catching title, It references a comment by the editor of The Cricketer expressing sympathy to those England supporters who had travelled out to Australia for the first two Tests. Callison was one of those and he explains why, despite England’s disappointing defeats in both matches, Turbervill’s comments were well wide of the mark.

Also Ashes related, but from a more traditional CCM sort of feature, is Richard Whitehead’s piece referencing his excellent recent book, Victory in Australia, the definitive account of England’s victory in Australia back in 1954/55. The feature chooses as its focus the old-fashioned concept, rarely encountered today, of shock selections for touring parties.

The Australians also feature in Watching the Australians in England ((without going to an Ashes Test) by Graham Coster which has a self-explanatory title, and at its heart explores the ability of the top Australian players to get a feel for cricket in England by signing short term contracts with the First Class counties.

In the past CCM has featured some interesting player profiles, and none more so than that in CCM26 from John Taylor. His chosen subject is Harold Stephenson, a top class wicketkeeper and far from negligible batsman for Somerset between 1948 and 1963.

Outside the subject of elite mens cricket and the first Class games CCM26 hears from Brian Carpenter on the subject of the National Counties (Minor Counties to the gruff traditionalists amongst us, Dan Forman’s account of how a few of those said gruff traditionalists have come to celebrate the women’s game, and David Mitchell’s When Yorkshire Came To Town, a look back to the days when Yorkshire had an annual pre-season visit to the north of the county and the picturesque market town of Settle.

And finally, this time bang on trend as far as the reason why CCM came into being and the strongest possible evidence of Annie succeeding in her mission, is Sam Moreshead’s CounterPress, an explainer for what promises to be at least fifteen new websites each dedicated to a particular First Class county and staffed by independent writers.

All of which means that all self respecting cricket lovers who are not already signed up to CCM really would be – it is the best value twenty quid you will ever spend.