FEATURES

In late-July (the 22nd and 29th), Peter Kettle published on this site a two-part article on contrasting styles of book reviewing, with attention to how they handled factual and other sorts or errors, which culminated in a classification of the different styles that readers could choose between.

Here the classification of styles is reproduced, so that more readers can express their personal preference for one or more of them – now that most people’s summer holidays are drawing to a close.

We suspect that most of you who use this site, in one way or another. will have a liking for a certain style, or styles. We now invite – and encourage – you to express your particular preference.

The portrait is of Rowland Bowen the notoriously acerbic book reviewer of the 1960s.

Guest writer Tony Wadsworth has been pondering some ideas he has formed for Test matches about imposing a maximum number of overs to be received by both sides in their first innings. Here he puts these to the test, before outlining their beneficial implications for the spectating public.

To introduce Tony to those who don’t yet know him, he is a former Essex Young Amateur wicket-keeper and opening batsman who faced up to the likes of John Snow and Richard Jefferson in their respective Young Amateur sides.

Tony then went to Cambridge University, starting his cricket in 1962 when Tony Lewis was Captain and Mike Brearley was Secretary of the team. Tony played in the Freshmen’s Nets and two-day Trial Match, doing so alongside future Test all-rounder Richard Hutton, Ray White later of Gloucestershire and Transvaal, and Anthony Pearson later of Somerset.

Tony’s cricket career includes spells in England, Kenya and Argentina before settling in South Africa. He currently resides in Port Elizabeth and maintains close contact with other “cricket nuts” in that great sporting country.

Guest writer Tiana Ealdred briefly sums up the final hour’s play at The Oval on 4th August, and probes – with help from some Parisians and Sir Toby Cook – Where to for the coming Ashes series down under?

Following Martin Chandler’s intriguing personal portrait of Lancastrian and England pace bowler, Peter Lever, writer Peter Kettle contributes this supplementary piece on his Test career – focussing on Lever’s triumphs down under.

In this two-part article, Peter Kettle reviews the various styles of book reviewing that are adopted by those contributing on this site and in a number of other forums. The focus is on how different reviewers respond to factual mistakes and also grammatical and typographical errors.

The purpose is to set the stage for those who use this site to express their personal preference for a particular style, so as to inform future reviewers.

In Part I, styles that show a bias to “reader protection” are outlined; followed in Part II by those showing a bias to “author/publisher protection”, which concludes with a formal classification of different styles and an invitation to readers to participate.

In this two-part article, Peter Kettle reviews the various styles of book reviewing that are adopted by those contributing on this site and in a number of other forums. The focus is on how different reviewers respond to factual mistakes and also grammatical and typographical errors.

The purpose is to set the stage for those who use this site to express their personal preference for a particular style, so as to inform future reviewers.

In Part I, styles that show a bias to “reader protection” are outlined; followed in Part II by those showing a bias to “author/publisher protection”, which concludes with a formal classification of different styles and an invitation to readers to participate.

This is a contribution to the quest for “continuous improvement” to England’s approach to batting in men’s Test matches. It is launched by an observation that – accompanying the impressive increase in the run rate under the new regime – there has been a substantial contraction in the number of overs batted per “completed” team innings. Going forward, the discussion focusses on discovering the most effective ways of easing this contraction while maintaining the run rate achieved, so giving a further boost to England team totals.

Part 8 of Pratham Chhabria’s interview with Lance Gibbs

Part 7 of Pratham Chhabria’s interview with Lance Gibbs

Part 6 of Pratham Chhabria’s interview with Lance Gibbs