Cricket: A Modern Anthology

Cricket: A Modern Anthology
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Jonathan “Aggers” Agnew, England’s voice of cricket, showcases some of the very best writings on the noble game, from the 1930s to the present day.In this wide-ranging and beautifully-produced anthology, Test Match Special’s Jonathan ‘Aggers’ Agnew, chooses a wide variety of writings on the sport that has consumed his life, from the 1932/33 Ashes (Bodyline) series right up to the present day. In a series of carefully considered, thematically organised reflections, he examines the importance of their contribution to our understanding and appreciation of cricket. With input from several eminent cricketing historians, including the librarian at Lord’s, the book contains a fascinating range of material, from renowned classics to books that have hardly seen the light of day in the United Kingdom (e.g. The Hanse Cronje Story by Garth King); from overseas fiction to modern day autobiographies (Marcus Trescothick, Simon Hughes, Mike Brearley etc.) that have attained classic status. With 75 seminal cricket images, original line drawings and a comprehensive index, this book is a must-have for any self-respecting cricket fan.

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“It would be a great shame if cricket writing became exclusively the domain of former first-class cricketers. While we bring insight, knowledge and experience of the game that can only be gained from actually having been out there and done it, there is much more to cricket writing than that.”

Indeed there is, and who better to present a new collection of the best cricket writing of the modern era than today’s ‘voice of cricket’. As a young boy watching his newly-discovered cricketing heroes on a grainy black-and-white television, Jonathan Agnew quickly fell in love with the game and went on to pursue a career as a professional player who represented his country before becoming one of the outstanding broadcasters of his generation.

Taking the infamous 1932/33 Ashes ‘Bodyline’ series as his starting point, Agnew or, as he is better known, “Aggers”, selects the most entertaining, crafted and varied cricket writing to illuminate his personal reflections on a series of topics that dissect and explore the modern game from the era of Bradman and Larwood up to the present day.

Cricket: A Modern Anthology features a wide range of contributors including John Arlott, Neville Cardus, Mike Brearley, Simon Hughes, Michael Atherton, Jim Maxwell, Marcus Berkmann, Richie Benaud and Geoffrey Moorhouse.

This is a book brimming with personality and depth that sheds considerable light on the enduring fascination with, arguably, the greatest game ever played.

Jonathan Agnew was born in Macclesfield, Cheshire and brought up on a farm in Stamford, Lincolnshire. He went to Uppingham School before becoming a professional cricketer with Leicestershire. He went on to play 218 matches for his county, taking 666 first-class wickets, including five in an innings on 37 occasions. He played three Tests and three one-day internationals for England and was named one of Wisden’s five Cricketers of the Year in 1988.

He retired in 1990 to become cricket correspondent of the Today newspaper and the following year succeeded Christopher Martin-Jenkins as the BBC’s cricket correspondent. He won the Sony Radio award for Best Reporter in 1992 and in 1994, following the death of Brian Johnston, became the presenter of Test Match Special, commentating and reporting on the England cricket team around the world. In 2010, the Association of Sports Journalists named Agnew Best Radio Broadcaster of the Year, the same year that Test Match Special also won Best Radio Programme.

Jonathan has toured the world for 22 years as a cricket correspondent. He lives in the Vale of Belvoir with his wife Emma, four dogs and a cat.

CRICKET

A Modern Anthology

Jonathan Agnew


This book is dedicated to the memory of

Christopher Martin-Jenkins, who, through his skilful broadcasting, prolific writing and boundless love of the game, was cricket’s greatest friend.

Contents

Title Page

Dedication

Paul Nixon: Keeping Quiet: The Autobiography

Martin Johnson: Can’t Bat, Can’t Bowl, Can’t Field

Ed Hawkins: Bookie Gambler Fixer Spy: A Journey to the Heart of Cricket’s Underworld

Vaibhav Purandare: Sachin Tendulkar: The Definitive Biography

Gideon Haigh: Sphere of Influence: Writings on Cricket and its Discontents

Steve James: The Plan: How Fletcher and Flower Transformed English Cricket

Chapter 2: The Greatest Test Matches

Richie Benaud: A Tale of Two Tests: With Some Thoughts on Captaincy

Ray Robinson: The Wildest Tests

Denzil Batchelor: Games of a Lifetime

Rob Steen: 500–1: The Miracle of Headingley ’81

Mike Brearley: The Art of Captaincy

Chapter 3: The Professional

Leo McKinstry: Jack Hobbs:England’s Greatest Cricketer

Max Davidson: We’ll Get ’Em in Sequins: Manliness, Yorkshire Cricket and the Century That Changed Everything

John Arlott: Fred:Portrait of a Fast Bowler

Chris Waters: Fred Trueman: The Authorised Biography

Amol Rajan: Twirlymen: The History of Cricket’s Greatest Spin Bowlers

Geoffrey Boycott: BoycottOn Cricket

Mike Brearley: The Art of Captaincy

Simon Wilde: Ian Botham: The Power and the Glory

Phil Tufnell: The Autobiography: What Now?

Simon Hughes: A Lot of Hard Yakka

Matthew Hayden: Standing My Ground

Chapter 4: Gentlemen and Players

Geoffrey Moorhouse: The Best Loved Game

Harry Pearson: Slipless in Settle: A Slow Turn Around Northern Cricket

Harry Thompson: Penguins Stopped Play

Marcus Berkmann: Rain Men: The Madness of Cricket

Marcus Berkmann: Zimmer Men: The Trials and Tribulations of the Ageing Cricketer



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