Product Description

The 61st edition of Playfair reviews England's 2007 series against the West Indies and India, as well as their winter tours to Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The book is packed with all the essential information required to follow events on the cricket field, with unrivalled up-to-the-minute statistical detail on all first-class players registered in the UK and fixture lists for the coming season. It also features highlights of the 2007 summer and previews of next seasons major tours by New Zealand and South Africa, plus full Test match, first-class and limited-overs international records.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #201884 in Books
• Published on: 2008-04-03
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 320 pages

About the Author
Bill Frindall was the world's leading cricket statistician, and a core member of the BBC's Test Match Special team, for whom he scored every home Test from 1966 to 2008.

Customer Reviews

A detailed and invaluable pocket guide - ideal for any cricket fan
The "Playfair Cricket Annual" has an excellent reputation as the essential pocket guide for any follower of the game. Now in its 61st edition, it contains everything a cricket enthusiast should need to know, with a wealth of statistics on all the players and teams playing in England in 2008, on both the county and international levels.

As always, it has been fully revised for the 2008 season, with a new preface by BBC Test Match Special scorer and statistician Bill Frindall. Other informative articles include a brief analysis of the Duckworth-Lewis scoring system, used for resetting targets in rain-affected one-day matches; and an explanation of Kolpak registrations for overseas players - currently a controversial issue in the county game. However, the real role of this book is as a statistical reference, and in this respect it does not disappoint.

The first half of the book is a register of all players currently contracted to the 18 English county teams, providing vital statistics - such as height, career history, batting and bowling styles, highest scores and best bowling performances in both first-class and limited overs cricket - for every one. A further section lists career bowling and batting averages for all contracted first-class players, making this a comprehensive yet accessible ready-reference. The reader will also find records for every county and international team, and for every form of the game played in England (including Test Matches and ODIs, but also the County Championship, Friends Provident Trophy, Pro40 League and Twenty20 Cup).

Nearer the back are provided complete scorecards for every Test Match that took place in 2007, as well as a list of all English domestic and international fixtures for the 2008 summer. Finally there is a fielding chart illustrating the names of all the most common positions - ideal for new fans of the game.

All in all, the "Playfair Cricket Annual" is an affordable and invaluable guide. The information given is presented very densely, and in most cases the book's clear structure makes it easy to locate whichever statistics are required - although the small type may be a problem for those who are harder of sight. In addition, at only 320 pages it is relatively compact and lightweight, and its pocket-sized format means that this is an excellent companion for taking to matches.

The last one to be produced by Bill Frindall

It lives up to its normal standard. This volume is of some historical interest as Bill Frindall died before the 2009 edition came out. It is a little irritating that the author has not included statisics for some LOIs and one Test which he does not "recognize", although the ICC (and Cricinfo) does. Apart from that, it is a key addition to any cricket fan's library.