Product Description

Remarkably, a paper as committed to sports coverage as the Telegraph has never collected all its best cricket writing over the years into one volume. Now Nick Hoult, who covers cricket for the paper's sports desk, has filled that gap. There is a wealth of material. The early coverage from the start of the twentieth century, is evocative reportage, ranging from the deaths of W.G. Grace and Victor Trumper and the exploits of C.B. Fry, through to "Jim" Swanton's magisterial distillations of Don Bradman's Ashes performances. From the seventies, however, sports journalism evolved into features, profiles and analysis, with for the Telegraph the superb writing of Tony Lewis on, for example, Clive Lloyd's all-conquering West Indians and the first World Cup. Then, into the nineties the more whimsical and personal cricket writing from the likes of Martin Johnson, Mark Nicholas and Simon Hughes, covering both keenly fought Tests and the most bucolic county match at Maidstone, with Barry Richards hammering an effortless hundred. Nick Hoult reports for the Telegraph's Sports pages.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #89106 in Books
• Published on: 2009-05-08
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 400 pages

About the Author
Nick Hoult reports for the Telegraph's Sports pages.

Customer Reviews

Rather unbalanced
As a long-time Telegraph reader I found this rather disappointing. Certainly, there's nothing wrong with the articles it contains, but half the book is devoted to the last 30 years, the first half to the period 1882 to 1979. I suppose the compiler needed another couple of volumes to make a really good job of it.
All the familiar Test highlights are there. I was hoping to find more on the county game; some very witty and entertaining reports were written by the likes of John Reason and John Thicknesse in the 1960's, for instance, but I could find only one of those.
There are no pictures apart from those on the cover, no scorecards and no index.

Fascinating
A splendid collection of the very best cricket writing from the Daily Telegraph, from the latter part of the C19th up to the early years of the C21st. This includes gems by a range of respected writers including the great E.W. Swanton, the witty and perceptive Martin Johnson, and the clear thinking and strong opinions of Michael Atherton. A fascinating cross section of British cricket history that can be dipped into time and time again.

The "Daily Telegraph" Book of Cricket.
Those who appreciate good writing and the game of cricket will enjoy this book, which is skilfully edited by Nick Hoult. The 125 years, or so, covered by the cream of cricket reporters through the pages of the D.T. are broken into eras of varying lengths, each introduced by a summary of events that draws the writings together.
How cricket reflects the world it inhabits. The coverage of the two World Wars is sparse indeed. The second of two obituaries is a Special Memoir to Dr.W.G.Grace -'cricket was made by ''W.G.''- which is detailed and justifiably lengthy. (The "Telegraph" is well for the quality of its obituaries). The introduction to this section mentions a cartoon of the time: the paper's proprietor is being attended by Dr.Grace-'thank you for what you have done for my circulation'. Worthy, I am sure, of the renowned Matt of today.
The Second World War has only one report,a short but sad obituary.
Whilst world events, such as those leading to the eventual demise of apartheid, greatly affected cricket, so did its own crises, such as Bodyline Bowling of the 30s, the 'Packer Years of the late 70s, and, 'perhaps greatest of all, the influence of bookmakers' in this century, which has brought death and corruption.
All the joys and tears, successes and failures, are lived through these pages by the writings of such masters as E.W.Swanton, J.J.Warr, Michael Parkinson, Christopher Martin-Jenkins,and so many others, with serious accuracy and often with great humour.
David B-W. (David Beresford-Williams)