Alf Gover: The Mr Chips of cricket teachers – Almanack
"He was the proprietor of a legendary indoor cricket school in Wandsworth, south London"
"He was the proprietor of a legendary indoor cricket school in Wandsworth, south London"
"He was as good as Bradman"
"The great thing about him is his unfailing ability to make a valuable contribution"
"A summer when the memories forged were simply never to fade"
"All I ever wanted to do was play for England and compete against the old enemy"
"The West Indies team of 1976 were the best I’ve ever seen and the best I expect to see"
"If he hadn’t have got injured he would have comfortably played 100 Tests"
From 'worst' to best
31 names, eight minutes
"Leg-spinners are eccentrics in the garden shed"
The latest issue of Wisden Cricket Monthly, guest-edited by Isa Guha, out May 5:
The 160th edition of the most famous sports book in the world – published every year since 1864 – contains some of the world’s finest sports writing. It reflects on the extraordinary life of Shane Warne, who died far too early in 2022, and looks back at another legendary bowler, S.F. Barnes, on the 150th anniversary of his birth. Wisden also reports on England’s triumph at the T20 World Cup, to go alongside their 2019 ODI success, and on their Test team’s thrilling rejuvenation under Brendon McCullum and Ben Stokes.
Writers include Lawrence Booth, Gideon Haigh, James Holland, Jonathan Liew, Emma John, David Frith, Simon Wilde, Jon Hotten, Robert Winder, Tanya Aldred and Neil Harvey, the last survivor from Australia’s famous 1948 Ashes tour of England. As usual, Wisden includes the eagerly awaited Notes by The Editor, the Cricketers of The Year awards, and the obituaries. And, as ever, there are reports and scorecards for every Test, together with forthright opinion, compelling features and comprehensive records.
Cricket’s past is steeped in a tradition of great writing and Wisden is making sure its future will be too. The Nightwatchman is a quarterly collection of essays and long-form articles which debuted in March 2013 and is available in book and e-book formats.
Every issue features an array of authors from around the world, writing beautifully and at length about the game and its myriad offshoots.