Lines of beauty in an ugly tussle
Two contrasting innings unfolded at Old Trafford, from a pair of batsmen conjoined by the curse of doing things beautifully
Two contrasting innings unfolded at Old Trafford, from a pair of batsmen conjoined by the curse of doing things beautifully
"If there are hordes of impressionable young fans out there, they’re currently stuck outside the bubble"
Speedster did nothing to quell English cricket’s beating heart
"Innate English pessimism. Unshakeable English fatalism. All present and correct. Except where it actually matters"
In 2018, everything fell into place
"He’s hanging on by his fingertips at Lancashire"
"We want them out there, selling Christmas trees, delivering the Yellow Pages, digging graves!"
"Just when England’s thinktank thought they’d finally cracked it, a ‘wicketkeeper’ swings by, with faster hands than Dirty Harry"
Neither man should have to do it all on his own. But one of them feels like he has to.
"When I took over I was a little boy. Now I'm a man"
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.