A cricket book that is also social history? That would be nice…
With the mine as a backdrop, the events of 1926, the general strike, and the subsequent treatment of the miners were etched in my soul. In this superbly researched and written book, Stephen Brenkley summarizes the mood in England as they try to wrest The Ashes out of the hands of the Australians.
This series is well-documented, but in my opinion, there’s nothing like this series like it has ever been before. Until the fifth and final Test, matches were played over three days, and in the pre-Bazball era, even heavy rains resulting in ‘sticky dogs’ were not enough to produce a result. Crowds lined up all night to watch the fierce series, which culminated in a legendary finale at The Oval.
England’s selection was as confusing as ever, and the team took on an experienced field at an absurd rate. Jack Hobbs was recalled for 43, wicket-keeper Herbert Strudwick for 46 and Wilfred Rhodes for the final (successful) Test 48. However, they won mainly through a well-documented opening partnership of 172 between Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe in the final match. Heavy rain overnight made the pitch dangerous and batting was considered nearly impossible by some.
Harold Larwood, a young Nottinghamshire pace bowler who would go on to greater things for Australia in 1932-33, made a difference and surprised the visitors in the fourth innings with his one-end pace and Rose’s guile. different.
The author paints a vivid picture of the matches in the series and provides more background on what the players did in the evenings, how they got along between matches, and how the country reacted to the series, which stands in stark contrast to what was going on. Around the Shire. There are delightful pen portraits of the main protagonists that enhance the book, as do the excellent photographs.
The miners were defeated, as were the Australians. They eventually returned to work, and if they had a job to return to, they had to work longer hours for less pay. Not all of them were like that, and it was a stark incident in the class divisions of this country.
Stephen Brenkley has produced a masterpiece and Fairfield Books has been commended with three books that will be on every cricket fan’s bookshelf this autumn.
This is great.
A summer that stands out: How cricket unites a divided nation Written by Stephen Brenkley and published by Fairfield Books
