New Observer's Book of Cricket

Few sports have undergone such monumentous changes, and the New Observer's Book of Cricket traces its history and evolution since those formative years when only two stumps were used and players bowled under-arm. Each of the Test-playing countries is comprehensively reviewed and a special section is devoted to the 17 English first-class countries, listing their development and principal achievements. But its pages offer much more, including the various competitions played in the United Kingdom and in many other lands; the growth of women's cricket and the thriving Northern League game.
Who scored two double centuries in the smae first-class match? Who hit the most first-class hundreds in his career? Who completed 1000 runs and 100 wickets in a season on most occasions? The answers to these and a myriad of other fascinating facts can be found in the many pages of statistics. Nor are the greatest stars of cricket overlooked. Their prodigious feats which made them household names are recorded in a series of easy-to-read biographies.
Ian Botham, whose exciting all-round talents have made such an impact on domestic and world circuits, introduces this compact and informative work.