Britain's Lost Cricket Grounds Hardcover English by Chris Arnot - 1/Nov/14

Chris Arnot

Part of what makes our most cherished memories of cricket so special, be it a magisterial innings or an unplayable spell of bowling, is the recollection of where the action took place. Those blazing centuries Barry Richards used to score before lunch; Dennis Compton breaking Jack Hobb's record in 1947 with his 17th hundred of the season; that session by Frank Tyson that was the fastest anyone in the ground had ever witnessed - such moments were special not just because we witnessed them but because of where we witnessed them. In this beautiful book, Chris Arnot goes in search of the most beloved lost cricket grounds up and down Britain. From the county ground at Southampton and the former test match ground at Bramall Lane in Sheffield to the many works grounds that have fallen into disuse in recent decades, the halcyon days of every one are evoked in the reminiscences of players and spectators; as are the sad histories of decline, dereliction and, all too frequently, re-development that followed. Whether it was the old school ground that witnessed a young Wally Hammond test its boundaries, the country house ground that was graced by Ranjitsihji, or a tiny village ground not much more than a bucolic farmer's field, Britain's Lost Cricket Grounds takes the reader on a nostalgic tour of the places great and small that will never host cricket's greats again.

1781313334

9781781313336

English

AURUM PRESS

1/Nov/14

192

CHRIS ARNOT is a national freelance feature writer who has written on specialist subjects including arts and education, property, pubs, food and travel. A regular contributor to the Guardian, he has also written for the Daily Telegraph, the Independent and the Observer. He also co-wrote The Archers Archives for BBC Books. His recent titles for Aurum include Britain's Lost Breweries and Beers, Britain's Lost Mines and Britain's Lost Cricket Festivals.

Chris Arnot's heady romantic hymn to a variety of once famous fields is a coffee-table classic for and of posterity. Everyone will mourn for a personal vanished favourite.' - Frank Keating Sports Books of the Year The Guardian 'Delightful new book' - Brian Viner Independent 'A wonderfully observed volume, thick in crucial memories, whether through sharp anecdotes or poignant photographs' Daily Telegraph 'A handsome new volume...there are many lovely old photogrtaphs and some marvellous stories, beautifully told.' - Richard Williams The Guardian 'Superb book...from the vast collection of images in the book you get a real sense of how cricket in Britain used to be' Good Book Guide 'For any cricket lover who cares about the game's history this is to treasure. Britain's Lost Cricket Grounds is a coffee-table book too luxurious to be read merely while drinking coffee. It is to be consumed, devoured and savoured' The Cricketer 'Packed full of stunning photographs...this is a lovely, poignant book that will charm any reader with a historical bent' All Out Cricket 'A beautifully written volume that is rich in history and anecdote...some magnificent photos will invoke poignant memories' Thesportsbookshelf 'It should stir cricket lovers everywhere to do whatever they can to protect and preserve the grounds that are left' This England magazine 'a beautifully produced and elegantly written odyssey around cricket venues that have gone for ever' -- Richard Whitehead The Times