Cricket is undoubtedly the elegant game, occupying a long-established & distinguished position in the annals of sporting history. Played by gentlemen the world over, the word cricket derives from the Anglo-Saxon word cric, meaning a staff or crutch
- giving us a game played with a long wooden implement
- & the first (reliable) mention dates back to Guildford in the 16th century. No-Balls & Googlies uncovers the origins of this captivating game, & explores its traditions, records, milestones & memorable moments through a fascinating array of facts & figures, anecdotes & curiosities. For example, did you know that the Hambledon Club of Hampshire, founded around 1767, is generally perceived as cricket's spiritual home? Or that British & Australian troops conducted their own Desert Ashes series in Iraq in 2005? Or perhaps an England XI's first overseas tour was to the United States? From the leg glance to leg before, king pair to cover drive, & from the no-ball to the googly, this book is sure to entertain, inform & delight.