Covering all aspects of cricket groundsmanship, this text sets the maintenance of modern cricket grounds in historical context by a survey of the groundsman's art since the 1600s. The work details the history of groundsmanship either side of World War II, looking at the modern role of agronomists and other scientists in the study of cricket surfaces. Subsequent topics include: the assessment of an existing table; pitch preparation; mechanized maintenance operations; fertilizer and top dressing; weed, moss, worm and pest control; renovation and repair; and care of the outfield. A chapter is devoted to the planning and construction of new grounds.

The Politics of South African Cricket analyses the relationship between politics and sport, in particular cricket, in South Africa. South African Cricket embraces an ethos that is symbolic of a wider held belief system and as such has distinctive political connotations in the region. Sport in South Africa is certainly influenced by forces beyond the playing field, but politics too can be influenced by the social and economic force of sport. Focusing on the sports boycott as a political strategy, Jon Gemmell analyses the relationship between sport and politics through a historical analysis of South African cricket. He employs case studies to explore the relationship between politics and South African cricket and argues convincingly that cricket assisted the reform process by undermining the legitimacy of the apartheid regime.

'Hughes takes us on a breathless tour through cricket history, the great players, personalities, matches and events. He never slackens pace or dwells on the dry details of the scoreboard.' - The Times From the William Hill Award-Winning author of A Lot of Hard Yakka comes Cricket's Greatest Rivalry: A History of the Ashes in 10 Matches, a fast-paced, distinctive history of the iconic, 135-year-old cricketing rivalry between England and Australia. The new paperback edition is completely revised and updated to include the tumultuous two series of 2013-2014, which saw more more twists and turns in this enthralling contest. No other sport has a fixture like the Ashes. From the early 1880s the rivalry between these two great sporting nations has captured the public imagination and made sporting legends of its stars. Commentator, analyst and award-winning cricket historian Simon Hughes tells the story of the ten seminal series that have become the stuff of sporting folklore. Cricket's Greatest Rivalry places you right at the heart of the action of each pivotal match, explaining the social context of the time, the atmosphere of the crowd and the background and temperaments of the players that battled in both baggy green and blue caps. Simon starts his story at the very birth of the Ashes and tells the tale of the band of Australians that took on the best gentleman and players in the Empire's HQ and beat them on their home turf. That momentous occasion set the tone for some epic contests including: The thrilling 1902 Test at Old Trafford, which was one by a mere three runs. The incredible innings of Hobbs and Sutcliffe in front of a tense and packed Oval in 1926. The legendary 'bodyline' series of Jardine, Larwood, Bradman et al in 1933. The incredible run chase in 1948 that also saw Bradman's last test. England's reprise in the fifth test of 1953 when Lock, Trueman, Bailey and Hutton steered the hosts to a whirlwind victory. The fearsome pace attack from the likes of Lillie and Thompson that transformed the contest in the first Test of 1974 and shaped the Ashes as a tournament for decades to come. Botham's Ashes in 1981 that restored pride in a sports-mad nation. The match up at old Trafford where the magic of one Shane Warne sent shockwaves through the game. And finally the breaking of the Aussie stranglehold in 2005, when Flintoff, Pietersen and Vaughan did the seemingly impossible and re-established the greatest of rivalries. The book also includes complete statistics and records of all the Ashes fixtures and results and much, much more!

Patient: Doctor, I think I’m a cricket ball! Doctor: Don’t worry, it’ll be over soon. Crammed full of hilarious cricketing jokes from players and pundits alike, Cricket’s Funniest Jokes will bowl over any fan of the gentleman’s game – guaranteed to raise a laugh when you’re stumped or when rain stops play.

Chester Cricket--the famous cricket in Times Square--is homesick. When his friend Mario takes him to a sky show at the Planetarium, Chester realizes how much he misses seeing real stars at night. Happily, he finds his way out of the subway into Times Square, where he meets a new friend, Lulu Pigeon. Lulu takes him on a trip beyond his wildest dreams. From Central Park to the top of the Empire State Building, from the Statue of Liberty and back to Times Square, Chester sees Manhattan in style--and even finds a little bit of country in the city!

In order to identify the 25 greatest cricketers of all time, ESPN assembled a panel of eminent cricket authorities. The result of their deliberations became the basis for ESPN's Legends of Cricket. The panel included Richie Benaud, Dickie Bird, Allan Border, Ian Botham, Ian Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar and Sir Richard Hadlee. The final 'legends' and the order in which they belong generated considerable debate. Most agree that Sir Donald Bradman is entitled to be No. 1, and Sir Garfield Sobers No. 2, but after that, opinions diverge. Can you compare WG Grace with Sachin Tendulkar? Who was the greatest West Indian fast bowler? Was Ian Botham, Sir Richard Hadlee, Imran Khan or Kapil Dev the best all-rounder of the '80s? Has Dennis Lillee's impact on the game been greater than that of Shane Warne? Greg Chappell is here; how about Steve Waugh and Allan Border? Which South Africans make the top 25? In Legends of Cricket, Geoff Armstrong profiles each of the champions who made the top 25. The profiles feature the opinions of more than 40 current and former Test stars, including 21 Test captains, the world's most famous umpire and a number of high-profile commentators and writers. What do the greats profiled here have in common? They all have powerful personalities, an unerring self-belief, courage and an unshakeable love for the game. Some are more flamboyant and charismatic than others, and not all are natural leaders, but every one has brought something new and extraordinary to cricket. Genuine Legends can do that.

Volumes for 1898-1968 include a directory of publishers.