When this classic spoof was first published in 1983, the sports department at the Daily Telegraph rang the publisher to complain of a misprint in the title, and a well known radio commentator berated the author for daring to make fun of the cricketers' bible. But cricket fans loved it - and so did professional cricketers and umpires. (Test Umpire David Shepherd carried a copy in the pocket of his white coat and would read bits out during hold ups in play.) Thomas Winsden's Cricketing Almanack has been out of print for years - but now it's available as an e Book on Amazon (and a regular in Amazon's bestseller lists).
No one laughed louder than the real editor of Wisden at extracts read out aloud in the Press box.
A chuckle a page spoof.
It is a sort of Monty Python's guide to cricket - an irreverent but fond look at the game...the book caters for all senses of humour: the stupid, the droll, the slightly perverse and the warped and it is obviously written by a person who knows the game.
Provided aficionados appreciate the fun side of their sport they'll have a rare old chuckle or two.
You will find Thomas Winsden's Cricketing Almanack a treat...of course, it is a spoof of Wisden and has similar topics inside. Its 122 pages are witty and very funny.
You need to be a real cricket fan to understand the humour here - but among cricket lovers this book is now regarded as a classic.
Extracts appeared in the retro cricket magazine "Backspin" in 2014 and 2015.
Contents include:
- French cricket and world beach championships
- Sandwich makers averages and league tables
- Useful tips for women cricketers
- What umpires carry in their pockets
- Prayers for cricketers
- Etiquette for spectators
- Greatest tours no 17: the Germans in France 1916
- And much, much, much more
