The Cambridge Companion to Cricket

Perfect for fans and scholars alike, this Companion explores cricket's origins, global reach, iconic personalities and enduring popularity.

Anthony Bateman (Edited by), Jeffrey Hill (Edited by)

9780521167871, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 17 March 2011

306 pages, 3 b/w illus. 1 table
22.8 x 15.3 x 1.4 cm, 0.5 kg

'Impressively, the collection regularly delves into the sport's copious and diverse literature.' Jon Gemmell, Cricket Web (www.cricketweb.net)

Few other team sports can equal the global reach of cricket. Rich in history and tradition, it is both quintessentially English and expansively international, a game that has evolved and changed dramatically in recent times. Demonstrating how the history of cricket and its international popularity is entwined with British imperial expansion, this book examines the social and political impact of the game in a variety of cultural sites: the West Indies, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Australia and New Zealand. An international team of contributors explores the enduring influence of cricket on English identity, examines why cricket has seized the imagination of so many literary figures and provides profiles of iconic players including Bradman, Lara and Tendulkar. Presenting a global panoramic view of cricket's complicated development, its unique adaptability and its political and sporting controversies, the book provides a rich insight into a unique sporting and cultural heritage.

Cricket: a chronology
Introduction Anthony Bateman and Jeffrey Hill
1. Cricket pastoral and Englishness Anthony Bateman
2. Cricket in the eighteenth century Rob Light
3. Cricket and corruption David Frith
4. Broadcasting and cricket in England Jack Williams
5. Bodyline, Jardine and masculinity Patrick F. McDevitt
6. Don Bradman: just a boy from Bowral Tom Heenan and David Dunstan
7. The Packer cricket war Richard Cashman
8. New Zealand cricket and the colonial relationship Greg Ryan
9. C. L. R. James and cricket Kenneth Surin
10. Reading Brian Lara and the traditions of Caribbean cricket poetry Claire Westall
11. The detachment of West Indies cricket from the nationalist scaffold Hilary McD. Beckles
12. The Indian Premier League and world cricket Boria Majumdar
13. Hero, celebrity and icon: Sachin Tendulkar and Indian public culture Prashant Kidambi
14. Conflicting loyalties: nationalism and religion in India-Pakistan cricket relations Mihir Bose
15. Cricket and representations of beauty: Newlands cricket ground and the roots of apartheid in South African cricket Andre Odendaal
16. Writing the modern game Rob Steen
17. Cricket and international politics Stephen Wagg and Jon Gemmell
Further reading.

Subject Areas: Track & field sports, athletics [WSK], Cricket [WSJC], Ball games [WSJ], 20th century history: c 1900 to c 2000 [HBLW], Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900 [HBLL], Literary studies: post-colonial literature [DSBH5]