Cricket Explained (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Some time ago I was having a drink with an American friend..." (more)
Key Phrases: medium pacers, innings match, slow bowler, West Indies, Little Snoring, Great Snoring (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

The complexities of the game of cricket are lost on most Americans. Eastaway, an avid cricketer, attempts to remedy this situation in a short yet inclusive look at a sport that is popular in Great Britain as well as numerous nations around the world, usually former British colonies. In addition to dispensing some basic history, the author attempts to show exactly what happens on the playing field, which player does what and why, and what all the baffling terminology (googly, flipper, cow corner, tonk, etc.) means. Those already bitten by the cricket "bug" (pun intended) will find this work helpful, but if readers don't have much interest in cricket to begin with, this book will probably not instill any. Written mostly in a question-and-answer format, with illustrations that are more cutesy than useful, this title will probably be of limited interest. Libraries that maintain in-depth sports collections should consider purchasing. Others can get by with a good sports or general encyclopedia.
- David M. Turkalo, Social Law Lib., Boston
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product Description

Cricket Explained offers the sports enthusiast a user-friendly introduction to baseball's British cousin, a game that shares with America's national pastime the common ancestor "rounders".

This is the definitive beginner's guide to the game of cricket, written by a world authority on the sport, the co-inventor of the Coopers & Lybrand World Cricket Ratings System. Cricket Explained takes the reader from the game's fundamentals -- basic rules, terminology, equipment -- to the finer points of strategy, individual playing styles, and cricket lore.

The book includes a combined glossary/index for easy reference and is illustrated throughout with the lighthearted drawings of British cartoonist Mark Stevens. So even if you don't know "short leg" from "silly mid off" or a bowler from a batsman, you'll come away from Cricket Explained with an understanding for this truly international sport which, like baseball, is loved both for its elegant simplicity and its vexing complexity.

Among the topics covered in Cricket Explained's concise, user-friendly entries are:
-- Cricket's history
-- Making sense of the action on the field
-- Batsmen and the batting order
-- Fielders and fielding positions
-- Fielding and batting tactics
-- Scoring and statistics
-- Bowling strategy
-- How many players are required
-- How runs are scored, outs are made, and a game is won
-- Umpires and the rules
-- Bowlers and their individual styles
-- Different types of cricket played throughout the world

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (March 15, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312094116
• ISBN-13: 978-0312094119
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #170,594 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic guide for the recently initiated, October 15, 2003

By	Mark E. Laughman (Chicago, Illinois United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I had the pleasure of catching two of the five days of an England test match against South Africa at the Oval during a recent holiday in London. As an American and an avid baseball fan, all I had ever heard of cricket was "boring", "incomprehensible" and, yet again, "boring". I found my two days at the Oval fascinating and was fortunate enough to not only have the patience to pay attention to the game during those two days, but also to stumble upon this great book at a bookstore on Fulham. I was even more fortunate to find the book between the two days I attended, read it from cover to cover, and have become a bit of a pest now to my American nonbelieving friends. Cricket is a great sport and if you want the quick and dirty, well here it is. From Googly to Howzhat, it's all here. Now I know enough to pester my Indian neighbors during the next test match. I wish I had this book last year during the World Cup. Great read.

15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and amusing at the same time, November 26, 2000

By A Customer

This book is best suited to somebody who has witnessed some cricket without having a clue what was going on. The book is filled with answers to questions typical of the ones a novice might ask (why do they all wear white? don't they all get bored? who's WINNING???). Fun cartoons throughout. I understand that the UK edition of this book is called 'what is a googly?'.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cricket Explained, January 20, 2000

By	Michael Hinterschied (Columbus, OH) - See all my reviews

This is a great starter book for anyone interested in the great English pastime of cricket. This book explains the rules to you without confusing you with lots of weird terms. Cricket Explained also recommends places to see matches and what to bring. I think this is a wonderful book that teaches you without confusing you.