Full Description
DAILY TELEGRAPH AND MAIL ON SUNDAY SPORTS BOOKS OF THE YEAR
'Meticulously researched and (for any cricket fan) unputdownable... splendidly atmospheric' - THE TIMES
'A wonderful book... an excellent re-telling.' - MIKE ATHERTON
'A masterpiece that sets the bar for blending cricket and social history' - NICK HOULT, THE DAILY TELEGRAPH
THE DEFINITIVE ACCOUNT OF AN EPIC ASHES BATTLE
The Ashes series of 1954-55 marked a watershed moment in the history of English cricket. Under the leadership of Len Hutton, the national team's first professional captain, one of the greatest group of players ever to represent England won an Ashes series in Australia for the first time in more than 20 years. It is a feat that has been repeated only four times in more than 70 years since.
But Hutton's men had to overcome the additional obstacle of losing heavily in the first Test - only one England team has managed to win an overseas Ashes series after such a monumental setback.
The names of the cricketers who locked horns in 1954-55 resonate down the decades - Hutton's team included Denis Compton, Frank Tyson, Brian Statham, Trevor Bailey, Godfrey Evans, Peter May and Colin Cowdrey. Among their Australian opponents were Ray Lindwall, Keith Miller, Neil Harvey and Richie Benaud. In the 1950s, these players were not just elite sportsmen, they were household names.
An Ashes series for the ages is brought thrillingly to life in this momentous slice of sporting and social history.
Contents
Introduction
Dramatis personae
Part 1: Debacle in Brisbane
Part 2: Plots, coups and the English class system
Part 3: Choosing Hutton's men
Part 4: The long road to Brisbane
Part 5: Typhoon Frank hits Sydney
Part 6: Cracks appear in Melbourne
Part 7: Adelaide and the Ashes
Part 8: Return to Sydney
Postscript
Records and statistics
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
Index
