A Field of Tents and Waving Colours: Neville Cardus Writing on Cricket

by Neville Cardus, Gideon Haigh (Introduction)

'Before him,' wrote John Arlott, 'cricket was reported ... with him it was for the first time appreciated, felt, and imaginatively described.' Neville Cardus was the greatest cricket writer of the man who invented cricket writing as we know it. Now, to coincide with the publication of a major new biography, The Last Romantic by Duncan Hamilton, here is a collection of his very best writing on cricket. Cardus was for many years cricket correspondent of the (then Manchester) Guardian, but wrote for a host of other publications including Wisden. Before him, cricket writing too often meant drybones match reports full of statistics and jargon. Cardus wrote about the the sylvan ground, the emotion of watching Victor Trumper in full flow. Published in Ashes year, this handsome volume includes Cardus on Don Bradman, Learie Constantine, Denis Compton and Richie Benaud, at Roses matches and the arcadian cricket festival at Dover beneath Shakespeare Cliff, seeing the Australians defeated at Eastbourne, and of course at the home of cricket, Lord's. It is an essential possession for every lover of fine writing on the Summer Game.

Genres: Sports

224 pages, Hardcover

First published July 25, 2019

About the author

Sir John Frederick Neville Cardus CBE (3 April 1888 – 28 February 1975) was an English writer and critic, best known for his writing on music and cricket. For many years, he wrote for The Manchester Guardian. He was untrained in music, and his style of criticism was subjective, romantic and personal, in contrast with his critical contemporary Ernest Newman. Before becoming a cricket writer, he had been a cricket coach at a boys' school. His writing about the game was innovative, turning what had previously been in general a purely factual form into vivid description and criticism.

Reviews

[Vijay Kumar · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thoughtful way to know and read some of the stuff written by first cricket writer in truest sense. At many places you can see why is Cardus rated so highly be it talking about Trumper or voyage to Australia for the ashes. This sort of writing makes you fall in love with the game of cricket time and again. Truly a wonderful read for those who like to read about historical events or great players from the past.