Tales from the Boundary
Well, I'll Eat My Words
I'm going to have to eat my words in article 34 "Text Book Stuff".
I suggested there that any reprint of the MCC Cricket Coaching Book of 1952 should retain the old photographs. However, I have just received a copy of the 1976 (Fourth and Revised Edition, reprinted in 1980), splashing out another ten pounds on Ebay to buy something that cost £6.95 originally.
The April 1952 edition was reprinted in June 1952, the 1955 in 1957 and 1959, the 1962 in 1965, 1968, 1972 and 1974; then my latest acquisition. There is a later edition: I don't know the date but someone has snapped it up at £19.99 and I can't find any more.
Anyway, "A.V. Bedser: a perfect follow through" has been demoted from the frontispiece, replaced by "Gary Sobers. Power and Perfection". One can't argue with that, except to note that the use of the colon seems to have fallen into desuetude. Goodness knows about the semi-colon; or the hyphen.
There are more photos, still in monochrome. Tony Lock and Peter Parfitt replace H. A Pawson; Knott, Trueman, Snow, Benaud and Underwood feature; also May, Cowdrey, Barry Richards, Amiss, Boycott, Dexter, Asif Iqbal, Clive Lloyd and Tony Greig. Tom Richardson and Goddard are gone, so too Mailey and Grimmett, Hammond, Doggart, Bill Edrich, Reg Simpson AND the 'Prince of Batsmen' - K.S Ranjitsinhji.
BUT (I rebel here, as I was always taught never to start a sentence with ‘but’; but I'm getting too old to be reprimanded) it's not too bad an edition. I haven't checked the words but, at a glance, they appear ok. I plan to give the book to the son of an Irish friend of mine, which friend has played hurling but never cricket. His son, however, is keen to learn. I hope he enjoys reading the MCC 'Bible' as much as I did.