{"product_id":"9781849160933","title":"A Last English Summer","description":"\u003cdiv class=\"product-copy\"\u003e\n\u003ch1\u003eA Last English Summer\u003c\/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eDuncan Hamilton\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-description\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eSummary\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCricket is undergoing its most radical upheaval since the \"Packer Revolution\" of the late 1970s.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCricket is undergoing its most radical upheaval since the \"Packer Revolution\" of the late 1970s. Twenty20 and the Indian Premier League, seen as a short cut to riches by both players and administrators, threaten the future of Test cricket; the County Championship, the traditional—but increasingly moribund—nursery for England's Test players, struggles to reinvent itself; technology is eroding the authority of umpires. The age-old weave of the game is being slowly unpicked and rearranged for the modern, global age. 2009 may even be the last summer of cricket as we know it. Against this backdrop Duncan Hamilton embarks on an elegiac odyssey in which he aims to capture the spirit and atmosphere of English cricket before its character is irrevocably altered. The stopping-points of his journey—and the framework on which he hangs his thoughts and observations—are 14 significant cricket matches played over the course of the 2009 season: from an Ashes Test match to a game of village cricket, from a brash Twenty20 encounter attended by thousands to a sleepy county game watched by five pensioners and a dog. He not only explores such issues as the future of the County Championship and the financial pressures faced by the wider game, but also creates vivid sketches of players, umpires, administrators, and the people who pay (and even suffer) to watch cricket. Combining reportage, anecdote, biography, history and personal recollection, The Greatest Game is an honest and passionate reflection on cricket's past, present, and future. A memorable and acutely observed portrait of one summer of cricket from an award-winning sports writer who has watched—and loved—cricket since he was a boy, it is essential reading for anyone who cares about the English game.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-highlights\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eHighlights\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eEasy to enjoy: 320 pages · Hardcover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eBy Duncan Hamilton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-details\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eDetails\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eISBN:\u003c\/strong\u003e 9781849160933\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eAuthor:\u003c\/strong\u003e Duncan Hamilton\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eFormat:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hardcover\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 320\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eLanguage:\u003c\/strong\u003e English\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication date:\u003c\/strong\u003e 1 July 2010\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eCondition:\u003c\/strong\u003e New\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRating:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.00\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-about\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eAbout the author\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDuncan Hamilton · Publisher: Quercus Books\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/books.google.co.uk\/books?id=FYh5RAAACAAJ\u0026amp;dq=isbn:9781849160933\u0026amp;hl=\u0026amp;source=gbs_api\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eMore about this book\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"book-reviews\"\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eReviews\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAverage rating: 0.00\/5 · 0 reviews\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003eDuncan Hamilton\u0026amp;#39;s biography of Harold Larwood was awarded the Wisden Book of the Year 2009, the Sydney Morning Herald Sport and Style Best Sports Book of the Year and the William Hill Sports Book of the Year 2009.\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Quercus","offers":[{"title":"New","offer_id":53326760640776,"sku":"9781849160933-NewItem","price":9.98,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0928\/5297\/7928\/files\/standardized_2f5ea33e446965d2165e758d763d69d3.jpg?v=1771231509","url":"https:\/\/www.azbooks.co.uk\/products\/9781849160933","provider":"AZ Books","version":"1.0","type":"link"}