Now for me this is, a great sporting history. From their first match in 1877, to the mock obituary five years later when a young journalist. Reginald shirley brooks, wrote for the Sporting Times.
These famous words "In affectionate rememberance of English Cricket, which died at the oval on 29th august 1882 deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing friends and aqaintances R.I.P N.B.-The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to australia". This was the first test match england had lost to aussies on home soil.
Two things happened apart from the defeat, one man had a heart attack another chewed through his umbrella handle. There have been (incuding the 2009 ashes series) 321 matches played, australia holds the lead by a distance.
This wisden addition by steven lynch records the first 316 matches, a job that most people would find a tough undertaking. Of course had history been different, i would have been writing about England and the americans fighting this great competition.
And instead of Donald Bradman we would have been chatting about John Barton king "bart king" for his exploits with the bat and ball, but alas that was never a possability in conclusion if you like cricket this is the book for you highly recommended
