Wisden

When John Wisden published his first almanack in 1864 with the aim of creating a small retirement fund to assist him in his life post-cricket, little did he know that it would become the world's longest running sporting annual. To many the little yellow book sits among their most prized possesssions - a chance to take a journey back in time and experience cricket in the language of the time - any time.

I make no apologies for my love of cricket's bible - I am an avid collector and could think of no finer acclaim than a piece in it's storied pages. The posts below talk of that affection - enjoy.


The little yellow book – a cricketing bible (March 6, 2012)
Wisden 1864 - the beginning
When little John Wisden launched his even smaller Almanack in 1864 he didn't know he was creating an institution - he thought he was establishing a nest egg for his retirement from a successful cricket career with Sussex……..it arguably started the modern fascination with statistics, and set the standards for their accuracy and presentation.
                      Steven Lynch

Is the written word continually playing and missing? Are books, once the source of all knowledge, about to be dismissed after a well compiled innings? Has the new digital age seen them go the same way as cricket's grafters in a T20 world?


The WISDEN addiction – one man’s story (March 9, 2012)
It may start with one but....
The first Wisden purchase most cricket fans make changes something in them – they may not have the immediate desire to collect the complete set but all know they are buying into a history closing in on 150 years. ‘The little yellow book – a cricketing bible’means different things to different people but in all of us it symbolises a love of our great game.

How did a Kiwi cricketing tragic half a world away from Wisden’s spiritual home catch the bug? Like many of my generation, I got the obligatory sporting biography at Christmas – it resonated with me and ever since I’ve collected cricket books quicker than the public turned on Jesse Ryder.


New Zealand's WISDEN Cricketers of the Year series
Even if you don't know much about cricket, you may know that a small yellow book called Wisden has been around for a while... Some in the cricket world refer to it as 'the Bible'… You may also know that, despite being an annual publication in the age of instant comment, Wisden still has a bit of clout, which says plenty for the acumen of previous editors. Then there are the Five Cricketers of the Year, the selection of whom has been the sole prerogative of the editor since 1889, give or take the occasional break for a world war.
                         Lawrence Booth, Mail Online, 11 April 2012

Part 1: The trailblazers
  • Roger Blunt – 1928 Wisden
  • Stewie Dempster – 1932
  • Martin Donnelly – 1948
  • Bert Sutcliffe - 1950
 
  • John R Reid – 1959
  • Dick Motz – 1966
  • Glenn Turner - 1971
  • Bevan Congdon – 1974
 
  • Richard Hadlee - 1982
 
  • Jeremy Coney – 1984
  • Martin Crowe – 1985
  • Chris Cairns - 2000
 
Part 5: Who's next?

The future: Williamson and Bracewell










Keep up to date with the thoughts of those involved with Wisden on Twitter:

Maybe down the line I’ll make it into cricket’s bible - I wasn’t good enough as a player, so writing may be my only opportunity though Chris Martin might run me close with his debut test century. Thank you for building a nest egg, John Wisden – you regularly transport me to another cricketing time.
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)