Aggers' Special Delivery: Trivial Delights from the World of Cricket

by Nick Constable, Jonathan Agnew (Contributor)

Cricket is a complex game with a long and fascinating history. Each match produces an avalanche of statistics and colorful anecdotes. Who was the only batsman to hit the ball over the pavilion at Lord's? In which match did one throw of the ball hit both sets of stumps, sending the two bemused batsmen back to the pavilion for an early tea? Asking and answering these questions and more, this fun, pocket-sized guide supplements the match experience for fans of county and international cricket alike.

Genres: Nonfiction

195 pages, Hardcover

First published April 10, 2005

Reviews

[James · Rating 2 out of 5]

One suspects Agnew had little to do except lend his name to the cover, but for a collection of trivia it was very much of its time, with a comment of women doing the shopping and the suggestion that short skirts would make the women's game more popular. A lot of it also referenced the players and coaching staff of 2004/5 era England which was much heavier than it should have been for trivia from the whole of cricket.

At least Eddo Brandes didn't get quoted, but the as yet unrecorded Holding, Willey line was brought up and there were as many anecdotes and diagrams for the uninitiated as there were genuine statistical quirks. It was interesting to this observer just because it predated the popularity of T20 cricket but once skimmed through I wouldn't feel the need to revisit it. Cricket lends itself to quirky collections of anecdotes and this wasn't one of the better ones.

[Max Deacon-Thomas · Rating 2 out of 5]

Pretty out of date by 2023. But reasonably entertaining still