Not Out First Ball

by Roger Morgan-Grenville, Richard Perkins

A delightful and witty book that is also a love letter to cricket through the story of an accidental club that has lasted 25 years and 263 matches Not everyone can be a true sports hero. Most of us lost out in life's sports lottery, and we have to find whatever virtue we can in effort and incompetence. Not Out First Ball is a laugh-out-loud manifesto for anyone who has ever silently sobbed at the sight of their off stump cartwheeling off into the distance, or thrown their bat in disgust onto an autumn bonfire. "To field idly at long off in the evening sunshine is to peep back over the wall to when things moved slower, cost less and didn't always need to signify something. At a time of digital abundance, the whole glorious point of cricket is that so much of it is utterly pointless." Roger Morgan-Grenville and Richard Perkins have written a book that is not only funny but also immensely insightful and profound. All cricketers (and maybe even their wives) will identify with the authors' experiences and those of their teammates. Long listed for the MCC Book of the Year 2012.

Genres: Nonfiction

136 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 2012

Reviews

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had no choice but to give this five stars because this is the book I should have written (if I had half the skill of the author). I played for, and later captained Marylebone Western Old Boys Cricket Club (I was not an old boy, the school having not survived World War Two) for over thirty years and every page of this book brought back memories, most of them happy. This book brought me immense pleasure as I am sure it would to anyone ever involved in the lower reaches of club cricket,

[Luke John · Rating 1 out of 5]

I pretty much never fail to finish a book, in this respect I am something of a masochist, but I had to drop this one within 40 pages. The author is such a pompous bore that I just could not cope with spending another moment in his company. Avoid.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is genuinely laugh-out-loud funny, which is not something I can often say. You only really need a rudimentary knowledge of cricket or any interest in amateur sport to appreciate it too. It's so endearing and charming that I really feel it's a 5-star book (again not something I can say often!). Absolutely fantastic.