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The Test
'If all you know is cricket, then cricket will break you . . .'
It is the final Test match of The Ashes. A nation expects, and the rest of the cricketing world is watching.
Fast-paced, humorous and candid, The Test follows the battles on and off the field as stand-in England captain, James McCall, tries to get his exhausted team across the finish line. Along the way, his story becomes one of fatherhood, friendship and trusting yourself when no one else will.
Nathan Leamon's love letter to Test cricket is that rare thing: a novel that captures the feel and flavour of professional sport from the inside - the good, the bad and the simply surreal.
Not since J. L. Carr's classic A Season in Sinji has there been a novel that quite captures the spirit of the game.
It is the final Test match of The Ashes. A nation expects, and the rest of the cricketing world is watching.
Fast-paced, humorous and candid, The Test follows the battles on and off the field as stand-in England captain, James McCall, tries to get his exhausted team across the finish line. Along the way, his story becomes one of fatherhood, friendship and trusting yourself when no one else will.
Nathan Leamon's love letter to Test cricket is that rare thing: a novel that captures the feel and flavour of professional sport from the inside - the good, the bad and the simply surreal.
Not since J. L. Carr's classic A Season in Sinji has there been a novel that quite captures the spirit of the game.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2018
23 people are currently reading
147 people want to read
About the author
Nathan Leamon
2 books6 followersNathan Leamon has a decade of experience working in elite sport. He is currently the Lead Analyst with the England One-Day and T20 teams, and Strategy Consultant for the Kolkata Knight Riders. His first book The Test was long-listed for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year. When not on the road he lives in Berkshire with his wife and two daughters.
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
August 11, 2018
This is Nathan Leamon’s first novel. I read it in 48 hours and bought a copy for a colleague 2 days later; he’s already read it.
I try always to be reading a book and always try to finish once I’ve started. Some (Peter Ackroyd’s London) put me off starting another for a week, just so that I can clear my head; some are so good and/or enjoyable that I want to read something else immediately, in joyful optimism of finding another gem. The Test falls into the latter category.
It’s not a long book. It’s a novel without a hero, the characters flawed and fascinating and driven and destructive and obviously real. It happens to be a novel about cricket, which is what drew me to it as there aren’t any others (which is weird in itself), but cricket is only the setting of the story, not the story itself. It’s about being a parent and a child, a screw-up and an inspiration, and a husband who’s never there. It’s also about being the England captain in the final Ashes Test.
Incidentally, Leamon happens to be the Numbers man for the England cricket team by day, which obviously gives him insight into a dressing room. There must have been a lot of rain-affected days for him to produce this lovely book
I try always to be reading a book and always try to finish once I’ve started. Some (Peter Ackroyd’s London) put me off starting another for a week, just so that I can clear my head; some are so good and/or enjoyable that I want to read something else immediately, in joyful optimism of finding another gem. The Test falls into the latter category.
It’s not a long book. It’s a novel without a hero, the characters flawed and fascinating and driven and destructive and obviously real. It happens to be a novel about cricket, which is what drew me to it as there aren’t any others (which is weird in itself), but cricket is only the setting of the story, not the story itself. It’s about being a parent and a child, a screw-up and an inspiration, and a husband who’s never there. It’s also about being the England captain in the final Ashes Test.
Incidentally, Leamon happens to be the Numbers man for the England cricket team by day, which obviously gives him insight into a dressing room. There must have been a lot of rain-affected days for him to produce this lovely book
September 7, 2018
Really enjoyed this. Ok, the fact that I'm cricket obsessed probably helped to some extent but I was hooked from very early on and read it in two days which, for me, is almost unheard of.
Why not 5 stars? Well, the banter didn't ring true to me and felt forced in places with punchlines far too well signposted. Also I found it irritating, not to mention unlikely, that just about everyone around the England team setup would be prone to quoting poetry in almost every conversation - even the player who thinks Vietnam were our opponents in WW2 is able to do it on the strength of something he heard years ago.
But get past these blips and there's a fascinating wealth of material there about the day-to-day routine of top international players and the pressures on them. I was out there in the middle throughout the crucial final Test, watching from the non-striker's end as Mac battles to save so much more than just a game of cricket.
There are not enough novels with sport at the highest level as its focus and it would be great if Nathan Leamon could start a trend here. I'd recommend this . . . and not just to anyone who loves cricket.
Why not 5 stars? Well, the banter didn't ring true to me and felt forced in places with punchlines far too well signposted. Also I found it irritating, not to mention unlikely, that just about everyone around the England team setup would be prone to quoting poetry in almost every conversation - even the player who thinks Vietnam were our opponents in WW2 is able to do it on the strength of something he heard years ago.
But get past these blips and there's a fascinating wealth of material there about the day-to-day routine of top international players and the pressures on them. I was out there in the middle throughout the crucial final Test, watching from the non-striker's end as Mac battles to save so much more than just a game of cricket.
There are not enough novels with sport at the highest level as its focus and it would be great if Nathan Leamon could start a trend here. I'd recommend this . . . and not just to anyone who loves cricket.
October 21, 2019
An unusual novel written from the point of view of a newly appointed English cricket captain during a critical ashes test match. The main action is based around England's dismal opening performance at a final test at Lords. The first chapter's heading will be sadly familiar to all English cricket fans: Australia first innings 348, England first innings 20 for 2. England must draw to retain the ashes. There are also flashbacks to the main character's earlier life and his struggle with alcoholism. There are also very interesting commentaries on cricket and what makes the game unique. The author describes the less glamorous side of international competition and the strain of playing at this level and the almost constant touring. The author also shows a broad knowledge of poetry and philosophy as the book contains many poetic and philosophical references and quotations. It is a highly engaging read although it helps if you are a cricket fan. I am not sure how much someone unenthusiastic about the game would get from it though.
May 16, 2019
This was picked up to read on a whim by me - perhaps after learning that it was a fictional novel where Cricket plays a major role, I was just curious to see how it plays out.
It is a very well written book, which feels short and detailed at the same time, as the events of a single test match proceed along with life shaping events and musings on nothing in particular.
I was also surprised as to how many sections I highlighted as note keeping.
A surprisingly pleasant read, and will seek out the author's other works too.
It is a very well written book, which feels short and detailed at the same time, as the events of a single test match proceed along with life shaping events and musings on nothing in particular.
I was also surprised as to how many sections I highlighted as note keeping.
A surprisingly pleasant read, and will seek out the author's other works too.
August 6, 2020
Reading The Test - a story centered around the stand-in England Test captain and a decider Ashes match - made me realize that sports fiction is a genre I haven't read much of, if at all. I wonder if there's a dearth of novels in this area or I'm just ignorant. Being a cricket fan, I enjoyed this well-penned book which, like Test cricket, is not really flashy but possessed a substance that was more deep and less edge of the seat stuff. I really enjoyed the romanticizing of Test cricket; the portions written about the game and its beauty touched a chord that justified the blurb that this is a love letter to Test cricket. There were also a lot of observations which, while mentioned in cricketing context, could apply across other fields and life in general too.
'When I was young, ecstasy meant sex. Now it's a cancelled meeting'
'Progress is quixotic. Days of work can amount to nothing - indeed, often make things worse. Then improvement occurs suddenly, unlooked for. Not quite a complete surprise, but almost so'
'Just because two people disagree doesn't mean one of them is right'
The best portions personally are not just one or two liners like above and are entire passages which I have highlighted but would be too much to type out here.
While the novel is centered around a cricket match, it's also about the struggles of Mac outside of cricket, - challenges of being a husband, a parent, a good man fighting his weaknesses, - which was something else that endeared me to the book. The Test also has quite a few humorous moments, and is not all serious all the time, especially when the butt of team jokes Tayls is involved.
Overall a lovely read, especially for Test cricket fans.
Closing with a quote that captures one of the major gripes against the game,and made me smile
'Cricket is a game which the English, not being a spiritual people, have invented to give themselves some conception of eternity'
'When I was young, ecstasy meant sex. Now it's a cancelled meeting'
'Progress is quixotic. Days of work can amount to nothing - indeed, often make things worse. Then improvement occurs suddenly, unlooked for. Not quite a complete surprise, but almost so'
'Just because two people disagree doesn't mean one of them is right'
The best portions personally are not just one or two liners like above and are entire passages which I have highlighted but would be too much to type out here.
While the novel is centered around a cricket match, it's also about the struggles of Mac outside of cricket, - challenges of being a husband, a parent, a good man fighting his weaknesses, - which was something else that endeared me to the book. The Test also has quite a few humorous moments, and is not all serious all the time, especially when the butt of team jokes Tayls is involved.
Overall a lovely read, especially for Test cricket fans.
Closing with a quote that captures one of the major gripes against the game,and made me smile
'Cricket is a game which the English, not being a spiritual people, have invented to give themselves some conception of eternity'
July 20, 2020
Leamon captures the drama and sub-plots of the last and deciding match in an Ashes test series against Australia. The story is told through the eyes of stand-in captain Mac and follows the game across its five days, slowly ticking down to the final outcome. Mac battles not just with the on-field opponents, team injuries and the media on his back, but also with his off-field demons – his alcoholism, failing marriage and troubled relationship with his father.
Rather like watching the drama of a test match unfold on the television, I became completely wrapped up in the tension of the final day's fight to survive, get over the line and retain the Ashes. But the novel is also about friendships – between teammates and family – which Leamon through his character Mac, handles with tenderness and a bittersweet emotional touch.
Rather like watching the drama of a test match unfold on the television, I became completely wrapped up in the tension of the final day's fight to survive, get over the line and retain the Ashes. But the novel is also about friendships – between teammates and family – which Leamon through his character Mac, handles with tenderness and a bittersweet emotional touch.
August 28, 2018
I couldn't put down this book last night. It might have something to do with the fact that I had superglue all over my hands before I picked it up but even if I could've put it down, I wouldn't have because it was incredible. For someone who has never come close to being an international cricketer, this book is a chance, for a night at least, to imagine themselves as a captain in an Ashes test match at Lord's.
Cricket is a statistician's wet dream but this book doesn't get bogged down by numbers and scorecards. It's about the people that play the sport and their (often complicated) lives beyond the boundary. Nathan Leamon has done a fantastic job with his debut novel and I look forward to seeing him write many more.
Cricket is a statistician's wet dream but this book doesn't get bogged down by numbers and scorecards. It's about the people that play the sport and their (often complicated) lives beyond the boundary. Nathan Leamon has done a fantastic job with his debut novel and I look forward to seeing him write many more.
September 27, 2023
Loved this book. It's a good account of the side of a player that we don't see - the human side. A cricketer, apart from being a sportsperson and a celebrity, is also a real person who has a partner, kids, dreams, and practicalities of life to worry about. This book interweaves all of that stuff we don't see with the stuff happening on the pitch that we do see. And it throws in some wise words as well. A section that I really loved reading was on how what happens in life is essentially random and out of our control, yet it is our job to always go into it giving our best.
Wish there were more cricket fiction books like this.
Wish there were more cricket fiction books like this.
February 1, 2020
I've not given this 5 stars just because it's about cricket, but because, just like cricket, it's about life, in all its unforgiving harshness and with its forgiving happinesses. Cricket at its purest has always been a microcosm of life, and to come across a book which threads together philosophy, sport, the human condition, the importance of books and words and feelings, and does so with such eloquent writing and sensitivity, is not just a joy but a marvel. I'll be hard-pushed to find a better book than this in 2020.
January 16, 2021
It’s kinda 4.5
Perhaps because there were times when I though the writing was trying too hard to be literary, when it felt like the author was pausing the story to prove to us he could turn a lovely Phrase. This often irritates me... but ... I decided it was not pretension, it was natural, and pretty good
But the real secret is the story and the characters. It’s exceptionally good work in that regard. The flashback story telling is hardly innovative, but paced really well, and the insights given all matter.
I won’t spoil the end - but totally worth getting there.... recommended
Perhaps because there were times when I though the writing was trying too hard to be literary, when it felt like the author was pausing the story to prove to us he could turn a lovely Phrase. This often irritates me... but ... I decided it was not pretension, it was natural, and pretty good
But the real secret is the story and the characters. It’s exceptionally good work in that regard. The flashback story telling is hardly innovative, but paced really well, and the insights given all matter.
I won’t spoil the end - but totally worth getting there.... recommended
September 4, 2018
Fast paced and enjoyable. Whilst cricket has produced much great writing, there have been few novels, and even fewer that convincingly describe the emotions of playing the game at the highest level.
Whilst it drags a little in the second third as Leamon tries to fit in all his theories of what makes a test batter, and the fine margins between success and failure, it generally succeeds in its goals.
Whilst it drags a little in the second third as Leamon tries to fit in all his theories of what makes a test batter, and the fine margins between success and failure, it generally succeeds in its goals.
August 27, 2018
Outstanding first novel by Mr Leaman. Covering the five days of a Lords test match in an ashes series. The book lays bare the doubts, troubles and indeed the weaknesses of professional sportsmen.But also one is caught up in the cut and thrust of test match cricket but do not be put off by the subject as this book also stands alone and one does not need to be a cricket fan to enjoy this novel.
May 14, 2020
Excellent lockdown read
I spent an afternoon on the lawn intending to enjoy an hour or so. Once I got going I had to finish it.I think you probably have to enjoy cricket, but if you do,you will surely enjoy reading this. It offers insights into sport and life with humour and wit. A good story well told.
I spent an afternoon on the lawn intending to enjoy an hour or so. Once I got going I had to finish it.I think you probably have to enjoy cricket, but if you do,you will surely enjoy reading this. It offers insights into sport and life with humour and wit. A good story well told.
September 25, 2018
I love cricket and I love fiction stories so a novel about cricket was already off to a good start. I really enjoyed how the main character’s life was interwoven with the test match. Definitely worth a read.
April 24, 2020
A good read
A good book to read it you enjoy the thrills of test cricket. Loved the main character in it but did feel that the book got lost in parts by going backwards and forwards.
A good book to read it you enjoy the thrills of test cricket. Loved the main character in it but did feel that the book got lost in parts by going backwards and forwards.
November 4, 2018
A bit disappointing wasn't as good as i thought. A missed opportunity a bit boring.
October 13, 2019
Interesting take on top class cricket which has always fascinated me. A truly enjoyable read. I liked the little bits of literature and poetry which tied the story together
April 8, 2020
Enjoyable, compulsive reading. Not sure about the philosophical and poetic tangents but he doesn't indulge excessively, and otherwise it is pretty well written.
May 9, 2021
I'm a cricket fan and I loved it. I'm going to read it again
August 6, 2021
Perfectly describes why cricket is such a unique and wonderful sport, explains why people like me fell in love with it
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 5, 2021
wow. this really is a love letter to test cricket. A must read for any cricket fan
November 9, 2024
Spent the whole time trying to work out which character was which. A good read for a cricket fan but nothing out of the ordinary. Signed edition so Nathan’s best wishes get him a 3
December 31, 2020
Solid and enjoyable
I read this during the off season in between watching highlights of matches played on the other side of the world on YouTube.
This book can transport you back to an English summer via an English school system and family drama.
Probably worth reading even if you don’t like cricket as the story has warmth and heart as well as sledging and grubbers.
I read this during the off season in between watching highlights of matches played on the other side of the world on YouTube.
This book can transport you back to an English summer via an English school system and family drama.
Probably worth reading even if you don’t like cricket as the story has warmth and heart as well as sledging and grubbers.
March 19, 2019
A melancholic look at the life of an England captain. A mix of Don Bradman's 1948 Ashes debut and Anderson and Panesar's 2009 Ashes heroics. Very well written by a man who, clearly, knows his subject.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 15, 2019
I absolutely loved this book, and read it in just over a day (and a working day, at that).
Ostensibly about an Ashes Test match, it is more a paean to life's ups and downs in general but viewed through the prism of competitive sport.
Whilst there is obviously a fair amount about cricket in the book, it is so well-distributed amidst the portrayal of people (with characterisation of people being a particularly strong suit in the book), the human dramas (which are dramas rather than soap operas), the philosophy, the poetry and the comedy of the dressing-room banter, that it never overpowers or takes over.
There is actually remarkably little descriptive writing about bowlers bowling, batsmen batting and fielders fielding, and what descriptive cricket writing there is is never gratuitous and almost incidental to the drama. Indeed, so skillfully does the author disguise the chopped up tablet of cricketing action in the overall meal of his book that I defy even a cricket-hater not to enjoy reading it.
I have one minor quibble with the book, which is that the cast of the book comprises solely white people. That is hardly representative of the modern England cricket team, though in fairness we only find out the identity of four of the players on the team, so he's not portraying a team comprising 11 white players either.
Perhaps most interestingly of all, despite me never having been anywhere near a Test dressing room and therefore not being in an objective position to judge, from a subjective perspective the book simply feels authentic. It is therefore no surprise to discover that the author is a Cambridge maths graduate who went on to become the England cricket team's first data analyst. His insights into the dressing room and into the mentality, trials and tribulations of competitive cricketers therefore stem from personal experience.
A terrific book.
Ostensibly about an Ashes Test match, it is more a paean to life's ups and downs in general but viewed through the prism of competitive sport.
Whilst there is obviously a fair amount about cricket in the book, it is so well-distributed amidst the portrayal of people (with characterisation of people being a particularly strong suit in the book), the human dramas (which are dramas rather than soap operas), the philosophy, the poetry and the comedy of the dressing-room banter, that it never overpowers or takes over.
There is actually remarkably little descriptive writing about bowlers bowling, batsmen batting and fielders fielding, and what descriptive cricket writing there is is never gratuitous and almost incidental to the drama. Indeed, so skillfully does the author disguise the chopped up tablet of cricketing action in the overall meal of his book that I defy even a cricket-hater not to enjoy reading it.
I have one minor quibble with the book, which is that the cast of the book comprises solely white people. That is hardly representative of the modern England cricket team, though in fairness we only find out the identity of four of the players on the team, so he's not portraying a team comprising 11 white players either.
Perhaps most interestingly of all, despite me never having been anywhere near a Test dressing room and therefore not being in an objective position to judge, from a subjective perspective the book simply feels authentic. It is therefore no surprise to discover that the author is a Cambridge maths graduate who went on to become the England cricket team's first data analyst. His insights into the dressing room and into the mentality, trials and tribulations of competitive cricketers therefore stem from personal experience.
A terrific book.
November 9, 2022
I picked up this book because I enjoy watching cricket. I was surprized because this book was so much more. Not only did it explore what it is like to be a world class athlete on the field, it also gave me an intimate look into the human that's behind the sportsperson. If that isn't enough to capture your interest, the author wonderfully weaves snippets of poetry into the narrative to deliver a fast paced book that will have you gripped until the last over.
A great book for fans of cricket, while also being a great read for anyone who is interested in sports or really any human activity that demands excellence.
A great book for fans of cricket, while also being a great read for anyone who is interested in sports or really any human activity that demands excellence.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews