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Bat, Ball and Field: A Guide to the History, Miscellany and Magic of the Sport of Cricket
Bat, Ball and Field is a wonderful foray into the history and culture of cricket. ‘Hotten is not just good, he is one of the best’ Cricketer Chronicling the evolution of the sport since its earliest years, highlighting transcendent moments as well as tragedies, Jon Hotten lifts the seemingly impregnable veil from the Laws, batting strokes, types of bowling and the sometimes absurd names given to where fielders stand, allowing anyone a pathway into enjoying the sport, and an introductory immersion into its long history. This book is divided into the three parts that make up the fundamental elements of bat, ball and field. Their harmony produces cricket’s unique environment; their centuries’ long conflict provides its innovation, adaptability and vast psychological hinterland. These sections unite to map out in a completely original way the story of the sport that began as a country pursuit and is now followed by billions across the world.
- GenresNonfictionSports
272 pages, Hardcover
Published September 20, 2022
5 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Jon Hotten
22 books5 followersEnglish author, sport and music journalist. Contributor to Kerrang! magazine (1987–92) and Classic Rock Magazine, author of cricket blog The Old Batsman.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
August 3, 2025
Any book subtitled "a guide to" is liable to be taken as introductory. And "introductory", should probably, in the case of a sport, be made appealing to readers in their teens and twenties at least as much to their parents' generation.
Bat, Ball and Field was very well-targeted for me, in my forties and interested in following the game more seriously than I had done since the 1990s, and in hearing some historical background further back than W.G. Grace. Its biographical vignettes of a number of great players who largely pre-dated or post-dated the time when I last watched a lot of cricket (and in the case of Shane Warne, were a catch-up on his later career) were perfectly timed, and gave memorable personalities to some major stats. That is likely to be the book's enduring value for me, when I listen to commentaries and hear quiz questions.
Narrator of the audiobook, David Thorpe, whom I've encountered before when listening to non-fiction, is always reliable, clear, just expressive enough and with the perfect balance of authoritative and casual for a book like this. And importantly to me (though by no means to all listeners), not too fast. The sort of narrator you can almost forget is a narrator, and not the author, they are doing their job so well.
In Anglo-American culture, it does seem that bat and ball sports are proportionally more likely to attract the literary and cerebral type, and to be graced with their writing, than are the various activities under the umbrella of football. And Hotten has here allowed himself to wax lyrical here with talk of saudade and quotes from some of his favourite literary fiction. I felt very much at home among the plentiful Martin Amis references (but is there really much crossover nowadays between people familar with several Amis novels and those who would pick up this sort of cricket book?) and i was delighted to be recommended the first, cricket-themed novel, by future Booker winner Shehan Karunatilaka - but then frustrated to hear an entirely avoidable spoiler. The author's sense that W.G. Grace was perhaps the most recognisable Victorian other than the queen herself, I understand from my own childhood spent among books and TV created by writers who probably had parents born in the Victorian era. But I rather doubt that he is for those born in 2005, unless they had an unusual amount of older books and a lot less time on the internet than average. Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, the idea that you, the reader or listener, could predict how Dad's Army characters would behave during an amateur cricket match without seeing the episode - and to a lesser extent Blackadder - all these references cumulatively and unfortunately position cricket as something for the 50+ crowd.
I say the following, admittedly, having probably only seen the tip of an iceberg's volume of writing about the paywalling of cricket over the last twenty years, but I feel that Hotten is not critical or outspoken enough about how the surge in interest in the game following England's 2005 Ashes win was then swiftly squandered by selling full-length matches off to Sky. I find myself wanting India to win this ongoing match (2025 5th test) and draw the series not just because I like looking at Shubman Gill, and because of a sense of India being socioeconomically underdogs (which is quite possibly misplaced these days) but because their country is doing so much more to keep the game alive than England, where it originated, and that they deserve to be rewarded for that and the ECB bloody well told again that this is a problem of their making. England player bios now invariably mention private schools, the seasoned troopers look tired, and young players currently don't seem too impressive (and sometimes look like extras from Saltburn or like randoms who don't exercise much). Perhaps it is a case of stable door and horse bolted. But I think it is probably more fixable than another problem I find myself thinking about because I am back on Goodreads - the pushing out of men from literary fiction over the last ten years. That has been part of, and has had much wider repercussions in, culture wars and politics beyond its little niche and looks sadly self-sustaining. (At least this year there is a gender-balanced Booker longlist, so some people are making an effort regardless.) But in sports, if anything like the amount of publicity and push devoted to women's football in recent years was given to cricket (for men and women) after returning more broadcasts to free-to-air, surely a revival would be possible.
Bat, Ball and Field was very well-targeted for me, in my forties and interested in following the game more seriously than I had done since the 1990s, and in hearing some historical background further back than W.G. Grace. Its biographical vignettes of a number of great players who largely pre-dated or post-dated the time when I last watched a lot of cricket (and in the case of Shane Warne, were a catch-up on his later career) were perfectly timed, and gave memorable personalities to some major stats. That is likely to be the book's enduring value for me, when I listen to commentaries and hear quiz questions.
Narrator of the audiobook, David Thorpe, whom I've encountered before when listening to non-fiction, is always reliable, clear, just expressive enough and with the perfect balance of authoritative and casual for a book like this. And importantly to me (though by no means to all listeners), not too fast. The sort of narrator you can almost forget is a narrator, and not the author, they are doing their job so well.
In Anglo-American culture, it does seem that bat and ball sports are proportionally more likely to attract the literary and cerebral type, and to be graced with their writing, than are the various activities under the umbrella of football. And Hotten has here allowed himself to wax lyrical here with talk of saudade and quotes from some of his favourite literary fiction. I felt very much at home among the plentiful Martin Amis references (but is there really much crossover nowadays between people familar with several Amis novels and those who would pick up this sort of cricket book?) and i was delighted to be recommended the first, cricket-themed novel, by future Booker winner Shehan Karunatilaka - but then frustrated to hear an entirely avoidable spoiler. The author's sense that W.G. Grace was perhaps the most recognisable Victorian other than the queen herself, I understand from my own childhood spent among books and TV created by writers who probably had parents born in the Victorian era. But I rather doubt that he is for those born in 2005, unless they had an unusual amount of older books and a lot less time on the internet than average. Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, the idea that you, the reader or listener, could predict how Dad's Army characters would behave during an amateur cricket match without seeing the episode - and to a lesser extent Blackadder - all these references cumulatively and unfortunately position cricket as something for the 50+ crowd.
I say the following, admittedly, having probably only seen the tip of an iceberg's volume of writing about the paywalling of cricket over the last twenty years, but I feel that Hotten is not critical or outspoken enough about how the surge in interest in the game following England's 2005 Ashes win was then swiftly squandered by selling full-length matches off to Sky. I find myself wanting India to win this ongoing match (2025 5th test) and draw the series not just because I like looking at Shubman Gill, and because of a sense of India being socioeconomically underdogs (which is quite possibly misplaced these days) but because their country is doing so much more to keep the game alive than England, where it originated, and that they deserve to be rewarded for that and the ECB bloody well told again that this is a problem of their making. England player bios now invariably mention private schools, the seasoned troopers look tired, and young players currently don't seem too impressive (and sometimes look like extras from Saltburn or like randoms who don't exercise much). Perhaps it is a case of stable door and horse bolted. But I think it is probably more fixable than another problem I find myself thinking about because I am back on Goodreads - the pushing out of men from literary fiction over the last ten years. That has been part of, and has had much wider repercussions in, culture wars and politics beyond its little niche and looks sadly self-sustaining. (At least this year there is a gender-balanced Booker longlist, so some people are making an effort regardless.) But in sports, if anything like the amount of publicity and push devoted to women's football in recent years was given to cricket (for men and women) after returning more broadcasts to free-to-air, surely a revival would be possible.
April 15, 2024
Essay compilation with a good thread. Author loves a footnote. Some gems of info and an obvious love of the game.
May 31, 2024
Enjoyable. Most I knew, a few bit I didn't.
July 23, 2023
It's a bit of a mixed review for this book!
The book provides a good insight into the history of cricket when it comes to Bat, Ball and Field as well as some insight and history of some of the key personnel of the game! It is written in an elogent way and really brings life to the game of Cricket and its characters.
The downside though is that some of the terminology is not explained as it goes along so might not be good for absolute beginners. I also thought it might go into more depth about why Batsman would play certain shots, what they look for from the bowler etc same with the ball section, it doesn't explain why bowlers do what they do or how they set batters up and the differences required in each of the formats. Then fielding is over in 10 pages, it would have been good again to explain what positions are most used, why would you place someone at silly point, why are they named that way. It was brushed over far too quick!
The book provides a good insight into the history of cricket when it comes to Bat, Ball and Field as well as some insight and history of some of the key personnel of the game! It is written in an elogent way and really brings life to the game of Cricket and its characters.
The downside though is that some of the terminology is not explained as it goes along so might not be good for absolute beginners. I also thought it might go into more depth about why Batsman would play certain shots, what they look for from the bowler etc same with the ball section, it doesn't explain why bowlers do what they do or how they set batters up and the differences required in each of the formats. Then fielding is over in 10 pages, it would have been good again to explain what positions are most used, why would you place someone at silly point, why are they named that way. It was brushed over far too quick!
April 24, 2025
An enjoyable and well written book about cricket that nicely combines being a reference work with articles about key figures in the development of the men's game. The tone throughout is warm and clearly articulates the author's love of the game - I particularly enjoyed the pieces on Jeff Thomson bowling to Dan Bradman and and chapters on Shane Warne and WG Grace.
An excellent book for cricket fans of any experience and vintage
An excellent book for cricket fans of any experience and vintage
May 9, 2025
This had a bit of an unusual structure and wasn't really focused on any particular geographic area or historical period as far as I could tell. An episodic bit disjointed book albeit with some good story telling. might have enjoyed this more if there was more of a through line. but maybe that was the point?
October 8, 2025
Anyone wanting to learn about cricket, then this would make an ideal introduction. If you already have a love of cricket, then this book probably won’t tell you much that you didn’t already know, but the stories will feel pleasantly familiar as if you’re reminiscing with an equally enthusiastic friend
January 28, 2024
Really well-written, probably great for a cricket fan, but I didn't understand 25% of it (since I don't know anything other than basic rules). Not very "intro to the sport" as it says on the back cover 🤷♂️
January 1, 2024
Perhaps the best sports book I've read. Cricket explained through warm, wistful and beautifully written essays about some of the men's games most memorable players. Some very good diagrams too.
March 11, 2025
Good read for a new fan
As a newer cricket fan of the T20 variety of the game, this is an excellent i reduction to the history and the lore of the game of cricket.
As a newer cricket fan of the T20 variety of the game, this is an excellent i reduction to the history and the lore of the game of cricket.
March 16, 2025
This is the second book about cricket I have read by Jon Hotten. Both were brilliant. He is a fantastic writer who really engages you with the topic.
May 25, 2025
Of all sports, Cricket has the best books. Very enjoyable.
June 11, 2025
Quite a basic book, ok to skim through, nothing really for a dedicated cricket fan
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews