Late Cuts: Musings on Cricket

by Vic Marks

What follows, which explores some of the charms, the quirks and the peculiar allure of cricket from a variety of perspectives, is not intended as a memorial for long-lost sepia days. The game is still alive. Whether it turns out to be therapy for me or entertainment for you remains to be seen. To achieve both would be a bonus.
From Somerset stalwart to acclaimed writer and broadcaster, Vic Marks has lived a life steeped in cricket. In Late Cuts he takes us beyond the boundary rope, sharing the parts of the game fans don't get to see, from the food served at lunchtime (then - sweaty ham; now - quinoa, cranberry and feta salad) to the politics of the dressing room.
Whether revisiting his playing days to reveal the secrets of bowling a killer spell and what it feels like to be heckled by a riled-up crowd, or ruminating on the current state of the game (don't mention The Hundred!), this amusing and insightful collection will delight all cricket lovers.

Genres: Nonfiction, Sports

289 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 3, 2021

Reviews

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Humorous look at the game of cricket from a former player and journalist

[Martin Rogers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vic Marks talking about cricket. Nothing not to love

[Peter K · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that is easy to read and enjoy, the warmth of the author that's been evident in so many columns for the Guardian and Observer and in his stints on Test Match Special is in plentiful supply here.

As Vic Marks states in the early pages of this book this is a volume borne out of lockdown and whilst the more autobiographical elements were interesting and engaging the other parts where he clipped lightly through some historical cricketing events felt somewhat forced.

Enjoyable and illuminating when writing about himself

[S Ravishankar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book. Neatly organized in chapters that help to structure the content that Vic Marks shares.Some of the stories are new; those that are not are well told.The book thus retains its share of dressing room rivalries and clashes.Vic Marks has the unique perspective of seeing events and players from various viewpoints; this adds to the book.

[John Watts · Rating 3 out of 5]

Much as I like Vic Marks, I found this fairly unexceptional. Not sure I learnt an awful lot and some of the anecdotes have been aired elsewhere. Gentle, non-threatening, tidy and neat....a bit like Vic's bowling!

[Simon Boswell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Entertaining read.

[Peter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully written and very enjoyable ramble through s9me of the topical issues of cricket with references back to the author’s career.