Illustration: Alex Abadjieva
For centuries now, cricket has been an institution of the English summertime. Here to create an insightful narrative index of the sport we have Henry Blofeld, a man whose voice is almost as revered as the game itself, with My A-Z of Cricket.
Throughout, Blofeld breaks cricket down to its simplest (and most charming) form. From village greens to Test match grounds, he captures its engrossing essence. In a series of reminisces and rationalisations, the much-loved ‘Blowers’ looks back on his time in the game: from an enthusiastic amateur playing career all the way to forty-five years of distinguished service broadcasting for Test Match Special.
Despite its encyclopaedic nature, and supported by a rich depth of knowledge, Blofeld escapes objectiveness by injecting his own personal focus. Denis Compton, his boyhood hero, haunts numerous chapters, featuring in tales from Trent Bridge to Australia. Favourite tour sites of Menorca and Corfu feature ahead of more heralded venues in Melbourne and Cape Town. Yet, there is still more than enough gritty detail to delight the cricket fanatic: from a homage to groundsmen to the distinction between a short run and a quick single. It seems strange to accuse a book with chapters no longer than six pages of a tendency to ramble, but those familiar with Blofeld’s affable animation behind the microphone will be unsurprised by his struggle to stay concise. Yet in his meandering meditations, there is the distinctive charm which he brought to the radio that carries his reader along with him. With several enchanting anecdotes, and rejoicing in the significance of style as much as success, Blofeld shows the sport to be much more than a compilation of statistics.
He judges cricketers not solely by averages and centuries, but by influence. So, W. G. Grace features alongside modern stars such as Virat Kohli and Chris Gayle for the ways in which they revolutionised the game. Grounds are similarly adjudicated, with Lord’s classed as the ‘High Temple of Cricket’ not just for hosting the Marylebone Cricket Club, but for being the site of Blofeld’s first Test match as a spectator.
Given Blofeld’s long-standing presence in the game, it is perhaps surprising to find out how little he has met current players. Both Joe Root and Ben Stokes are viewed more from the commentary box than through personal interaction. However, this does not stop Blofeld from making assured declarations on some of the sport’s biggest scandals. In his juiciest segments, Kevin Pietersen is presented as an outcast, while Blofeld heaps praise on the establishment figures of Sirs Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, who both struggled with the batsman’s controversial presence.
Aside from the adulatory appraisals of players, there are intriguing accounts of Blofeld’s early days in the press and broadcasting box, filled with a spectacular array of personalities. They hark back to an era of specialist journalists with great skill in reporting that outstretched their playing achievements. Blofeld bemoans the disappearance of such figures but recognises the skill of those that have filled their places, reserving particularly warm words for the former spinners Graeme Swann and Phil Tufnell, who accompanied his last years of commentary. As easy to dip in and out of as to spend an afternoon engrossed in, Blofeld’s wide-ranging catalogue holds something for cricket fans of all ages, whether Compton or Botham or Stokes first lit their cricketing fires. With a jovial tone and stalwart’s certainty, Blofeld portrays the beauty of the great summer game, producing a late-sun sensation that will keep cricketers warm as they tuck up on these cold winter nights, awaiting the arrival of nets in the spring.
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