Description

An absolute beauty of a book: an illustrated A-to-Z collection of over 400 curious, eccentric and hilarious words and phrases used by international players, village and club cricketers, a perfect handbook for the cricket fan, the wordsmith and the humourist.

Beer Snake, Barnes Wallace, Bunsen and Buzzers … Featherbed, Ferret, Flamingo and Footler … Pickpocket, Pie Chucker, Pongo and Pudding … Teapot, Toe-Smasher, Tonto and Twiddler … The language of cricket is as rich as its history.

The lexicon of cricket jargon has ballooned in recent years, thanks to round-the-clock global television coverage, the expansion of competitions, new in-match technological devices and live online reporting of Tests, one-day internationals and T20s.

This charming glossary of terms brings together in one volume all the modern buzzwords and time-seasoned banter of the players, fans and commentators and delivers it to the cricket lover’s armchair, smartphone, loo and bedside table.

From Lord’s to Lahore, Delhi to Durham, Melbourne to Manchester, Cape Town to the Caribbean, cricket is a universal language. Packed with curious words and expressions, new and old, laugh-out-loud funny and downright ill-mannered, this compilation will delight cricket fans the world over.

Sample entries

Banter – Euph. Word casting a light veil over the bitter exchange of insults taking place between the batsman and assorted fielders. See also Niggle, Exchange of Pleasantries, Verbals

Camel – Graceless and unathletic fielder, often an ageing fast bowler, dispatched to a distant backwater of the outfield in which he is least likely to make a fool of himself. See also Cart Horse

Nighthawk – A Nightwatchman on crack cocaine who comes to the wicket looking to slog 30 runs from 12 balls rather than block 30 for one. Term said to be coined by England quick Stuart Broad in the Bazball era of coach Brendon McCullum.