This is a gentle ramble through Northamptonshire
cricket, through the fields of maroon and gold. There
are plenty of signposts along the way, pointing at the
big players and stopping off at some of the big matches
that, between 1974 and 2013, have been part of
Northamptonshire's cricketing map. From the author's
first introduction to life at Wantage Road, right
through to the Twenty20 coronation at Edgbaston - only
the fourth major trophy in Northamptonshire's history.
The book is intended to be a ramble, pottering here and
there but by no means covering all the ground. It
reflects upon how some of world cricket's biggest names
contributed to the county game with Northamptonshire and
touches on what life was like covering the fortunes of
the county cricket club as a reporter before
professionalism took a stranglehold. In particular, it
tells the story of one local boy who did very good -
David Capel, who spent 33 years at Wantage Road as a boy
and a man, a player and a coach, and in-between time
fitting in an England career as an all-rounder. Former
chief executive Steve Coverdale and several former
players - Capel himself, David Steele, Geoff Cook,
Dennis Lillee, Rob Bailey, Nigel Felton, Winston Davis,
Andrew Hall and David Ripley - provide an overview of a
diverse and colourful cricket club. While short of
trophies, Northamptonshire's cricketers have never
fallen short in their determination to attack and
entertain over the years. Welcome to Wantage Road. Keep
on attacking! |
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