In a Corner on Foreign Field

Chris, like many cricket lovers, can readily remember his first cricket memory. It was shortly after his 7th birthday, and accompanying his father to work during the school holidays at his job as a playing field groundsman in Birmingham, and listening to his dad's transistor radio. John Arlott and co were waxing lyrical as Pakistani batsmen Zaheer Abbas and Asif Iqbal smashed the English bowlers to all parts of the Edgbaston Cricket Ground, just a couple of miles up the road. In later years, Chris attended the school whose playing field his father managed, and it was there that, under the tutelage of a former Minor Counties Cricketer, he showed genuine promise as an opening batsman and off-spinner. Unfortunately that early promise remained unfulfilled, leading him to a fairly low level, but no less enjoyable, Club Cricket. Whilst his talent never bloomed, his interest in cricket history grew, leading to the creation of two books, which he has greatly enjoyed writing.