Not Out First Ball

Description

David Gower in his Foreword writes "This is a joyful book. A relentlessly good read and not just for cricket lovers either. Everybody should read it." Not everyone can be a true sporting hero. Most of us lost out in life's sporting lottery, and we have to find whatever virtue we can in effort and incompetence. Not Out First Ball is a laugh-out-loud manifesto for anyone who has ever silently sobbed at the sight of their off stump cartwheeling off into the distance, or thrown their bat in disgust onto an autumn bonfire. "To field idly at long off in the evening sunshine is to peep back over the wall to when things moved slower, cost less and didn't always need to signify something. At a time of digital abundance, the whole glorious point of cricket is that so much of it is utterly pointless." Roger Morgan-Grenville and Richard Perkins have written a book that is not only funny but also immensely insightful and profound. All cricketers (and maybe even their wives) will identify with the authors' experiences and those of their teammates. Long listed for the MCC Book of the Year 2012.

Roger Morgan-Grenvilleis 53, has a career batting average of 14.28 and sells things to cook with. Richard Perkins is 56, has a bowling average of 36.58 and sells trees.

"The most successful book of the year for us in the shop was Not Out First Ball by Roger Morgan - Grenville and Richard Perkins. It is a very funny book about enthusiasts with very average talent playing cricket and having enormous fun - an antidote to professionalism in all its dreary forms" - One Tree Books "A lovely little book" - David 'Bumble' Lloyd, Daily Mail "Will strike a chord with life-loving cricket fanatics" - All Out Cricket Magazine "The book certainly portrays cricket as she should be played!" - Baroness Heyhoe Flint "A couple of cricket Tragics" - Talk Sport Radio "A relentlessly entertaining read and not just for cricket lovers either" - David Gower "Absolutely charming, delightful and wonderful" - Test Match Sofa "A book that oozes charm and humour from the very first page and, most important, describes failures of the terminally delusional so accurately" - John Crace, The Guardian "I am loving reading it and at the same time thinking here is a rare talent that I am very glad has seen the light of day, and please thus cast all your bushels you have been hiding it under well away!! My bedtime reading has not been as amusing as this for a long time. And it is very nicely produced" "I received your book for which congratulations and thanks in equal parts. I opened at a random page, middish way, read a couple of sentences... and laughed out loud. PS I have no interest in cricket PPS I have repeated the process, and laughed again. The book will now reach 'beside the bed' status"