Ten Poems About Cricket

My poem, Two Orthodox Left-Armers, is included in this splendid chapbook anthology from Candlestick Press. Edited by John Lucas, whose own poem Still Going Strong is one of the highlights of the book for me, it includes work from Adrian Buckner, Joan Downar, Philip Hodgins, Brian Jones, Hubert Moore, Norman Nicholson, Kit Wright and John Arlott. Yes, that John Arlott. I couldn't be more delighted to be in such company.

The two-part poem concerns Yorkshire spin bowlers Wilfrid Rhodes, whose Test career incredibly spanned the years 1899-1930, and Hedley Verity, whose own international career was ended by World War Two.

Oh, and lovely to see that Adrian Buckner's contribution is Cricket At Thrumpton, not only because it's a fine poem, but because it's a ground I've played on a few times myself. It's a typical English village ground, with the added advantage (for me), of being just across the Trent from Attenborough Nature Reserve, so you could always scan the sky for passing raptors, terns and waders while you were standing at deep midwicket, waiting for something to happen.

Liek all Candlestick's chapbooks, it comes with an envelope and bookmark, and is designed to be sent instead of a greetings card. Buy it for the cricket-lover in your life.