An England perspective

Despite the plethora of cricket books on the market no one has previously written a history of the England team since the Second World War. There are bookshops full of publications on players and individual series but none puts the performances of the national side into any kind of context. Peter Cox, born as the post-war era creaked into life, sets out to do that in a real labour of love.

The opening chapter underlines just what changes there have been in the 60 summers of the title. A player from 1945 eavesdropping on the modern game would struggle to recognise what he was watching. Aside from the obvious - coloured clothes, floodlights, white balls - he would be bewildered by the sliding, diving, sprawling fielding, the dismal over-rate, the remarkable run-rate, the carefree batting, the lack of slow bowlers, and players with earrings and skunk hairstyles.

The strength of Cox's work is that he opens up that different world without falling into the trap of judging it as better or worse, and gently takes us through the game as we know it. Other things become clearer when looking at seasons next to each other. While the packed houses in the 1940s and 50s are to be envied, it soon becomes apparent that the game itself had major problems. Aside from the fact the 1950s summers seemed cold and wet, the approach of all teams was dismally negative, with Ashes Tests the worst. A glance at the scores in any series in that decade leaves the modern reader bemused that anyone bothered to watch. By the end of the decade they were turning away in their tens of thousands. On the pitch England were the best in the world. Off it the game was heading for a crisis.

Cox manages to cover each series played by England in sufficient depth to get across a flavour of what happened, and to do so with enough spice and character to keep the reader entertained. His occasional diversions to look at wider issues in the cricket world also provide welcome relief. That is not to imply that Cox's prose is dull but, as the narrative progresses, the relentless grind of international cricket really comes across and, through no fault of the author's, by the end it is tough going. That aside, though, it is the different approach that makes this an enjoyable departure from the usual offerings.