Looking to the future

Until fairly recently, Wisden was guaranteed a certain number of sales from schoolboys whose names appeared in the Schools section. But times change, and the section was slowly (and rightly) whittled down, to the extent it only remains in potted form.

The Schools' Cricket Almanac 2006 has been launched to fill that void, and to do so with knobs on. It follows on the release last year of the Preparatory Schools' Cricket Almanac, which returns with a second edition.

Both publications run the risk of being elitist, but that is hardly the publishers' fault. They can only reproduce what they are sent, and that can only be from schools that play the game. With the virtual absence of organised cricket in the state sector, these books are almost exclusively devoted to private-sector establishments, but, as the editors point out, any school producing a senior 1st XI side is welcome to contribute.

Each of the 300 or so schools included have submitted detailed averages and statistics, as well as reports of varying length and quality. What really comes across is the amount of schools' cricket still played, and the enthusiasm of those taking part and running the game. And whereas the highlight of my cricket career was a day out to Eastbourne (it rained), it seems to be the exception for the modern school side not to tour the Caribbean or Africa during the winter.

The publishers have sensibly broken up the reports with brief articles by various personalities, ranging from Ian Botham to Clare Connor to Jack Russell, and it is well illustrated with colour pictures.

If I have a gripe it is that I would have liked to have been able to compare overall records - the leading run-scorer, wicket-taker, something that Wisden now does. I am sure that will be put right in 2007. And shame on the handful of so-called major schools - Eton and Winchester are two worth naming and shaming - who have declined to participate. The loss is theirs, and their absence in no way diminishes an extremely worthwhile publication.