An exploration of what it is about the peculiar game of cricket that so takes hold of the imagination from the writer of the popular blog, The Old Batsman. Cricket is unique among sports in its psychological aspect. It does strange things to you. It is a team game that is almost entirely dependent on individual performance: indeed, at any moment, almost ninety percent of one side is not taking part. In its combination of time, opportunity, a constant threat of disaster, and its ability to drive its participants to despair, cricket is unrivalled. To survive a single delivery propelled at almost one hundred miles an hour takes the body and brain to the edges of their capabilities, yet its abiding image is of the village green, and the glorious absurdities of the amateur player. In this book, Jon Hotten attempts to understand this fascinating, frustrating and complex game. By blending encounters with legends, from Vivian Richards to Brian Lara, Kevin Pietersen to Ricky Ponting, with a more personal story he reveals the funny, moving and melancholic impact the game can have on an individual life.