Author(s): Chris Hawkes

Sport

Rich in history and steeped in tradition, the complexities and nuances of cricket, in all forms of the game, have enthralled generations of fans since the days of W.G. Grace and Victor Trumper. The game has changed beyond all recognition from its advent in Victorian times as a mass spectator sport in England and Australia - Test cricket has now spread around the world, the 50-over version has become an accepted mainstay and Twenty20 has attracted legions of new fans to the game - but the fundamentals have remained the same: to score more runs and take more wickets than the opposition. In the process, legends have been born and new benchmarks have been set. This revised and updated fourth edition of World Cricket Records is a celebration of more than 140 years of excellence, featuring not only a host of records from all formats of the game (first-class cricket, limited overs, women's and youth internationals), but also the stories behind them, and a series of potted biographies of some of the greatest players ever to have walked onto the field to bat, bowl or field.