Chasing Jessop

Simon Wilde superbly recreates the story of one of cricket’s most spectacular innings, played by one of its most exciting players in one of its greatest matches. Chasing Jessop is an engrossing cocktail – the tensions and fluctuations of a classic Test match, a vivid evocation of cricket, England and sports journalism in the early 20th century, and illuminating detective work into the astonishing statistics of English cricket’s most enduring record -- Andy Zaltzman, comedian and statistician for TEST MATCH SPECIAL A forensic tour de force. As ever, Simon Wilde’s book is meticulously researched and his subject is peculiarly relevant since Jessop’s record seems to be under threat almost every time Ben Stokes’s England team embarks upon a Test match -- Vic Marks, TEST MATCH SPECIAL commentator, writer and former England international A fascinating and definitive account of one of cricket's most fabled innings - with a twist in the tale -- John Etheridge, cricket correspondent Gripping -- Giles Coren * The Times * Wilde has a pleasing eye for the little details that drive such granular histories, from the travails of the official score-keepers to the slapstick, His Girl Friday-like press room. And he gilds this with archival rigour -- Barney Horner * New Statesman * This Wilde goose chase (see what I did there) is a delight from start to finish: part social history, part statistical mystery, a tale to get lost in as longer nights approach ... Wilde is excellent on both the significance of the match – England’s knife-edge win helped to create and establish the possibilities of the format – and the culture surrounding it * Wisden Cricket Monthly *