Cricket Ball

Gary Cox (University of Birmingham, UK)

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Bloomsbury
18 October 2018

Phenomenology & Existentialism; Philosophy: metaphysics & ontology; Popular philosophy; Sports & outdoor recreation; Cricket

No object encapsulates the subtle, mysterious richness of cricket as much as its most famous character, the cricket ball: the swinging, bouncing, spinning heart of the glorious game.

Gary Cox tells us the life story of the ball in its many guises: new ball, old ball, live ball, dead ball, no-ball, lost ball, swing ball and dot ball. He untangles the complexities of spin bowling (with a little help from Shane Warne), the tricks and cheats involved in ball tampering (including a look at the 2018 Australian scandal) and explores the multi-coloured future of a rapidly changing game.

A kaleidoscopic look at the ball through the lenses of everything from philosophy and science to history, politics and biography and the myriad facts and figures of the vast cricket universe, Cox brings you a brimming biography of this legendary leathern orb and the heroes, fools and villains it has created along the way.

By: Gary Cox (University of Birmingham UK)
Imprint: Bloomsbury
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm,
Weight: 436g
ISBN: 9781350014589
ISBN 10: 1350014583
Pages: 312
Publication Date: 18 October 2018
Audience: College/higher education , Primary
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active

Preface Acknowledgements Contents of the Over First Delivery: Loosener Animated inanimate object A regular Mad Hatter's tea party Watching cricket on the radio Second Delivery: Cricket Ball Surveyed Ideal ball Real ball Perfect handful Third Delivery: Cricket Ball Made What is a cricket ball? Evolution of the rolling globular body Coriaceus orbis Centres of excellence Fourth Delivery : Cricket Ball Played Bowling overarm, not underarm or throwing New ball, old ball, live ball, dead ball, no-ball, lost ball, swing ball, dot ball Ball tampering Fast bowling - pace is nothing without control Length Line Bodyline Spin bowling - the art of confusion Fielding - the art of attentiveness Transcendental ball Fifth Delivery: Cricket Ball Pain Comedy and tragedy Pitches, padding and cane handle bats Death toll Princes, umpires and pigeons Sixth Delivery: Cricket Ball Fame Great players, stats and performances Botham rises from the ashes Easeful Atlas The Gatting Ball The Strauss Ball The Laker Ball The Sobers Six Sixes Ball Seventh Delivery: Umpire Miscounting Bibliography Index

Gary Cox has a PhD in Philosophy from the University of Birmingham, UK, where he is also an Honorary Research Fellow. He is author of The Sartre Dictionary, Sartre and Fiction, Sartre: A Guide for the Perplexed, How to Be an Existentialist, The Existentialist's Guide, How to Be a Philosopher, The God Confusion, Deep Thought and Existentialism and Excess - all published by Bloomsbury.

Reviews for Cricket Ball

Cox's style is delightful. General readers will find Cricket Ball a wonderful introduction to the game. Those more familiar with cricket writing will also enjoy his insights into its more technical aspects. Summing Up: Recommended. All readers. * CHOICE * Gary Cox finds more angles on the cricket ball than Shane Warne! -- Gideon Haigh, author of 'The Cricket War' Curious, reflective, discursive, Cricket Ball is in part a philosopher's disquisition on the hard leather object, in part a devotee's meditation on the game itself. -- David Kynaston, co-author of 'Arlott, Swanton and the Soul of English Cricket' One of the most original cricket books you'll ever read. -- Lawrence Booth, Editor of the 'Wisden Cricketers' Almanack' and cricket writer for The Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday Cricket ball is a thoughtful delight...It is infinitely more worthy than most of the cliche-ridden pap that crams the sports shelves in our bookshops. -- Roy Williams * The Australian *