Middlesex CCC - The Championship Years

Published: July 2023. 

ISBN: 9781780916484

eISBN: 9781781563472 (Available at Amazon) 

Thirteen is a number seen as unlucky by some – but not if you’re Middlesex County Cricket Club. That’s how many times the Seaxes have claimed domestic cricket’s greatest prize, the County Championship.

Edward VII was on the throne when Middlesex first flew the Championship ensign above the iconic Lord’s pavilion, while few will forget the scenes surrounding their most recent success in 2016.

We trace those triumphs from the days of Sir Pelham Warner, through the Compton and Edrich post-war successes to the golden years under Mike Brearley and Mike Gatting and culminating in Toby Roland-Jones’ hat-trick seven years ago.

With the help of the archives and eye witnesses, such as Gatting, John Emburey, Mike Selvey, Norman Cowans and more, we recapture the drama and the inside story of the greatest days in Middlesex’s history.

With the future of red-ball cricket under the microscope, there could hardly be a better time to relive the triumphs of those on the north side of the River Thames and reflect on the oldest form of the game.

About the authors

Jon Batham is a freelance sportswriter and broadcaster who first covered Middlesex’s cricketing adventures as a regional newspaper reporter in 2007.More recently, Jon has reported on the Seaxes for the ECB Reporters’ Network. Married to Anne, Jon considers himself a sporting all-rounder. As well as credits with The Cricket Paper, The Cricketer and Wisden Cricket Monthly, he writes for Speedway Star and commentates for Guerilla Cricket and Flashscore.

Ben Kosky also reports on Middlesex for the ECB Reporters’ Network as well as covering cricket and other sports for the BBC and Sky Sports. This is his second book, having previously written ‘Are you Rangers in Disguise?’

Review

See in the images the full review from Annie Chave at County Cricket Matters.

A quote from the review

"At a time where there is so much negativity surrounding cricket, it's a real tonic to find such a positive book, one that reminds the reader, not only of the rich history of the club, but also celebrates the real strengths of the Middlesex teams through the ages; so many giants of the game walk the turf of the most iconic ground in the world."