Welcome back to the Bishop and Bear and today we have a real treat.

Many cricket supporters will have recently heard a resounding thud on their door mat (or more likely a tiny tap on the door followed by the rapidly retreating footsteps of an Amazon delivery driver) – because last week saw the launch of the 161st edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack!

Quite a year it’s been for cricket on and off the field and in its 1,552 pages The Wisden Cricketers Almanack captures and comments on much of it. Our own Gary Naylor has contributed 0.097% of those pages. How on earth, did they get him to be so brief?

We think it’s editor, Lawrence Booth, deserves a very large drink. And as luck would have it, he’s in our pub today.

If you thought the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack was just a coffee table thud book for cricket tragics (which ok, we know we are), you would be wrong. This year it puts forward some very forthright views on everything from the distribution of wealth in the game, equality and diversity and the spirit of cricket, as well as some great pieces by the likes of Mike Brearley (on the psychology of BazBall), a celebration of Stewart Broad and the impact of January 28th (Super Sunday). Plus of course, the Wisden cricketers of the year and so much more too.

It's a rich read indeed. And hopefully a great listen too as we chat to Lawrence.

Cheers!

Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman

PS you can buy the 161st Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack at all good bookstores as they say. But of course, this is one of them.

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