Gideon Haighs first collection of cricket pieces, Game for Anything, was published by Aurum in 2004 and soon sold out. This is the follow-up, also featuring a striking and off-beat cover picture. Since Game for Anything appeared, Haigh has published two more books with Aurum: his book on the remarkable 2005 Ashes series and his preceding coverage for the Guardian really made his name as the best writer currently covering the game, and sold extremely well. And his collaboration with Wisden on Peter the Cat and other Unexpected Obituaries from Wisden has already been hailed as a delightful and covetable little volume. Meanwhile Haighs earlier Mystery Spinner is now acknowledged as one of the classics about the game, and his hilarious diary of a club cricket season, Many a Slip, continues to sell and reprint. In this new collection of cricket writing Haigh ranges from tributes on the death of great players like Bradman and Miller, essays on perennial cause celebres like Bodyline, profiles of modern virtuosi like Viv Richards and Steve Waugh, and whimsical disquisitions on everything from stumps and boxes to wicketkeeping and appealing. Sure to be well-reviewed, it will be bought by Haighs ever-growing band of admirers.
