Bill Edrich: The Many Lives of England's Cricket Great

(Hardback)

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Record-breaking England cricketer, wartime RAF hero, Tottenham Hotspur footballer, and husband to five wives... this is the captivating life of one of England's most remarkable yet often overlooked cricketing heroes. 571 first-class matches from 1934 to 1958. 36,985 runs. 29th on all-time lists. Bill Edrich was regarded, along with Denis Compton and Len Hutton, as one of the most exciting cricket discoveries of his generation. He was a Wisden Cricketer of the Year in the 1940 and played association football for Norwich City and Tottenham Hotspur during the 1930s. In the first biography for 30 years, award-winning writer Leo McKinstry distils the measure of Edrich's exceptional courage as a cricketer and RAF pilot. Rising to the rank of Squadron Leader, Edrichs flying skills earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his part in a daring daylight raid over Cologne in August 1941. After surviving the war, Edrichs lifestyle became notoriously hectic and devil-may-care. A gutsy batsman, his buoyancy and charm brought him to a total of five marriages; while his restless spirit also brought him into conflict with the cricket hierarchy. His omission from the tour of Australia in 195051 was, according to Sir Pelham Warner, 'a very costly error'. Finally restored to favour, Edrich played a major role in the winning back of the Ashes in 1953 and in retaining the trophy in his last tour of Australia in 195455. A history of cricket victories, wartime glory and a life lived to the fullest, this compelling biography reveals the story of one of cricketings greatest characters.

Reviews

[Edrich was] almost indifferent to his own safety. No bowler is too fast to hook; no score too large to defy challenge. * Ian Wooldridge, Daily Mail *

Author Bio

Leo McKinstry has been a professional writer since 1995, working for the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Sun. He has also been a columnist and feature writer for the Daily Express for the last 17 years. McKinstry has written major biographies of two English batsmen: Geoff Boycott and Jack Hobbs and among his other books are award-winning biographies of the footballing brothers Jack and Bobby Charlton and the World Cup-winning manager Sir Alf Ramsey.