Lost Cricket Stickers
Lost Cricket Stickers brings you the inside story of the 1983 cricket season, locating lost heroes and discovering their journeys with the help of a Panini sticker album.
1983 was a pivotal year for cricket. India won the World Cup and England lost to New Zealand at home, both for the first time. There was a 35-minute century and a 14 all out. Yorkshire came bottom of the Championship (and won the John Player League), while South Africa tour rebels, banned from playing for England, dominated the county game. Thatcher won a landslide election victory post-Falklands.
This is a warm, funny and insightful tale of tracking down a fondly remembered player from each county, each with his unique take on then and now. The book is based on the only cricket sticker album of the era.
Four decades on, the county game has transformed. The Hundred and video analysis have replaced the John Player League and pub sessions after a long day in the field. But is that for better or worse?
Matthew Appleby has written for Cricinfo, Wisden Cricketers' Almanack, Sky, NZPA and many newspapers and magazines. He is the author of six books including How to be a Cricket Fan (Pitch Publishing, 2023), New Zealand Test Cricket Captains and Durham Cricket: 100 Greats.