Frith's Encounters covers over 100 years of cricket. The author’s contact with players and writers spans a period which takes in Wilfred Rhodes, who told him about bowling to W.G.Grace and Victor Trumper, through to the tragic David Bairstow and Peter Roebuck of the modern era. For over 60 years David Frith has made it a duty to meet and befriend numerous people who matter in the summer game, noting their peculiarities, enjoying their company, remembering them by way of personality beyond statistics. There are 65 colourful memoirs here concerning cricketers and media people.  They have all passed on, leaving a treasury of anecdotes. And to start, there is an absorbing round-up of hundreds of others with whom the author has had some passing acquaintance.  This is cricket from the inside, sumptuously illustrated from the author’s private collection.

 

These articles first appeared in The Wisden Cricketer and The Cricketer between 2007 and 2012, with the exception of the following, which have all been written for this publication: David Bairstow, Tony Greig, Bill Hunt, Frank Keating, Norman O'Neill, Peter Roebuck, and Syd Smith jnr. There has been minimal amendment to the originals.

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Reviews

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"...Frith’s Encounters is a fascinating and diverse collection of essays beautifully written by a master of his craft."

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Martin Chandler, Cricket Web

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Read the full review here