10 for 66 and All That

Arthur Mailey's classic autobiography, first published in 1958, is a wry and engaging account by a talented cricketer from a very different era—full of zest, varied, quick, shifting the point of attack, sometimes extravagant, frequently brilliant and always thoughtful. For 50 years, Arthur Mailey played and watched first-class cricket. During his Test career, he played against many of the greats, and on one notable occasion dismissed his idol, Victor Trumper, to his immediate regret. He reflects: "I felt like a boy who had killed a dove." This is a reminder of the glory days of cricket—amateurs and professionals, Bradman, Noble, and Trumper batting, and Barnes, O'Reilly, and Fleetwood-Smith with the ball.