Cricket's Historians

282 Biographies Multiply The ACS ‘Famous Cricketers’ series ended with the 100 th title – R.Benaud . the author was Daniel Herborn, Assistant Curator at Sydney Cricket Ground Museum, the book coming out in 2007. Several authors who compiled more than one book in the series merit inclusion in this work, notably Dr Keith A.P. Sandiford, who was born in Barbados in 1936 and was, in 2006, Professor Emeritus of History at the University of Manitoba. He was the author of no less than nine titles – E.D.Weekes, C.L.Walcott, F.M.M.Worrell, G.S.Sobers, W.W.Hall, M.D.Marshall, J.D.C.Goddard, S.RamadhinandA.L.Valentine.Apart fromthis impressive series, Sandiford has had several books published on the development of cricket in Barbados, including Combermere School and Barbadian Society , The Elite Schools 1865-1966 and Cricket Nurseries of Colonial Barbados , all of which give fresh insight into the game on the author’s native island. Geoff Wilde, born in Southport in 1940 and educated at Merchant Taylor’s, Crosby, had a career in accountancy. His books featuring J.B.Statham and G.E.Tyldesley set new standards for the statistical aspects of the Association. A keen supporter of the ACS, he is a fierce critic of those whose aspirations in the statistical field fall short of the levels he tries to maintain. Gerald Hudd, born in Portskewett, Monmouth, in January 1942, spent his working life in the prison service. He was the compiler of ten of the ‘Famous Cricketers’, namely T.W.Graveney, R.T.Simpson, C.A.Milton, T.E.Bailey, K.R.Miller, I.T.Botham,C.W.L.Parker, J.H.Wardle, J.C.Laker and T.W.J.Goddard. The books are workmanlike, competent statistical biographies. Hudd was also the compiler of Test Cricket History at Old Trafford 1884-1998. Hugh Garrod, born Bristol in 1943, is the head of a primary school in Bedfordshire. He is the author of the books on A.O.Jones and G.L.Jessop. The former had connections with Dunstable, where Garrod is involved in the local History Society and Jones is given an excellent biography with his statistics. Since Brodribb had previously written Jessop’s biography, the Jessop ‘Famous Cricketer’ book is more strictly confined to that player’s statistical record. Derek Carlaw is also the author of two titles, F.W.Tate and W.L.Murdoch. A journalist by profession, Carlaw has lived