Twenty-One Years of the ACS

Preface This accountoftheformative years ofthe ACSis aimed principally at members and has a different purpose,therefore,to the other 230-plus booklets produced since 1973.It commemorates the ACS's 21st anniversary and was felt to be an appropriate moment to recall the background and other events since it began. Originally it was intended that Peter Wynne-Thomas should be the author and he was certainly the bestequipped person for the task.Asthese pages willshow, however, he has enough on his plate and eventually the ACS President was summoned to act as substitute fieldsman! One problem for any conscientious and factual writer was always going to be that most ACS booklets emerge as the result ofextensive work by teams ofresearchers,rather than by individuals. This applied,particularly,to the first-class guides for each county - the bedrock for so many other booklets - and again to the county cricketers' series. It has not been practicable to mention every contributor to every booklet but both cricket and the ACS will always remain in their debt.Similarly there were many helpers with this one and the co-operation given was much appreciated. In particular thanks are due to Peter Griffiths forcompiling the list ofpublications and amendments. Richard Streeton ACS President Harpenden, July, 1993