ACS Overseas First-Class Annual 2014

General notes to the scores This Annual contains the full scores of the 607 first-class matches played in the 2013/14 season. This is a slight reduction on the 622 played in 2012/13, largely because fewer matches were played in Sri Lanka. In a significant change of format, the background to which is explained in the preface, the current Annual contains not only the 20 matches played overseas during the 2013 English season, but also the 18 games played during the 2014 season. It does not, of course, include the matches played in England and Wales during the 2013 and 2014 seasons (170 and 165 respectively) because these will be found in the 2014 and 2015 editions of Wisden . The matches are arranged in twelve sections, by season and country. Each section begins with a brief review of the first-class season of the country concerned. The introductions also include final league tables and, where applicable, details of the knock-out stages of tournaments. A full score in provided for every match. Note, however, that in some cases, our sources do not supply all the information the Annual seeks to include: for instance, Pakistan scores do not normally indicate which batsman was out at the fall of each wicket. It is extremely disappointing that scorers in a country of such importance do not supply a piece of information that is fundamental to a modern scorecard. Where data are missing, the policy of the Annual is to lay out the scorecard in the usual way and simply to leave a blank space. This may occasionally result in a slightly odd appearance, but it has the merit of not only putting clearly before the user the information that is available but also showing with equal clarity what is not available. The scores are laid out in convention parallel format, with bowling figures and fall of wickets both in tabular form. The cards should be mostly self-explanatory; the most novel feature is the use of a diesis (‡) to indicate a player on first-class debut. Note also that full substitutions are noted on the actual card rather than merely as a footnote; this is done by placing the name of the substitute, indented and italicised, immediately after the player he replaced. Brief footnotes to the scores indicate player milestones and other notable features. Full averages for the 2013/14 and 2014 seasons for each country (including England) will be found in the 2015 edition of the ACS International Cricket Year Book , which will be published in February 2015. The Year Book will also include the full name, date of birth and other details for all cricketers appearing in first-class matches in 2013/14 and 2014, including their career records. 10