Book Review - Bent Arms and Dodgy Wickets by Tim Quelch

Tim Quelch's account of post-war English Test cricket to the end of the 1950s is a fascinating description of the players, the series and the performances of the era. Part cricket book, part social history, it balances first hand commentaries and reflections from key figures of the time with politics, as social and economic growth challenged the attitudes of authority to race, professionalism and the end of the empire.

It was an era of great players. May, Cowdrey, Worrell, Weekes, Walcott, Miller, Davidson and many more flit across the pages. It wasn't always an era of attractive cricket, much of it being attritional and teams often aiming to win by wearing down the opposition, but it was perhaps a reflection of an age where post-war austerity only slowly gave birth to the promise of improved lifestyles and the advent of the rock 'n' roll generation.

The author writes of the amateur/professional traditions and their effect on captaincy, selection, and management styles in the game. The accounts of the matches and their highlights are entertaining, but the backdrop of Indian, West Indian and South African changing positions on integration, alongside the gradual loss of colonial power, give this book a particular poignancy for some.

Times were changing and cricket had to do so, but the stance of the powers that be was largely to bury their heads in the sand and hope that the throwing controversy went away. It was left to a few brave umpires to 'call' those they felt guilty of infringing, though as the decade went on there were those who were pulled up when they were bowling legitimately, while others, such as West Indian mystery spinner 'Sonny' Ramadhin, escaped unscathed. The West Indian bowled with his sleeves down throughout his career, thus preserving a reputation that would have been sullied had umpires seen the bent elbow within.

The issues of throwing and poor pitch preparation, as well as the dressing room protocols of behaviour were bodyswerved by the MCC, as it struggled to preserve pre-war ideals of sportsmanship and the myths of the golden age, where differences in class were accepted without visible discontent and the word of the captain was final and sacrosanct.

The book is an excellent read and of particular interest is the reference to improved levels of fitness and to fielding skills, although it would be some years before these reached modern standards. England were the premier side in the world for most of the decade, but as it ended the challenge from the Caribbean was obvious, while the ability of India and Pakistan would see their continued growth.

Well researched and presented with evocative photographs, this book is well worth a look and is a delight for those who enjoy cricket and social history.

Bent Arms and Dodgy Wickets:England's Troubled Reign as Test Match Kings During the 50's is written by Tim Quelch and published by Pitch Publishing. It is available from all good book shops and is currently on Amazon at £10.87