Book Review - Spirit on the Water: XI extraordinary cricket tours by Mike Harfield

The latest book that I have been sent for review is Mike Harfield's account of eleven cricket tours, three of them by his own club side. The author is well known for his previous offering, Not Dark Yet, which shares with Michael Simkins' Fatty Batter the Peakfan award of most amusing cricket book ever.

For me, the problem with this book is that it falls between two stools, in being part bona fide cricket tour account and part humour. Those who like one or another may not find it firmly enough in their camp for taste, although I would have to qualify that comment by saying that I found it an enjoyable read.

Within its 206 pages we read of the all-conquering West Indies tours of England in 1963 and 1984; of the Australian tour of India in 2001 and the West Indian tour of Australia under Frank Worrell in 1960-61. There's also the England tours of Australia in 1928-9 and of South Africa in 1913-14, the latter a tour de force by the great, yet cantankerous and curmudgeonly Sydney Barnes.

Puzzlingly there's also the first Aborigine tour of England in 1868, which shows good research but is perhaps of less interest to modern cricket fans than had the chapter been given over to the Australian tour of South Africa in 1969-70. That series saw a good Australian side thrashed 4-0 by a near great South African side with the likes of Barlow, Pollock, Procter and Richards in it.

That is a minor and personal point, but the book has much to commend it, with rich anecdotes and amusing observations "Tony prowled the dance floor with a glint in his eye that was part child in a sweet shop and part lion stalking a herd of wildebeest."

There are a few irritations. Bruce Pairaudean (sic) shouldn't have got through and Ryan Sidebottam definitely shouldn't among several typos, while the author's puzzlement at Geoff Boycott playing for the Minor Counties against the West Indies in 1963 is easily answered (he was not yet a first team regular and their Seconds played in the Minor Counties at that time).

Also surprising is attributing Walter Hammond's ill health in 1925-26 to a mosquito bite in the groin.The author cites David Foot's biography of the player in the bibliography, a book which laid the blame fairly and squarely on the England great contracting syphillis in the Caribbean, an ailment that affected him for years.

On balance though, I would recommend this book. If you're going on holiday and are looking for something light to while away time on the plane or beach, there's much to be said for it. With cricket writing increasingly incestuous, it is nice to see a different take on things and the author has done a good job overall. Credit too to the publisher for a clean, attractive cover and a typeface that doesn't need binoculars.

Spirit on the Water is published by Loose Chippings Books and is currently priced just £8.55 on Amazon