"The more we know about cricket, the more we realise how much courage it takes..."
Mike Brearley's words sum up what Cricket's Greatest Battles is all about. Within these pages, two of England's finest players apply their expertise to illuminate the most momentous clashes between individuals in cricket's history.
Peter Baxter, Nasser Hussain and Mike Brearley look at 21 classic battles, from Don Bradman facing the onslaught of Harold Larwood in 1932/33, to Michael Atherton going head to head with rampaging Allan Donald in 1998.
The book begins with a brilliant discussion of cricket psychology by Mike Brearley. Each of the 21 games is beautifully described by the BBC's Peter Baxter. Finally, England captain Nasser Hussain analyses the motivations and tactics used by the protagonists in each battle.
Battles include:
Mike Gatting v Shane Warne, 1993
Graham Gooch v Curtly Ambrose, 1991
Ian Botham v Australia, 1981
May & Cowdrey v Ramadhin, 1957
Derek Randall v Dennis Lillee, 1977
Brian Lara v Australia, 1999
South Africa v Devon Malcolm, 1994
Mike Gatting v Shakoor Rana, 1987
Hobbs & Sutcliffe v Australia, 1929
Geoffrey Boycott v Michael Holding, 1981
Full colour hardback, 168 pages and over 200 pictures.
Cricket's Greatest Battles is the perfect team effort. Brearley sets our the pre-match strategy, Baxter directs the field, and Hussain knocks off the winning runs. A century of classic matches analysed by two of England's most respected captains, this book takes the reader into the heat of the battle where only the strong-willed survive.
Nasser Hussain became England captain in 1999 and has already made his mark in the toughest job in sport. A hard-headed cricket warrior, in Cricket's Greatest Battles he explains the mind games behind the most dramatic contests in the sport's history.
Peter Baxter has masterminded the BBC's radio coverage of cricket since 1973 as producer of Test Match Special. Here he brings his vast knowledge to bear on the most bruising battles in sport, from Larwood versus Bradman to Atherton versus Donald.
Mike Brearley is acknowledged as England's most perceptive captain of all time. His achievements against Australia - winning the Ashes three times - made him a legend. Brearley, arguably the greatest motivator in cricket, is now a practising psychoanalyst.
This high-powered team reveals the game's inside secrets in Cricket's Greatest Battles.