Forty Seasons of First-Class Cricket

R. G. "Dick" Barlow was one of the most accomplished all-round cricketers of the late 19th Century. For many years he opened the batting with A. N. Hornby for Lancashire and England, often acting as a "stonewaller" who "carried his bat through the innings" while his teammates hit out for runs. He also excelled with the ball and delights in telling his readers how he dismissed his contemporary W. G. Grace more often than most. Barlow's 40 years in club, county, and test cricket are recounted with an attention to detail befitting a first class cricketer and umpire. Listeners who prefer their sports autobiographies to be more anecdotal than statistical might do well to start with the three chapters on Barlow's Australian tours with the England cricket team. Francis Thompson's 'At Lords' - a nostalgic tribute to Barlow and Hornby from a Manchester poet - is added as a coda to the book. (Summary by Phil Benson)