A TIMES SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR''A treasure of recollections and reactions, talking heroes, controversies and big themes'' i paper''Brearley is at his best in these quirky, delightful essays when he is exploring the human qualities of humbler players . . Brearley''s admiration for his friends'' decency, craftsmanship and modesty seems to recall a golden age of country cricket'' The Times''Brearley has a knack for paying respect to the past without denigrating the present and for calmly considering the future'' Mail on SundayMike Brearley was arguably one of England''s finest cricket captains; not just for his outstanding record leading his country but also for the way he orchestrated, during the 1981 Ashes series, one of the most extraordinary reversals in sporting history.In this collection of sparkling essays, Brearley reflects on the game he has come to know so wellHe ranges from the personal - the influence of his Yorkshire father and the idols of his youth - to controversial aspec