Almost Invincible
The West Indies Cricket Team in England: 1984
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Pitch Publishing Ltd
Published:22nd Apr '24
Currently unavailable, our supplier has not provided us a restock date
Almost Invincible is the story of the West Indies in the 1980s, one of the greatest teams in Test cricket history, at their brilliant best.
During the English summer of 1984, captain Clive Lloyd had an array of all-time greats within the ranks, including Viv Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Malcolm Marshall, Michael Holding, Desmond Haynes, Joel Garner, Jeffrey Dujon and others.
Facing an England team in transition but still possessing skipper David Gower, star all-rounder Ian Botham and the in-form batsman Allan Lamb, the West Indies followed a series victory over Australia with a 5-0 win in England, a series that was famously nicknamed the 'Blackwash'.
The book examines all the side-stories connected with the tour - from the ridiculously frenetic schedule to the closely fought one-day series, from the county tour matches to the intricate details of the five Tests. Author Richard Sydenham has spoken to many of the central characters and reflects on the tour's legacy, both in cricket and social terms.
"This book is long overdue... With the benefit of four decades of hindsight and sober reflection, [it] had the potential to be a decent read. That Sydenham would succeed in that aim I never doubted, but Almost Invincible managed to exceed my expectations... Almost Invincible is an outstanding book and one it is difficult to find fault with."
-- Martin Chandler * Cricketweb.net *"I read Almost Invincible in two days and really enjoyed it. The book was insightful and a reminder of just how good that West Indies team was."
-- Richard Ellison * England cricketer in 1984 *"Sydenham tracks the tour's main events as well as some of the byways and reading each chapter memories return. From Viv Richards' one-day assault to Paul Terry's broken arm, the list goes on. Sydenham reminds us how hectic the tour's schedule was and details Clive Lloyd's strong and understanding leadership that brought out the best of the Caribbean pacemen and batsmen."
-- Barry Nicholls * Australian Cricket DigeISBN: 9781801506878
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
288 pages