History of Sports

Stars on Sunday: The History of Cricket’s John Player League is a rich and colourful account of the ground-breaking domestic limited-overs competition.

In this enthralling book, players and fans recall a time when sport on Sunday afternoons meant county cricket, whether attending a fixture in person or as part of the huge TV audience guided by the comforting tones of John Arlott and Jim Laker.

Inside you will discover:

• How the pioneering matches played by the International Cavaliers in the 1960s created the template for the league
• How the John Player League hooked a generation of fans into the county game, with TV coverage that allowed new fans to quickly get to know the players and adopt new favourites
• Analysis of John Player’s use of sports sponsorship in the face of advertising restrictions on tobacco
• Lively accounts of the key matches and performances across every season from 1969 to 1986, when packed crowds and large TV audiences avidly followed the league with thrilling last-ball victories and nail-biting races for the title
• The mighty teams of different eras – from the early successes of Lancashire and Kent to the dominance of Essex in the 1980s

Whether reliving favourite cricketing memories or learning about the league that was a forerunner of the formats that dominate today’s game, this book is a must-read for cricket fans of all ages.

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