The Grade Cricketer (Paperback)

Paperback. The Grade Cricketer is without doubt the most original voice in cricket. Over the past four years, this 'everyman' cricketer has successfully captured the rich humour and absurdities of club cricket in just 140 characters or less, with some 40,000 Twitter followers feasting on his every word.An expert on everything to do with the game (except scoring runs and taking wickets) his observations on amateur sport carry frightening levels of 'real-talk'. He is cricket's answer to Socrates- a modern-day philosopher in whites. But while many have urged him to reveal his identity, The Grade Cricketer has been content to share his wisdom through his anonymous Twitter account (often while seated on the toilet at work). Until now. This is unlike any cricket book you've seen before. In fact, it's the type of autobiography you wish professional cricketers had the confidence to write. It's vulnerable. It's self-deprecating. It's hilarious. If Tom Wolfe turned his hand to cricket fiction, it might look something like this. This one-time junior prodigy is experiencing the lean, increasingly existential years of adult cricket. Here, he learns quickly that one will need more than just runs and wickets to make it in the alpha-dominated grade cricket jungle, where blokes like Nuggsy, Bruiser, Deeks and Robbo reign supreme. Through it all, The Grade Cricketer lays bare his deepest insecurities - his complex relationship with Dad, his fleeting romances outside the cricket club, his numerous attempts at reinvention - and, in turn, we witness a gentle maturation; a slow realisation that perhaps, just maybe, there is more to life than hitting 50 not out in third grade and consuming alcohol afterwards.The Grade Cricketer provides a light-hearted looking glass into the rhythms of an adult sporting dressingroom. If you've ever wanted to know why someone you love is intent on spending their weekends on a cricketfield, this book will give you those answers. Welcome to the world of The Grade Cricketer. Described as the most original voice in cricket, The Grade Cricketer represents the fading hopes and dreams of every ageing amateur sportsman. In this tell-all 'autobiography', The Grade Cricketer describes his cricketing career with unflinching honesty and plenty of humour, in turn providing insights into the hyper-masculine cricket 'dressing room'. This one-time junior prodigy is now experiencing the lean, increasingly existential years of adult cricket. Here, he learns quickly that one will need more than just runs and wickets to make it in the alpha-dominated grade cricket jungle, where blokes like Nuggsy, Bruiser, Deeks and Robbo reign supreme. Through it all, The Grade Cricketer lays bare his deepest insecurities - his relationship with Dad, his fleeting romances outside the cricket club - and, in turn, we witness a gentle maturation; a slow realisation that perhaps, just maybe, there is more to life than hitting 50 not out in third grade and enjoying a few celebratory beers afterwards. Or is there? * * * The Grade Cricketer book is based upon the popular Twitter account, atgradecricketer, which has received critical acclaim for its frighteningly honest portrayal of amateur cricket. Now, the time has finally come for this middling amateur sportsman to tell his story in full. 'The Grade Cricketer is the finest tribute to a sport since Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch, and the best cricket book in yonks. It's belly-laughing funny but it's also a hymn to the grand and complex game delivered with a narrative pace and ability I'm afraid most Test players don't have. For anyone who ever dreamed of excelling at a sport but never quite made it but still gave it your life, this is the story. A great read!' - Tom Keneally AO. This item is printed on demand. Shipping may be from our UK warehouse or from our Australian or US warehouses, depending on stock availability. …