Cricket

Steel, A. G. (Allan Gibson), 1858-1914Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.4

Word count: 811K words
Chapters: 82

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Cricket by R. H. Lyttelton and A. G. SteelAuthor: Steel, A. G. (Allan Gibson), 1858-1914,Language: English, Class: GV: Geography, Anthropology, Recreation: Recreation, Leisure, Release Date: Jul 31, 2016

Editor's review

Co-authored by R. H. Lyttelton and A. G. Steel, this is an early monograph on the game of cricket. Steel himself was a cricketer in the late nineteenth century, which gives the book's discussion of technique, tactics, and match scenarios the perspective of a participant rather than the generalities of a mere observer. As a work of sport and leisure, it covers both the basic rules and methods of play and reflects the atmosphere and values of English cricket culture at the time. For today's readers, its value lies more at the level of historical document: it shows how modern cricket was understood and written about during its formative period, and how training methods, terminology, and match organization differed from those of today. The Project Gutenberg electronic edition preserves the original English text, making it suitable for cricket enthusiasts, sports historians, or anyone interested in Victorian leisure culture. It need not be read page by page; readers can jump between topics such as rules, technique, and matches, comparing them with modern cricket knowledge.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in the history of cricket and the evolution of early rules
Scholars studying Victorian sport and leisure culture
Enthusiasts with English reading ability who want to learn about early cricket writing
Those who need primary texts on sports history for teaching or writing reference

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners who know nothing about cricket rules and want a quick introduction
Readers expecting practical guidance in the style of a modern training manual
General readers unaccustomed to early English sports writing

Reading tips

Learn the basic rules of cricket before reading this book; otherwise it is hard to grasp the specific context of the technical discussion.
Jump between topics rather than reading sequentially, prioritizing chapters on rules and on bowling and batting technique.
Compare the text with modern cricket terminology as you read, noting differences between past and present usage to build your own reference notes.
If reading for research, consult additional sources on Victorian sports history to supplement the social background.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book suitable for cricket beginners to learn the rules?

Not really. The book was written long ago, and its purpose was not introductory teaching in the modern sense; its rule descriptions and terminology also differ from contemporary usage. Beginners should first master the basic rules through modern introductory materials and then read this book as historical comparative material, otherwise they may confuse past and present rules.

What was the background of the author Steel?

According to the available information, A. G. Steel (Allan Gibson Steel, 1858–1914) was one of the authors of this book, co-writing it with R. H. Lyttelton. The available material does not provide further biographical details, so readers should not over-infer the author's life; it is better to understand the text by viewing him as a participant in late nineteenth-century cricket writing.

Does the book discuss only technique, or does it also cover match culture?

Judging by its positioning as a work of sport and leisure, the book discusses both cricket technique and methods of play while also reflecting the atmosphere and attitudes of the sport at the time. Readers should consult the book themselves to confirm the specific chapter allocation. It is more rewarding to read with the question of how technical discussion and cultural background intertwine than simply to look for an operational guide.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Steel, A. G. (Allan Gibson), 1858-1914 Author · British · 1858–1914

A. G. Steel (Allan Gibson Steel, 1858–1914) was a British lawyer and cricketer who played for Cambridge University and for England. Published information on his life is limited, and the library currently holds only one of his works, Cricket. Judging by its subject, the book belongs to the literature of the sport, dealing with a game with a deep tradition in Britain and bearing the clear marks of its period. In keeping with his experience on the field, writing of this kind tends to focus on technical points, match practice and the character of the game, in a practical and essayistic style rather than a literary one. Because sources are scarce, his style and influence cannot be assessed in detail, yet the work offers a useful text for understanding British cricket writing in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.