by Mayukh Ghosh
In 2009, David Frith managed to catalogue his own collection.
Possibly, the largest in private hands.
Naturally, it was not an easy task. He had to spend just about 6000 hours for the job.
It resulted in a 1073-page tome. 462 of them devoted to Books and Booklets.
Since then, he has added to his collection. That has been captured in a word document running well over 100 pages.
He can be tagged as a journalist, a reporter, a writer, a collector, a reviewer, an editor, a researcher and a historian.
And above all, the man who probably knows more about the game than anyone else alive.
One of a kind.
He has documented his story in his recently published autobiography ‘Paddington Boy’ published by CricketMASH.
A story that began SEVENTY years ago.
In January 1951, he bought a tour programme on his first day at a Test match, at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
E.W. Swanton’s book on that series soon followed it to his bookshelf and then J.M. Kilburn’s little book on Len Hutton.
Soon, he exposed himself to Cardus’ cricket writing and an autobiography of his idol Ray Lindwall.
And then there was no looking back.
He joined The Cricketer and then later founded Wisden Cricket Monthly.
The two magazines which have always been enriched by his book reviews.
He has read them all and has reviewed most of them in the last fifty-odd years!
Requesting this man for a list of his favourite books was not easy as I knew it would be doubly difficult for him.
He has done it many times before but I wanted a final list that won’t change.
We settled the number at 15 and then I allowed him to spend some time with his books.
He came back with his top fifteen books.
It made him reminisce the old times, the old press-boxes, the old names, the old books.
The result?
A top-notch top fifteen. Here they are:
1. Elusive Victory by E.W. Swanton: “My first cricket book.”
2. Australia ‘55 by Alan Ross: “One of the finest tour books. I read it soon after it was published. That Ashes series had a very powerful effect on me. I watched so much of it at the SCG. And of course I got to know most of the players in due course, as well as the fascinating Mr Ross.”
3. Percy Fender by Richard Streeton: “Dick Streeton's Fender was a good, solid effort, typical of the author, who was into cricket as well as rugby.”
4. Give Me Arthur by Peter Wynne-Thomas: “His name has appeared on quite a few books, and I remember his work on Nottinghamshire cricketers won him the second Cricket Society Book of the Year, following a certain biography of Stoddart. This is my favourite among them all.”
5. 10 For 66 And All That by Arthur Mailey: “Arthur Mailey was such an interesting, droll and humorous chap, beyond his great skill as a legspinner. I wish I could have those meetings back again: I'd ask him so many more questions - apart from that one about his 10 for against Gloucestershire. "My lucky day," he murmured.
When writing ‘Inside Story’, the Australian Board history, I loved the recurring entries in the minutes to the effect that Mr Mailey still hadn't returned the accounts for the trip to America (1932).”
6. Mystery Spinner by Gideon Haigh: “ Gideon’s ‘Iverson’ incorporated some excellent research. He was a darkish character. His team-mates said so. But GH threw much light on his life. Today's cricketers seem such a dull lot when you think back to many fascinating players from long ago.”
7. Between Wickets by Ray Robinson: “I gobbled up all that the charming Ray Robinson produced. He was a huge influence in my formative years. It was a privilege to know that gentle and humorous man.”
8. Cricket Crisis by Jack Fingleton: “His best work.”
9. Days in the Sun by Neville Cardus: “One of those small Cardus publications by Hart Davis released in the early 1950s, and I read it on the train journey to school in Sydney. It was mesmerising. For a start, I wasn't familiar with many of his words, and so felt the book to be part of my education. “
10. Arlott: The Authorised Biography by David Rayvern Allen: “John was quietly pleased that he had somebody who wanted to write about him and collect his works. The biography was a fine effort - and should be read in conjunction with John's son Tim's book.
DRA was not what anybody would call a top-class writer, but he was an untiring researcher, and he could turn on the charm. The detail in the John Arlott biography is impressive, most particularly in the dealings with the BBC (for whom DRA himself once worked).”
11. Grassy Pitches and Glory Years by Phil Derriman: “Grassy Pitches simply takes me back to numerous days watching marvellous matches - and of playing there once myself. I was overwhelmed, but managed to stay in, without troubling the scorers too much. I had never played on a more beautiful outfield.”
12. The MCC Book for the Young Cricketer 1951: “That 1951 MCC Book for the Young Cricketer: it's a relic from my boyhood. It reflects an age where the game in Britain was run mainly by war veterans who knew the value of life, cherished the game, and weren't obsessed with money. It was a gentle time, when everyone respected the game, and the players weren't bearing adverts all over their cricket-wear. There was an absence of the grossness which now saturates cricket (I have in mind here in particular the inelegant, raucous, exhibitionist 20-20 version). There was also about that book an appealing sense of innocence. I don't think books today are published with youngsters in mind - and that's because they don't read, but merely gaze at their hypnotic hand-held devices, poor devils.”
13. Australian Batsmen by A.G. Moyes: “I'd read a few pages of that Moyes book before going across the quiet road and hitting a tennis ball against the wall, inspired and ambitious. Once tried a golf ball to improve my hooking - and was lucky not to have an eye removed.”
14. Cricketers at War by Greg Growden: “As a boy who vividly remembers the Second World War and who became friends with so many cricketers who served (principally Ernie Toovey, who was an unforgiving prisoner of the Japs on the Burma railway) I am almost obsessed by the topic. Those stories in the Growden book render the cricket deeds almost immaterial.”
15. Arlott, Swanton and the Soul of English Cricket by Stephen Fay and David Kynaston: “I wrote a glowing review of the Arlott/Swanton book. It certainly touched plenty of heartstrings. I remember writing that if it was given the book of the year award then for once the judges will have got it right. It duly took (I believe) the Cricket Society award. It was so sad to hear of Stephen Fay's death soon afterwards. I really rated that bloke.”
“It's coincidental, I think, but I happen to have known every one of these writers.”
It isn’t really coincidental.
Everyone knew David Frith. Everyone knows David Frith.