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The Final Test by Huw Turbervill (Hardback)
£20.00
Available
Product Ref. (e.g. ISBN, SKU)
9781399417525
Published:
24 Apr 2025
Format:
Hardback
Number of pages:
240 pages
Dimensions:
236x156x28mm
Weight:
0.420kgs
Author:
As T20 grows like Japanese knotweed, Test cricket is in mortal danger. White-ball tournaments - mainly T20 and T10 - are now sprouting in places like the US and Saudi Arabia, and Test cricketers are commonly being offered all-year-round contracts by IPL owners, allowing them to play short-form tournaments in the West Indies, the UAE and elsewhere. The IPL has expanded, but Australia's Big Bash is contracting; the 2023 men's Ashes were concertinaed into a tiny window but The Hundred continues to dominate. Is there still hope for Test cricket in this tumultuous sporting landscape? Turbervill recalls the poignancy of the final Test of the English summer at The Oval in 2022, and describes how the match could be seen as a metaphor for the demise of the longer game.
'A compelling book… Test cricket is hanging on. It's a worry' - Graham Gooch
'Huw Turbervill is the ultimate passionate polemicist for the Test format' - David Gower OBE
THE EDITOR OF THE CRICKETER GOES ON A SOUL-SEARCHING JOURNEY TO DISCOVER WHAT THE FUTURE HOLDS FOR TEST CRICKET
The Final Test is a love letter to cricket and a manifesto in favour of the Test format. Taking readers on a nostalgic journey, Huw Turbervill shares stories of cricket past and present and of the incredible characters the sport has encountered over the years: Viv Richards, Graham Gooch, David Gower, Merv Hughes, Richard Hadlee and more.
In a tumultuous sporting landscape, the cricket community, however, seems undecided about the future of Test cricket. The IPL is expanding, The Hundred still seems to dominate the thoughts of English cricket's controllers, and the men's Ashes in 2023 was relegated to a narrow window. As T20 keeps growing internationally and domestically like Japanese knotweed, attracting more fans than ever before, is it still possible for the longer format to retain its wistful shine?
Huw asks a five-star panel of cricketers, commentators and writers if Test cricket can truly survive the next decade. Shouldn't we keep a tradition filled with memories of days gone by? Could we instead try to maintain a healthy balance of formats all year round? How about accepting that times need to change? Are Huw and others too nostalgic and conservative? This book is the ultimate soul-searching journey around the great game.
About the Author: Huw Turbervill has been the editor of The Cricketer since 2021 after 15 years at the Telegraph (doing some touring as Scyld Berry's sidekick). He started his career in Ipswich at the East Anglian Daily Times. His books include The Toughest Tour: The Ashes Away Series Since the War and The Cricketer's Anthology of the Ashes.
| Number of pages | 240 |
|---|
We will despatch your order as quickly as we can. If, for whatever reason, a product is out of stock we will contact you to discuss the likely delivery time or an alternative product.
| First Item | 2 Items & Over | |
|---|---|---|
| UK | £3.75 | £5.00 |
| EU | £15.00 | £30.00 |
| USA & Canada | £30.00 | £50.00 |
| Rest of the World | £45.00 | £60.00 |
| Collect in Store | free | free |
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