by Ian Oxborrow and Rob Pritchard
(May 2009) paperback 234x156 mm
176 pages
ISBN 978-1-905328-60-4
£12.99
CHAPTERS:
Introduction
1 The Format of County Cricket
2 The Makings of Success
3 April 1979
4 May 1979
5 June 1979
6 July 1979
7 August 1979
8 September 1979
9 Epilogue
Appendices
1876. Custer was slaughtered at the Little Big Horn, Mark Twain
wrote Tom
Sawyer, Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone - and Essex
County
Cricket Club was born.
Although Essex produced famous cricketers, it did not produce
a famous team.
By 1978 the county had won nothing, a fate aggravated by
the success of neighbours Middlesex, Surrey and Kent, who seemed
to win
almost everything. Essex wore the mantle of clowns.
And then it changed. Essex started the 1979 season winning, and
carried on
winning. With Maggie Thatcher installed in Downing Street, Essex
blasted 290
runs at Lord's to lift the Benson and Hedges Cup. It was their
first
silverware in 103 years of trying. In the County Championship,
Essex were so
far in front of the rest that they were confirmed champions with
four
matches still to play.
Clowns no more. Jokers, yes. Essex had plenty of those, but skipper
Keith
Fletcher marshalled his aces and jokers to lift two trophies in
a season to
remember.
Below is the review that appeared in Spin World Cricket Monthly, July edition 2009
