The book was on the shortlist for The Cricket Society and MCC Book of the Year Award 2026

Father Marriott’s Summer Holidays

The forgotten story of England’s great leg-spinner

Max Bonnell

Original pictorial wrappers, new.

(i-iv), 5-168pp, illustrated.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, when July drew to a close, Charles Marriott set aside his schoolbooks, cleaned off his cricket boots, and went out to wreak havoc upon the best batsmen in England. If Marriott is remembered at all today, it’s usually as a statistical quirk - he remains the only cricketer ever to take 11 wickets in his single Test match. But there was much more to him than that: he recovered from his traumatic experiences in the Great War to become a bowler of rare and sustained skill, while a shared love of cricket and literature drew him into a close friendship with two of England's best-known poets. Father Marriott's Summer Holidays tells the extraordinary story of how this mild-mannered, scholarly, part-time cricketer became one of the greatest leg-spin bowlers England has ever produced.

BOOK REVIEW: https://www.cricketweb.net/books/fmsh/

Max Bonnell has on three occasions won the Jack Pollard Trophy, awarded annually to the best book on Australian cricket. This is his 4th publication for Red Rose Books.

UK post free only

JT Tyldesley in Australia

The Heart and Hope of England

Ric Sissons

Published by Red Rose Books, Blackpool, 2023

Original pictorial hard cloth.

8vo (iv) + 58 pages, illustrated.

Limited edition of 62 hardback copies, signed by Ric Sissons.

John Tommy Tyldesley was England’s best professional batsman of the so-called Golden Age. Tyldesley toured Australia in 1901-02 and 1903-04. Expectations were high and he did not disappoint. In the Second Test in January 1904 in Melbourne, Tyldesley played his greatest ever innings in Australia. On a difficult, sticky wicket, John Tommy made 62 in England’s total of 103. England won the Test and eventually the series. Albert Knight wrote in the Sheffield Daily Telegraph that Tyldesley’s ‘batting in this match overshadowed that of Trumper’. Rare praise indeed. Before 1914, Tyldesley and Trumper were the two best batsmen on wet wickets. No wonder Knight describes Tyldesley as the ‘heart and hope’ of the side. Tyldesley was a player who knew his worth. With Len Braund, he tried to get more money from the MCC for the 1903-04 tour. They failed. The hard-headed Tyldesley would not be fooled again.

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Monographs on North American cricket: No. 10

Johnny Lester Philadelphia’s Renaissance Man

Stephen Musk

Published by Red Rose Books, 2026

Original A5 card wrappers, new.

(iv) + 16pp, illustrated.

Limited edition of 30 copies, signed and numbered by Stephen Musk

Born in England, Johnny Lester was educated at Haverford College in Philadelphia, quickly becoming its leading bat. He represented his school on its tour in England in 1896, scoring the huge total of 1186 runs at an average of 79.07, which included a century against the MCC. Unsurprisingly, he was fast-tracked into the representative Philadelphian side. He subsequently participated in the three first-class visits from the city to England, topping the batting averages in 1897 and 1903, and skippering the team in 1903 and 1908. But Lester was much more than just a successful cricketer. He interrupted his sporting career to obtain a doctorate of education and later became a noted teacher and publisher of academic works. But he is best remembered for editing the book A Century of Philadelphia Cricket, which remains the most important work on the sport in his adopted city. Truly a renaissance man, he seemed able to succeed at any task to which he turned his hand.

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Notable Lancashire victories in 19th-century cricket: No. 5

‘McIntyre well on the spot’

Yorkshire CCC v Lancashire CCC Great Horton Road, Bradford, 10, 11, 12 August 1874

K Martin Tebay

Published by Red Rose Books, 2026

Original A5 card wrappers, new.

8vo (iv) + 12pp, illustrated.

Limited edition of 20 copies, signed and numbered by Martin Tebay

The fifth booklet in the series recalls the first time Lancashire secured victory by an innings over their rivals from across the Pennines. The match took place at the ground of Bradford Cricket Club on 10, 11, 12 August 1874. Will McIntyre, the Nottinghamshire-born fast-bowler, a professional at Bolton Cricket Club who was also engaged by the Red Rose county, enjoyed a fine match, recording career-best figures of 13/66.

UK post free, please e-mail for overseas postage charges

SPECIAL OFFER - Three Max Bonnell cricket biographies

First and Foremost a Cricketer: The Life of Dr Leslie Poidevin

Original A5 pictorial card covers, new. (2021)

(iv) + 96 pages, illustrated.

Published by Red Rose Books

Limited edition of 125 copies

Leslie Poidevin’s life was frustratingly full of near misses. He would have been - but for injury - a Test cricketer and he would have been - but for an administrative bungle - an Olympian. But his achievements were substantial enough - he appeared in Davis Cup tennis and a Wimbledon semi-final, won the Sheffield Shield with New South Wales and the County Championship with Lancashire, besides qualifying as a doctor and becoming an influential journalist. ‘First and Foremost a Cricketer’ tells the story of a full, yet strangely restless, life.

Three Days at Aigburth. Tom McKibbin's Match

Published by Red Rose Books

Original pictorial wrappers, new. (2024)

(iv) + 80 pages, illustrated.

In August 1896, the visiting Australian cricketers played the last of their matches with the English counties against Lancashire, in the unusual setting of Aigburth, in Liverpool. It rained, and rained and rained. But between the showers, one player seized the opportunity to prove that he’d developed into one of the deadliest attacking bowlers in world cricket. Three Days at Aigburth tells the story of Tom McKibbin’s match, interwoven with an account of the cricketing and personal life of the New South Wales and Australian Test cricketer.

Father Marriott’s Summer Holidays

The forgotten story of England’s great leg-spinner

Original pictorial wrappers, new. (2025)

(i-iv), 5-168pp, illustrated.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s, when July drew to a close, Charles Marriott set aside his schoolbooks, cleaned off his cricket boots, and went out to wreak havoc upon the best batsmen in England. If Marriott is remembered at all today, it’s usually as a statistical quirk - he remains the only cricketer ever to take 11 wickets in his single Test match. But there was much more to him than that: he recovered from his traumatic experiences in the Great War to become a bowler of rare and sustained skill, while a shared love of cricket and literature drew him into a close friendship with two of England's best-known poets. Father Marriott's Summer Holidays tells the extraordinary story of how this mild-mannered, scholarly, part-time cricketer became one of the greatest leg-spin bowlers England has ever produced.

Published as a hardback edition only on Friday, 30 January 2026

Cricket Back in Blighty

Taking a Break from the White Man’s Burden

Stephen Musk

(i-iv), 5-96pp, illustrated.

Hardback limited edition of 30 hardback copies, signed and numbered by Stephen Musk

Between the Wars 10 cricket tours were made to Norfolk from the Gold Coast (which later became Ghana) and Nigeria. These were organised by Edgar Cozens-Hardy, a senior railway engineer whose family were prominent in the county’s society. These tours gave civil servants and soldiers who were based in West Africa the opportunity to play some decent quality cricket whilst taking their leave in England. This monograph is concerned, not only with describing these visits, but also placing them in context. A brief history of cricket in the Gold Coast and Nigeria before World War Two is presented, as are an in-depth investigation into the careers of the tourists and a summary of the cricket that they played in the colonies. There is also an analysis of the on-field strength and social class of the clubs that hosted the visitors. This reveals that the cricket played was of a very good club standard, with many opponents representing Norfolk during their careers. Potted scores of all the matches are provided, along with the averages of the tourists. Light is therefore shone on the rarely mentioned but fascinating subject of the cricket played by colonial administrators.

Overcoming Stigma in Victorian Cricket The Remarkable Story of Francis Terry, Canada’s Mad Vicar

Stephen Musk

Published on 28 July 2022 by Red Rose Books

Original pictorial hard cloth.

(iv) + 64 pages, illustrated.

Limited edition of 15 copies, signed by the author.

Francis Terry was educated at Oxford University, where he failed to impress, either as a scholar or a cricketer. He had more success when playing in 10 first-class matches for Somersetshire between 1882 and 1885, even scoring a century against Hampshire. However, he appeared to have left cricket behind him when he trained to be a minister in the Church of England and seemed to be destined for an unremarkable, if worthy, life. Alas, Terry was unfortunate to succumb to severe mental ill health problems and was obliged to stand down from the ministry. Perhaps in search of a new start, he emigrated to Canada in 1891 and started to play cricket once more. He quickly became established as one of the leading batsmen in North America. And, despite his mental problems being common knowledge, he was often selected to represent Canada against the USA. He was even asked to skipper his adopted country on two occasions. Terry continued to suffer from very poor mental health for the rest of his life but successfully battled, and batted, on. He made his last international appearance in 1907, when at the advanced age of 46, and played club cricket until his old age. Given the tremendous stigma attached to mental illness in the 19th century, his story can be described as one of an inspiring triumph over severe adversity. It is hard to imagine that anyone might follow in his footsteps, even in today’s supposedly more enlightened times.

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‘Tyldesley v. The Australians.’

Lancashire CCC v. The Australians, 25, 26 May 1899, at Old Trafford, Manchester

K Martin Tebay

Published by Red Rose Books, 2023

Original pictorial hard cloth.

(iv) + 24 pages, illustrated.

Limited edition of 25 copies, signed and numbered by the author.

Over the course of his long and distinguished career in first-class cricket, Lancashire’s John Tommy Tyldesley, gained a reputation as one of the best batsmen of his generation on rain-affected pitches. And the featured match, between Lancashire and the Australians at Old Trafford in 1899, perfectly illustrates this. On a wicket that was ‘playing queerly’, Tyldesley scored 56 and 42 while his teammates could only muster 58 runs between them in Lancashire’s two completed innings. The book also briefly recalls Tyldesley’s famous Ashes innings of 62 on a “sticky dog” at Melbourne in 1903-04, and a less well-known innings of 77 on a “glue-pot” against Nottinghamshire at Trent Bridge in 1910.

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Monographs on North American cricket: No. 9

Fowler's Tour. The Free Foresters Tour in North America, 1923

Stephen Musk

Published on 27 March, 2026 by Red Rose Books

Original A5 card wrappers.

(iv) + 16pp, illustrated.

Limited edition of 30 copies, signed and numbered by Stephen Musk

In 1922 Norman Seagram organised a tour of Canadian cricketers in England. Although it was a failure on the pitch it was a great social success and a return trip was organised, to be made by the Free Foresters in the following season. It consisted of 10 matches, eight being played in Canada followed by two in Philadelphia. Given that the touring squad was assembled by Major Teddy Wynyard, it was no surprise that it was largely composed of military men and Oxford students. The Free Foresters had a very successful tour, winning seven and drawing three of their 10 fixtures. The outstanding player was Bob Fowler, who scored 398 runs at an average of 44.22 and took 72 wickets at 8.92. The tour is described and it is noted how Fowler's social prowess and cricketing ability led to him being asked to skipper an MCC tour to the West Indies. Had he not died of leukaemia aged just 34 it is possible that he might have gone on to captain England in Test cricket.

Mine Host at The Mitre

Bobbie Peel at Blackpool, 1905

Gerry Wolstenholme

Published in 2009 by Red Rose Books

Limited edition number 5 of 20 cloth bound copies with marbled end-papers, ribbon marker and individual slip-case, signed and numbered by Gerry Wolstenholme

iv + 28pp, illustrated.

Minor shelf wear, overall a near fine copy; scans form part of the description.

Johnny Briggs

Poor Johnny

Lives in Cricket No. 2.

Stuart Brodkin

Published in 2007 by Red Rose Books in conjunction with The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians

Original red cloth, marbled end-papers, ribbon marker and individual slip-case.

109 pages, illustrated.

Limited edition number 47 of 50 copies, signed and numbered by the author.

UK post free, please e-mail for overseas postage charges

First and Foremost a Cricketer:

The Life of Dr Leslie Poidevin

Max Bonnell

Original A5 pictorial card covers.

(iv) + 96 pages, illustrated.

Published by Red Rose Books, 2021

Overall limited edition of 125 copies

The first 14 copies were issued as a hardback edition, this being the number of centuries scored by Leslie Poidevin in first-class cricket.

Leslie Poidevin’s life was frustratingly full of near misses. He would have been - but for injury - a Test cricketer and he would have been - but for an administrative bungle - an Olympian. But his achievements were substantial enough - he appeared in Davis Cup tennis and a Wimbledon semi-final, won the Sheffield Shield with New South Wales and the County Championship with Lancashire, besides qualifying as a doctor and becoming an influential journalist. ‘First and Foremost a Cricketer’ tells the story of a full, yet strangely restless, life.

UK post free only; overseas customers please contact RRB for airmail prices

Three Days at Aigburth Tom McKibbin's Match

Max Bonnell

Published by Red Rose Books, 2024

Original pictorial wrappers.

(iv) + 80 pages, illustrated.

ISBN: 978173921567

In August 1896, the visiting Australian cricketers played the last of their matches with the English counties against Lancashire, in the unusual setting of Aigburth, in Liverpool. It rained, and rained and rained. But between the showers, one player seized the opportunity to prove that he’d developed into one of the deadliest attacking bowlers in world cricket. Three Days at Aigburth tells the story of Tom McKibbin’s match, interwoven with an account of the cricketing and personal life of the New South Wales and Australian Test cricketer.

Published on 6 December 2024 by Red Rose Books

Rain Man The Life and Times of John Tommy Tyldesley

Stuart Brodkin

Research by Stephen Williams

Original pictorial wrappers, new.

(i-iv), 5-124pp, illustrated.

John Tommy Tyldesley, a truly iconic figure in the history of Lancashire and England cricket during the Golden Age, was reckoned by many good judges, among them Gilbert Jessop and Sir Neville Cardus, to have been the greatest batsman the world has ever seen on a “sticky wicket”. But whatever the conditions, consistency was his hallmark and over a period of 25 years, he scored more than 37,000 first-class runs at an average of nearly 41, compiling 86 centuries, including 13 double hundreds. He made 31 Test appearances for England at a time when professional batsmen were rarely considered to be better than their amateur counterparts. It was almost always a case of amateur batsmen and professional bowlers when it came to the make-up of the national team. Born in 1873, he began a cricketing dynasty that endures to this day. He is the great-great uncle of another of the game’s major figures, Yorkshire and England’s Michael Vaughan, whose son Archie continues the line after emerging as a promising recruit to the Somerset side in the 2024 season. Tyldesley dealt in runs and modesty in equal measure - his years of success never changing his outlook on the game or on life generally. A true professional in every sense of the word, he cared only for his family, for Lancashire, and for England.

Billy Makin

Puzzles Aplenty

James Rodgers and Pat Rodgers

Published on Friday, 12 December 2025 by Red Rose Books

Original pictorial card wrappers, new.

ISBN: 978-1-0685997-5-0

(iv) + 52pp, illustrated.

Billy Makin, born in Bolton, Lancashire, lived most of his life in Sydney where he experienced triumph and failure. He was a brilliant student, a long-serving public servant, and an accomplished cricketer. His sudden rise, during which he played cricket twice for New South Wales, was followed by a dramatic loss in form and a troubled marriage. Makin’s long life was filled with “puzzles aplenty” which the authors have attempted to solve or explain.

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Rage Against the Dying of the Light. Germantown Ambush the Australians

Stephen Musk

Published on 9 January 2026

Original A5 card wrappers.

(iv) + 16pp, illustrated.

Limited edition of 30 copies, signed and numbered by Stephen Musk

After the Triangular Tournament of 1912 many of the Australians returned home via North America, where they stopped to play seven matches. Profits were sufficiently encouraging that another tour was arranged for the following summer. This was a much lengthier trip, consisting of no fewer than 51 matches arranged across USA, Canada, and Bermuda. The squad for the 1913 tour was much stronger than that of the previous summer and no fewer than 47 matches were won, many by a sizeable margin. The Australians were defeated just the once, not by a representative team but by the Germantown Club. Even though the hosts played XII against XI, it was expected that they would be soundly beaten. However, they surprised everybody by winning the match by four wickets. Three players stood out. Paceman Frank Greene had figures of 4/38 and 4/24, old-timer Percy Clark scored 82 in his first turn at bat and took 6/38 in the Australians’ second innings, whilst skipper Paul O’Neill took no fewer than 10 catches, some being outstanding. This is the story of that match.

Published: Friday, 10 October 2025

A Red Rose Blooms

Reggie Spooner, August 1899

K Martin Tebay

Published on 3 October 2025 by Red Rose Books

Original pictorial hard cloth.

(iv) + 5-60pp, illustrated.

Limited edition of 15 copies, signed by the author

Much-beloved by Neville Cardus, the Liverpool-born amateur Reggie Spooner was undoubtedly one of the finest batsmen of his generation. Unfortunately for Lancashire cricket followers, his military service and business career often prevented him from playing for Lancashire on a regular basis. Indeed, only in the summers of 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, did he appear in 20 or more county championship matches for the county of his birth. His first appearance for Lancashire came in the month of August 1899, during which he scored a century for Marlborough at Lord’s and scored a century on his debut for Lancashire 2nd XI. Days later, he made his first-class debut for Lancashire, before ending the month facing the might of the touring Australians at Aigburth. This is the story of those four matches that recount the meteoric rise of the 18-year-old Spooner into the Lancashire County XI.

Published: Friday, 3 October 2025

A Red Rose Blooms

Reggie Spooner, August 1899

K Martin Tebay

Published on 3 October 2025 by Red Rose Books

Original pictorial wrappers.

(iv) + 5-60pp, illustrated.

Much-beloved by Neville Cardus, the Liverpool-born amateur Reggie Spooner was undoubtedly one of the finest batsmen of his generation. Unfortunately for Lancashire cricket followers, his military service and business career often prevented him from playing for Lancashire on a regular basis. Indeed, only in the summers of 1903, 1904, 1905, and 1906, did he appear in 20 or more county championship matches for the county of his birth. His first appearance for Lancashire came in the month of August 1899, during which he scored a century for Marlborough at Lord’s and scored a century on his debut for Lancashire 2nd XI. Days later, he made his first-class debut for Lancashire, before ending the month facing the might of the touring Australians at Aigburth. This is the story of those four matches that recount the meteoric rise of the 18-year-old Spooner into the Lancashire County XI.