Parachutist at Fine Leg: And Other Unusual Occurrences from Wisden - Tapa dura

"Peter the Cat", Aurum's 2006 collection of the most eccentric and unexpected obituaries from "Wisden Cricketer's Almanack", was a very successful first collaboration with "Wisden", making a delightful and elegant little hardback that has already sold over 13,000 copies. Here is the follow-up. At the back of every "Wisden Cricketers' Almanack" is an "Index of Unusual Occurrences", referencing all the strange and indeed surreal things reported throughout its 1600 pages. "Man in Osama Bin Laden Mask Stops Play", for example, or "Ball lost in umpire's trousers", or "Six smashes spectator's cornet", or even "Glamorghan defeat blamed on seagulls". And all these examples, plus two dozen more, just from the 2006 edition! Now Gideon Haigh, increasingly acclaimed as the best living cricket writer, has compiled a selection of "Wisden's" best and funniest Unusual Occurrences since its earliest days in the last century. It will be another perfect gift at Christmas and for the tea interval at the Test Match. The key features include: the follow-up to "Peter the Cat", Aurum's first successful collaboration with "Wisden"; trademark yellow cover with Wisden logo and elegant lino-cut illustration; also edited by Gideon Haigh, one of cricket's finest writers; another perfect Christmas gift book at an impulse-buy price; and a handsomely designed and beautifully produced book.

Gideon Hiagh's recent books for Aurum Include Downed Under: The Ashes in Australia 2006-7, Silent Revolutions and Many a Slip.