World Cricket Records 2012 - Tapa dura

Rich in history and steeped in tradition, the complexities and nuances of cricket, in all forms of the game, have enthralled generations of fans since the days of W.G. Grace and Victor Trumper. The game has changed beyond all recognition from its advent in Victorian times as a mass spectator sport in England and Australia - Test cricket has now spread around the world, the 50-over version has become an accepted mainstay, and a new upstart, Twenty20, has attracted legions of new fans to the game - but the fundamentals have remained the same: to score more runs and take more wickets than the opposition. In the process, legends have been born and new benchmarks have been set. "World Cricket Records 2012" is a celebration of more than 140 years of excellence, featuring not only a host of records from all formats of the game (first-class cricket, limited overs, women's and youth internationals), but also the stories behind them, and a series of potted biographies of some of the greatest players ever to have walked onto the field to bat, bowl or field. If you ever get into an argument about cricket facts and stats, anywhere in the world, "World Cricket Records 2012" will not only provide you with the definitive answer, it will also give you loads of additional information that will amaze your audience.

Chris Hawkes played professional cricket for Leicestershire CCC, as well as sampling club cricket around the world, before moving into publishing. He was editor of the bestselling Cricketer's Who's Who annual for a number of years and has gone on to write a number of books on cricket and other sporting topics, including, for Carlton, ICC Cricket World Cup 2007 Guide and World Twenty20 Annual 2009. He lives in Battersea, London.