Tony Pigott, a name synonymous with a unique moment in English cricket history, opens up about his quietly remarkable journey in a new book, namely, Lester And The Deckchair Revolution, available from Fairfield Books.

Tony Pigott appeared in 260 first-class matches, including 232 for Sussex and 14 for Surrey, capturing 672 wickets at 30.99 runs apiece. His tally includes 26 five-wicket hauls and two instances of ten wickets in a match. Pigott's career-best being 7 for 74 for Sussex vs Northamptonshire at Eastbourne in August 1982. He accomplished a unique feat for Sussex - a hat-trick of internationals as his first three first-class victims - Intikhab Alam, Robin Jackman and Pat Pocock - against Surrey at Hove in July 1978.

As a batter, he managed 4841 runs at an average of 19.28, including a hundred and 20 fifties. His only first-class hundred being 104 not out off 98 balls in 87 minutes for Sussex vs Warwickshire at Birmingham in September 1986.

In the introductory chapter, Tony Pigott says, "I've had my ups and downs both in and outside the sport. And plenty of them. I was the best schoolboy rackets player in the country. I was the England player who postponed my wedding to play my first and only Test on the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll tour of New Zealand. I am a man who has injected himself as a diabetes sufferer every day for 35 years. I was the figurehead of the deckchair revolution that led to my boyhood club Sussex winning the first County Championship title in their history.

And I am the oesophageal cancer sufferer who has overcome the illness. How can I be so cheerful and upbeat after the setbacks I have experienced in my life? What else can you do? What's the alternative? Life is for living. Be positive. Be strong. Onwards and upwards."

John Barclay in his foreword has remarked, "As his captain of Sussex for six years, how happy I am to write a few words by way of a foreword to this excellent biography of Tony Pigott. When the chips were down, Tony was courageous and determined. He had a great sense of purpose and self-belief. And this astute single-mindedness helped alter the course of Sussex cricket towards the end of the 1990s. Tony is a doer, not just a talker - well he's both really - but it was as much his grit and inspiration that paved the way for Sussex's success from the beginning of the new millennium, led by Chris Adams and Peter Moores."

Told with the brutal honesty of a man who knows his cricket never scaled the heights but, after 46 full years in the game as player, coach, chief executive, pitch inspector and match referee, is now on a mission to help other cricketers suffering from cancer.

Attractively laid-out and logically organised, the book is a superb production indeed. The feature of the book is its outstanding collection of photographs, taking it to another level of excellence. Five pages have been devoted to a well-compiled statistical section.