Cricket's 50 Most Important Moments looks at how the sport has developed from the beginnings of first-class matches and the birth of Test cricket, to World Cups and the phenomenon of Twenty20 cricket.

Cricket is a game that generates endless arguments. The book covers the scandals, tragedies and controversies that have rocked the cricketing world.

According to Tim Evershed, the book includes moments from the cricketing geniuses who astonished crowds with their prowess and redefined what was possible. Besides, the book chronicles the sport's long, colourful and sometimes controversial history by delving into the most significant moments that have happened on and off the cricket field. It also assesses the tactical changes, technological developments and other innovations that have shaped cricket from its infancy to the modern era.

Fifty chapters include The first Test match (1877), The birth of the Ashes (1882), Bodyline (1932-33), The D'Oliveira Affair (1968), The First Cricket World Cup - Women (1973), The West Indies conquer the World (1975), Trevor Chappell bowls underarm (1981), The introduction of the technology (1992), Hansie Cronje's confession stuns cricket (2000), The Lahore attack (2009) & The World Test Championship (2021).

Trevor Chappell's underarm delivery of the final ball of a one-day international (ODI) match between Australia and New Zealand at Melbourne on February 1, 1981, according to Tim Evershed, remains one of the most notorious acts of bad sportsmanship ever to take place on a cricket pitch. "The act itself denied New Zealand a fair chance of snatching an unlikely tie with a six from the last ball of the match. Although the delivery was legal in Australia at the time, it was seen as being contrary to the spirit of cricket and caused widespread outrage. Fans, commentators and even the prime ministers of both countries all joined in the condemnation."

Tim Evershed believes the year of 1864 saw some major cricketing events. Overarm bowling was legalised, a 15-year-old W.G.Grace burst on to the scene with scores of 170 and 56 against the Gentlemen of Sussex and the first edition of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack was published. Commonly known simply as Wisden, the little yellow book is often labelled the 'Bible of cricket' and has been published every year since 1864, including through two world wars and the Covid pandemic.

The author says Don Bradman commenced Australia's 1930 Ashes tour of England as a promising young batsman and ended it as a cricketing colossus. "The numbers achieved by Bradman on the 1930 Ashes tour tell a remarkable story. He scored 974 runs at an average of 139.14 during the Test series, with four centuries, including two double hundreds and a triple. As of now, no other batter has matched or exceeded 974 runs or three double centuries in one Test series; the record of 974 runs exceeds the second-best performance by 69 runs and was achieved in two fewer innings."

The book is well worth reading and will provide much to think and talk about. The quality of the paper and the generous spacing all enhance the fascinating material. The book is handsomely produced and economically priced.