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Lillywhites's Legacy
Grenville Simons
Wisteria Books, Wisteria Cottage Birt Street, Birtsmorton, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 6AW £20.00
This book is an authoritative chronological study of the history of the Cheltenham Festival starting with James Lilywhite’s germ of an idea in 1855, through Gloucestershire’s involvement in 1872, the expansion to a Cricket Week in 1878 and on to the present day.

Although the casual reader might suspect this to be a subject of parochial interest, the author has succeeded in creating a story to appeal to all cricket lovers.

Given its time frame, much of the material, by necessity, has been taken from secondary local sources but Mr. Simons has leavened these by interviewing players, officials, journalists and the often forgotten spectator.

The statistical appendix by Keith Gerrish is exhaustive and exemplary while the illustrations are refreshingly unhackneyed.

Intriguing facts abound. Walter Hammond is the leading runscorer at the festival, no surprise there, although Mark Alleyne could yet overtake him but who would have guessed that Arthur Milton, the underestimated Ron Nicholls and the unheralded Alf Dipper would rank close behind. Charles Parker dominates the bowling as perhaps only that trenchant cricketer could but George Dennett comes ahead of Tom Goddard – another surprise.

This is a book to be recommended. The author deserves our thanks and congratulations for this splendid effort.