The Glory Days of Cricket: The Extraordinary Story of Broadhalpenny Down

by Ashley Mote

Broadhalfpenny Down is the Mecca of cricket. This is the home of the legendary Hambledon club of the 18th century, with the Bat and Ball Inn across the road, pavilion to the whole cricket world. All cricketers want to at least once have a drink in the pub because they know that this is where cricket began. Only it didn't. That Broadhalfpenny Down is the birthplace of cricket is one of the most well-established myths in English sporting history. Yet this ground still holds a unique place in the history of the game... for this is where cricket grew up. Here is a full account of the great events that took place on Broadpenny Down over 200 years ago, extensively researched and meticulously compiled... from the glory days when over 20,000 people attended a game, to the time when the ground lay in utter neglect, to its rescue and use today.

Genres: History

433 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 1999

About the author

Ashley Mote is a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 2004 to 2009. Elected representing the UK Independence Party, he became a non-inscrit one month into his term after UKIP withdrew the whip from him due to investigation into his expenses. A vociferous critic of fraud in the European Institutions, he himself was convicted of benefit fraud in 2007 for which he served a nine-month prison sentence and was described by the trial judge as "a truly dishonest man." The scandal ignited a debate as to how an MEP could receive a prison sentence, yet keep his seat in the European Parliament; there are moves afoot to review the legislation. In 2015, Mote was jailed for a further five years for fraudulently claiming nearly £500,000 in European Parliament expenses.

Reviews

[Duncan]

An absolute delight