Cricket and Race

by Jack Williams

Nominated for Cricket Society Book of the Year Award 2002.Winner of the 2001 Lord Aberdare Prize for Sports History.Any attempt to understand the nature of social relations and cultural identities in modern Britain must consider the significance of sport. Sports have had a crucial role in sustaining national consciousness. Because cricket has so often been regarded as a symbol of Englishness, especially amongst those with economic and political influence, the role of race in the sport provides penetrating insights into English national identity, from the belief in racial superiority underlying imperial expansion through to more recent debates about sporting links with South Africa, and racial animosities at test matches. This book examines cricket and race in England over the past century and a half. The author considers how far and in what respects cricket has reflected the racist assumptions of whites, and its role as an arena for ethnic conflict as well as understanding and harmony in England. In the first half of the twentieth century, commentary on the playing abilities of West Indian cricketers was often superficially laudatory but condescending in tone, and argued that racial characteristics would limit their achievements as players. More recently, campaigns to combat racism in the sport and the contributions of African-Caribbeans and Asians to recreational cricket show how central cricket is to appraisals of the cultural factors that have shaped ethnic relations. This absorbing book provides an incisive overview of the interconnections among cricket, race and culture.

Genres: History

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2001

About the author

Jack Williams was a Research Fellow and a Senior Lecturer in History in History at Liverpool John Moores University.

His main research area is the social and cultural history of sport and he co-edited a book entitled Sport and Identity in the North of England. He has also written numerous articles for journals and contributed to several edited volumes including Social Conditions, Status and Community (Sutton 1997)

Reviews

[Viral · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book on the history of racism and discrimination in English cricket. While I wish this book was longer, it was a great book that I highly recommend to any fans of the sport who want to learn more about the racist and imperialist tensions that has underscored the sport.

[Malcolm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cricket crosses class and regonal boundaries to be, arguably, England's national sport. Jack Williams subjects the sport a close and critical reading to explore the interwoven links between class, region, nation and 'race' to argue that while this claim may be true, it is also much more complex. Williams' depth and breadth of knowledge is exceptional, and as a historian he works from the ground up amassing detailed evidence from which to begin to draw conclusions. But more to the point, he wears this learning and detail lightly. Writing academic sports history is always demanding, in part because sport is so actively historicised by fans and followers who detailed knowledge of specific events and sports is prodigious (and just a little bit daunting). I suspect that Williams is able to hold his own, because of that deep and wide understanding. This is one of the finest pieces of revisionist sports history in recent years, and one that should find ready readership beyond that small world of academic historians.

[Marren · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you are interested in reading on how race influence the game of cricket, this book will help. I used this book when I research the history of cricket in the West indies. Since the game came from England, this book helped put into perspective the way whites dominance in society influence the way the game played on the field.

[Dave Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this when I was researching my piece on the 1868 Aboriginal tour of England, though there wasn't much on that subject. Well researched.