It started as the work of a former cricketer looking to secure an income in his retirement and was priced at a modest one shilling.
By contrast, on Wednesday the cricketing world saw the publication of the 150th edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack, with the hardback edition a somewhat more expensive £50 ($ 76).
In the intervening years the publication founded by John Wisden — an English professional bowler known for his “fast and ripping off-cutters” — has established itself as the “bible of cricket”.
Published every year since 1863 — not even two world wars interrupted the unbroken sequence — the appearance of the annual, primarily a review of the previous year’s English season but now encompassing the global cricket calendar, has become a landmark event among the game’s enthusiasts. AFP