The Art of Batting

'a wonderful tale' – David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd

'one of cricket’s most distinctive writers' – Andy Zaltzman

THIS GROUND-BREAKING BOOK REVEALS THE SCIENCE, SKILL AND CULTURE THAT MADE THE 50 GREATEST BATTERS OF ALL TIME.

Most batters just do their best, yet the top players create art. It is physically impossible to face an 80mph delivery and track it with your eyes, yet the greatest batters do more than just watch the ball, they can see into the future.

This book is about the batters who see what mortals don’t: Javed Miandad purposefully making errors to manipulate the field; Sachin Tendulkar digging up a pitch to take on Warne; Shivnarine Chanderpaul practising non-stop on a beach until he mastered his technique; and Joe Root playing against spin as a result of three random events. Others, such as Smith, Pietersen and Richards, carried on the work of a man 100 years before their time, meanwhile Ranji changed cricket with a bucket.

Their methods and stories are different, but their currency is the same: runs. Through interviews with cricketing greats such as David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, Nasser Hussain, Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara, this book shows you the science, skill and culture that made the 50 greatest batters of all time – and, ultimately, how they conquered leather with willow.

This is a wonderful tale of the great stories and evolution of batting, from Grace to Root. Kimber covers the history and present to celebrate batting in a cracking read. Get on the front foot and buy a copy. -- David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, former Test Match Special commentator
Jarrod Kimber is one of cricket’s most distinctive writers. His insight, curiosity and constant challenging of accepted cricketing wisdoms, fuelled by his passionate fascination with cricket’s past, present and future, bring fresh perspectives on the sport. -- Andy Zaltzman, Test Match Special cricket statistician
I always thought Jarrod was a master of words. I loved how he navigated passages with his vocabulary. And then, I began noticing some very intelligent use of analytics. He now straddles these two worlds with the ease few possess. -- Harsha Bhogle, Indian cricket commentator
In The Art of Batting, Jarrod Kimber further cements himself as the world's best cricket writer. He's an astute observer of how the games we play, and how they evolve in concert or opposition with the world, reveal the true nature of a man hiding in plain sight. A raucous stadium, on Boxing Day in his native Australia, in the corner of a foreign field in India, or in the palace of Lord's in London, is only where years and years of private work are realised. Modern sports might look like mass entertainment, but they remain a deeply personal quest to find and nurture each person's artistic soul. That's the world he uncovers and in the nuanced, literary (and delightfully funny) telling of this story Kimber is a man at the peak of his powers. -- Wright Thompson ESPNcricinfo
Jarrod Kimber’s writing is as irreverent as it is forensic – a highly entertaining and informative read on the elusive arts of batting and run-making. -- Mark Butcher, former English Test cricketer
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know by now that Jarrod Kimber is the finest contemporary young cricket writer. Cricketcountry.com
Kimber is a 22nd-century cricket writer The Guardian
When I first started Jarrod's book I thought 'oh great, another book on batting.' Bloody batsmen, it's all about their batting averages and batting contracts. Blah-di-bloody-blah. But the book's insights into the science, analysis of why and how great batsmen performed in all eras of cricket was particularly enlightening. A very courageous innings to pick your best 50 Test batsmen of all time including a surprise Number 1. All very interesting and insightful. For what is in the end... another bloody book about batting! -- Damien Fleming, former Australian Test bowler

Jarrod Kimber is a Melbournian writer, commentator and analyst based in London who has had almost every job in cricket, except for playing it. Jarrod has written for ESPNcricinfo, SPIN Magazine and has built his own media network, Good Areas. If there is a cricket match on, he is probably watching it.

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