You could argue that Dennis Amiss' seven-decade cricket career started the day he was born, when his parents named him after not one but two celebrated cricketers.

Or maybe it started when he was 7, sneaking into the Birmingham Cooperative Society to play a few matches with his friends - as long as they avoided the groundskeeper!

Or perhaps it was on 7 April 1958; not only his fifteenth birthday, but also his first day as a professional cricketer.

Whatever day you start on, there's no denying that Amiss has had an extraordinary career. He is one of England's cricketing greats, with 100 first-class hundreds to his name and a place as one of Wisden's Cricketers of the Year. Hugely well-respected on and off the pitch, he didn't shy away from controversy, taking part in the 1982 'Rebel Tour' of Apartheid South Africa, and somehow ending up in the midst of the battle between World Series Cricket and the England Cricket Board.

Not Out at Close of Play is the story of how passion, commitment and practice - and no small amount of stubbornness! - took a boy from the backstreets of Birmingham to worldwide cricket stardom.

About the Author
With 100 first-class hundreds, 50 England Caps and a Test batting average better than Colin Cowdrey and Tom Graveney, DENNIS AMISS MBE ranks amongst the greats of the game. Joining the Warwickshire playing staff as a 15-year-old in 1958, he retired as a player almost thirty years later in 1987. He then turned to the administrative side, serving as Chief Executive at Edgbaston for seventeen years and Vice Chairman of the ECB for four. It wasn't until 2011 that he finally retired, after an astonishing seven decades. Starting as a player for the England U19 XI in 1969 and 1970, JAMES GRAHAM-BROWN had an eight-year playing career with Kent and Derbyshire before becoming a teacher. After retiring as headmaster of the Royal High School, Bath, he has made his mark as a playwright specialising in sporting dramas.

Reviews
Dennis was not only one of the finest batsmen of his generation, he was a cricket innovator and influencer who then also went on to become a very successful administrator at the highest levels of the game. He has been a huge influence on the direction of my own career and I am extremely grateful to him for all of his support. -- Ashley Giles MBE MSD
Dennis is a Warwickshire legend on and off the field. One of best batters of his generation, he set the standard for players to follow. He was a hero of mine growing up and now I have the pleasure of calling him my friend. -- Ian Bell MBE



Book Information
ISBN 9781803990057
Author Dennis Amiss
Format Paperback
Imprint The History Press Ltd
Publisher The History Press Ltd