(Verso £13.99) ership. • THIS PUBLICATION has nothing to do with respectable members of the MCC. However it does offer some respițe to this summer's Blair Hartland (the occasional New Zealand opener - not the situation in the Labour Party).
Marqusee aives a thoroughly researched, historic class analysis of cricket, its origins and recent controversies. The MCC's shambolic attempts to preserve their world cricket empire graphically illustrates the crisis of bourgeois leadSadly (and understandabiy) there are few hit the ball'. heroes. Marqusee advises socialists not to take sides between cricket traditionalists and modernisers.
However, Arthur Shrewsbury, stands out as a class hero. He led the 'Nottingham 7' in 1881. They weren't rebel councillors - but profes- system. sionals who struck for decent contracts against the 'gentlemen's' privileges. Shrewsbury died, tragically 22 years later (cricket's Kurt Cobain?) with a gun at his side. sport should serve as an Marqusee's first expe- instrument for morality'. rience of playing cricket (aged 10) sounds danger- exposed for their racism, ously like some of the La- and Marqusee gives a bour left: 'unlike baseball stunning repost to Noryou can stick around for manTebbit's cricket test a while even if you can't (which side do they cheer for?') which was The village green idyll sadly lacking four years that cricket (and its fair ago. play') represent harmony While the book is between antagonistic strong on facts and poclasses is shown to be lemics Marqusee's call nothing more than the for a democratic revolutyranny of an imperialist tion in cricket needs to establishment, urging us be elaborated - but the to 'Lose graciously and nationalisation of Lords accept the verdict of the without compensation is as good a start as anyFew come out with thing. any credit over apartheid. And why the mysteriAsif labal stands head ous title? Well it has and shoulders above the something to do with a rest. Of the boycott he Derbyshire MP's resaid, 'I am proud that my sponse to Tebbit's test. TOTAL 8 | 0 EAM LS /ICH TS 4 BOWLERS IS FLD 8 t FELL
SOCIALIST OUTLOOK No. 66, July 1994, Page 11