Book records the lives of cricketers lost during war
A FORMER chief reporter on the Aldershot News has been lauded by both sport and military historians after publishing a record of cricketers who died in the First World War.
Andrew Renshaw, 67, has edited Wisden On The Great War, the most complete volume of obituaries of cricket’s fallen during the 1914-1918 conflict ever collected.
The former local journalist, who is currently president of Eversley Cricket Club and a vice president of Hampshire County Cricket Club, spent four years researching the histories of thousands of cricketers’ pre-war playing careers and wartime service, from notable test and county players to those far less distinguished, but who all shared a common fate.
Wisden, described as ‘ the Bible of Cricket’, has provided detailed coverage of cricket matches from across the country and the wider world since 1846, though during the war years the publication became increasingly devoted to providing a roll of honour to fallen players.
By the end of the war Wisden had carried more than 1,800 obituaries, but mistakes inevitably crept in.
Names were entered wrongly and there were cases of mistaken identity.
Mr Renshaw’s collected edition has put right the inaccuracies and added many obituaries.
On Tuesday he joined modern cricket giants David Gower and Mike Atherton on the BBC’s Test Match Special at the England v India test match in Southampton to discuss the work.
● For more on the fates of local cricketers in the war, see the special centenary supplement in this week’s edition of the paper.