Court and Bowled: Tales of Cricket and the Law

‘A surprising gem’

Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack

‘In summertime village cricket is the delight of everyone’ the English judge Lord Denning famously wrote, in a case brought by someone who clearly disagreed with him. The case was just one example of how the game of cricket cannot always avoid the law. Neighbours or passers-by get hit by stray cricket balls, protesters interrupt matches, players get into fights, take drugs, and sue each other for libel.

Court and Bowled examines a number of stories where cricket or cricketers gave rise to a legal dispute. Some involved the giants of the game such as Grace, Botham and Imran. Others involved village cricketers of more modest talents who were unable to keep the peace between themselves. Some cases were of critical importance to the game, such as Kerry Packer’s High Court action in the late 1970s. Others were rather more trivial, such as spectators indulging in lewd attention-seeking behaviour. All of the stories demonstrated something common to both cricket matches and court cases: behind the intrigue, entertainment and theatrics of both there are always real people and real human stories.

The book is written in a clear, accessible style, free of legal technicalities. It has been updated for the paperback edition to include the tragic death of Phillip Hughes, the perjury trial of Chris Cairns and the ball-tampering incident involving Faf du Plessis.