Tony Lock: Aggressive Master of Spin

Biography of a Surrey and England great by one of cricket’s foremost writers. Tony Lock was an aggressive, attacking left-arm spinner who ideally complemented the subtleties of Jim Laker’s off-spin when Surrey were winning the County Championship between 1952 and 1958. As well as the successes of Lock’s career, the biography tackles the ‘throwing’ issue in the 1960s that led to his emigration to Australia, where he formed a reputation as a fine professional and coach. The final years of his life are covered, including the allegations of sexual abuse. Cleared of both charges against him, this biography proves that Tony Lock will be remembered for his cricket above all else He was a volatile, vulnerable man but was an astonishingly durable cricketer and the memory of the man will endure. AUTHOR: Alan Hill is one of the foremost biographers of English cricketers. The Yorkshire-born writer and journalist has also written highly acclaimed biographies of Bill Edrich, Hedley Verity, Johnny Wardle and Les Ames. He has won the Cricket Society Literary Award on more than one occasion. His biographies of Bill Edrich and Herbert Sutcliffe were reissued by Stadia in 2007. 35 b/w illustrations