Barmy Days and Balmy Nights

Supporters went to watch England play cricket overseas well before anyone had heard of cricket’s Barmy Army, but what was it like? Pete Christopher’s book tells the story of being on supporter tours visiting Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, the West Indies, and South Africa, watching England win, draw, but mainly losing cricket matches. The book charts the rise of England’s Barmy Army group of fans, from backpacker’s funding their day’s cricket by selling t-shirts, to the oft witnessed and TV highlighted organised assemblages now seen at Test matches. The author also describes the cricket matches he witnessed, countries and places he visits, and the sights he was lucky enough to see – a cricket travelogue from moments in time.