A new book by Steve Dolman on former Derbyshire bowler Edwin Smith is soon to be released and Derbyshire are holding a signing session with Dolman and Smith on Sunday 23 August at 1.30pm.
‘Edwin Smith: a Life in Derbyshire Cricket’ will be released on Tuesday 25 August and charters the off-spinners career for Derbyshire in which he took more than 1,000 wickets.
Smith still lives in the Grassmoor village in which he was born and is in all likelihood the last man who will reach this landmark. He took 1,209 wickets for the county between 1951 and 1971 and later became county coach, remaining loyal to the club despite offers from elsewhere, then spending his winters working at Grassmoor Colliery and for the National Coal Board.
Now a book has been written on his career by Ripley-born author Dolman. He is the writer of the award-winning and internationally acclaimed ‘Peakfan Blog’ on Derbyshire cricket, which has now reached over 1.5 million views around the world.
Smith said: “I’m thrilled and flattered that my story has been told after all this time. I played cricket in the summer and worked at the pit in the winter, so I was perhaps one of the last of what was once a very common breed.
“I was lucky to play cricket with some of the game’s greatest names between 1951 and 1971 and I hope that supporters enjoy my recollections of them and some wonderful team mates.”
Published by the Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians, the book contains many photographs and will bring back memories of some of the county’s greatest-ever players, including Les Jackson, Cliff Gladwin, George Dawkes and Harold Rhodes.
‘It was a great time to play the game’ said Edwin.’We played hard but fair and at the end of the day we sat down together over a drink and put the world to rights. It was a different game in many ways, perhaps all the better for that. I had a grand time.’
Edwin Smith: a Life in Derbyshire Cricket is available from August 25. Copies signed by both the author and Edwin are available, priced £14, plus £2.00 postage, by emailing [email protected]
There is also ‘An Evening with Edwin Smith’ at Chesterfield Library Theatre on Tuesday 25 August at 7.30pm. Tickets are available from the library, priced £3 (£2 concessions) by calling 01629 533400. This will see the official launch of the book and Steve will be interviewing Edwin and fielding audience questions. Copies of the book will then be available to purchase and will be signed by both of them.
Steve’s blog on Derbyshire cricket can be seen at www.derbyshirecricket.blogspot.co.uk
