Chasing Jessop

THE WISDEN BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A forensic tour de force' VIC MARKS 'Engrossing ... Illuminating detective work into the astonishing statistics of English cricket's most enduring record' ANDY ZALTZMAN In 1902 at The Oval, Gilbert Jessop played arguably the greatest innings in the history of cricket. His whirlwind century led England from certain defeat to glorious victory, and set a speed record that still stands over 1,000 Test matches later. Yet the exact circumstances of Jessop's feat have long been shrouded in mystery. The original scorebooks are missing and the famous claim that he faced 76 balls has rarely been scrutinised. In this riveting investigation, Simon Wilde draws on long-forgotten sources to uncover what really happened. Could Jessop, in fact, have reached his hundred even faster than we thought? 'A fascinating and definitive account of one of cricket's most fabled innings' JOHN ETHERIDGE 'A delight from start to finish' WISDEN CRICKET MONTHLY

Simon Wilde has been cricket correspondent of the Sunday Times since 1998 and has reported on around 330 England Test matches and numerous World Cups. He has written twelve books, three of which were shortlisted for the William Hill sports book of the year. His most recent works have been the acclaimed England: The Biography, a history of the men's national team, and The Tour, which won the MCC/Cricket Society Book of the Year award.