Founded in 1864 by the Victorian cricketer-cum-entrepreneur John Wisden - a tiny fast bowler from Brighton who is still the only player to have bowled all 10 batsmen in the same first-class innings - the Almanack has long been the most prestigious name in sports publishing. Even as the book - primrose jacket and all - approaches its 155th edition in 2018, it retains its unrivalled reputation for a
uthority, integrity and independence. The annual Editor's Notes form one of the highest-class sporting soap boxes around; equally renowned are Wisden's Five Cricketers of the Year, chosen annually by the editor since 1889 and a highlight on any player's CV. Far more than a repository for statistics, Wisden is a trusted book of record, a home for some of the best writing on the game, and an unexpectedly rich source of humour. If you haven't heard the one about the moving cigarette that stopped play, you clearly haven't come across Wisden's Index of Unusual Occurrences.
