The Tour cover art

The Tour

The Story of the England Cricket Team Overseas 1877-2022

Preview

£0.00 for first 30 days

Try for £0.00
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

The Tour

By: Simon Wilde
Narrated by: Michael Fenner
Try for £0.00

£7.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £16.99

Buy Now for £16.99

Confirm Purchase
Pay using card ending in
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and authorise Audible to charge your designated card or any other card on file. Please see our Privacy Notice, Cookies Notice and Interest-based Ads Notice.
Cancel

About this listen

WINNER OF THE MCC / CRICKET SOCIETY BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
WINNER OF THE HEARTACHES' CRICKET BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD
LONGLISTED FOR THE WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK THE YEAR AWARD

An England cricket tour is a unique phenomenon, with its own pressures, challenges and remarkable highlights. It presents its participants - shorn of the usual support networks they enjoy at home - with a prolonged test of skill, physical stamina and mental resilience. Now Simon Wilde, author of the acclaimed England: The Biography, examines in The Tour the delicate chemistry that makes for a successful tour and why others disintegrate so badly.


Since the 19th century, England has been sending its cricket teams around the world to take on their rivals. Initially, these trips were undertaken by boat, meaning players could be away for many months, often in alien conditions. With air travel reducing journey time and facilities much improved, the challenges still remain: homesickness, isolation, hostile crowds - not to mention an opposition determined to win at all costs. For some, the experience can be too much, while others thrive in the heat and dust of battle.

The Tour looks at all aspects of the history of England's cricketers abroad, including the burden placed on the captain, who is expected to combine on-field acumen with the deft touch of an ambassador off it. There have been diplomatic incidents aplenty, from Douglas Jardine’s Bodyline tactics to Len Hutton’s tour of the Caribbean, as well as the special pressures of playing in countries such as India and Pakistan during periods of unrest. Touring has never lost its romance. There have been serious scrapes, from court cases to car crashes, but also much fun, whether joining in with the Barmy Army or David Gower famously taking a Tiger Moth for a spin. Wilde explains how this seemingly anachronistic activity has been adapted from an instrument of imperial soft power to a relentless cricket circus that never ends.

Simon Wilde has once again created a masterpiece of insight, information and entertainment, an aspect of cricketing life that few will ever forget: the tour.
©2023 Simon Wilde (P)2023 Simon & Schuster, UK
Cricket Sports Writing England Transportation Tiger
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Listeners also enjoyed...

On the Ashes cover art
Being Geoffrey Boycott cover art
White Hot cover art
BBC Sports Report cover art
The Wood Life cover art
The Three Lives of the Kaiser cover art
Crickonomics cover art
The Weimar Years cover art
Football and How to Survive It cover art
Sultan cover art
The Boys of Winter cover art
Great Australian Cricket Achievers and Characters cover art
My A-Z of Cricket cover art
The Sound of Summer cover art
England Football: The Biography cover art
Hitting Against the Spin cover art

What listeners say about The Tour

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    3
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    3
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant in its depth and narrative

Firstly. It is so very well read. Secondly, the way it is constructed works so much better than just being a chronological narrative. It also enables you to dip in and out over time. Which helps given the depth. Superb.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!