Whiting Dan - Cricket Banter

The boys from the Middle Stump would like to thank the following people who have helped in the making of this book;

DAN would like to thank his children: Rebecca; Ben; Hannah; and Beth; a lady who is a little publicity shy but she knows who she is, she encouraged me to write; my mum for her help and support; John Thorp, aka Thorpster, for his contributions to the book and for his banter over the years; Liam Kenna for his chat and helping me write when the going got tough; Gill Nuttall from Factor 50, a dynamo and passionate about her cause; Graeme Fowler who has been brilliant, both with advice and his brand of humour; Paul Nixon who has been a superstar for us and loves good chat; Dan Norcross; Max; Hendo and all the boys and girls at Test Match Sofa; Marcus Charman; Steve James for helping to promote us and for his advice; Tom Huelin and Abby OSullivan who helped us write the county guide; The History Press who have answered all of our phone calls and questions with patience and a smile; all the boys at Southgate Adelaide Cricket Club who have taught me a lot the University of Banter; the supporters of Barnet FC whose humour taught me loads, especially Ruff and Fish, Reckless Tony Hammond for letting me nick one or two of his ideas; Rikki Clarke and the Warwickshire boys for following us and getting involved; Benny Howell and the Gloucestershire boys for doing the same; Steve Beeston Photography, Fred Boycott for helping us to #digin; my uncle George Berry for teaching me the square cut which I only get out to three or four times a season; everyone who has retweeted us or help to promote us in any shape or form who we cant all name here but your contribution has been vital; the guys who gave up their time for nothing to be interviewed in this book; and lastly anyone who buys a copy.

LIAM would like to thank his dad, Brian, for drumming in to him that he can do anything that he put his mind to; his mum, Christell and brothers Justin, Dean & Christopher for spreading the word of The Middle Stump to youngsters around West Wales; Mark Nussey and Adam Fountain; work colleagues who have encouraged me from day one; The Southgate Adelaide boys who helped make me become the all round good guy that I am today; Gareth Rees and Paul Nixon for getting us off the ground with the first interviews and Gill for getting us access to the stars; the boys at Warwickshire and Glamorgan for their banter and support and of course Foxy Fowler who is, in my opinion, a living legend; everyone who has followed and retweeted on Twitter and to all the facebook fans; Dan for his secretarial skills, ringing around getting the interviews that we needed and Thorpy for his essays!

Finally his Gran, Eileen and late Grandad, Eddie who drove Liam all around the country from an early age to play cricket, without their help and support Liam would have never played the game.

It is a pleasure to write this foreword for Dan and Liam of The Middle Stump, even if Dan does insist on reminding me that his beloved Barnet FC beat my team, Carlisle United, to the Conference title in 2005.

Apparently, I was their first interviewee back in March 2012 when The Middle Stump was just starting out, and since then they have gained a cult following. While Wisden they are most certainly not, their particular brand of humour has a place in the game of cricket and I am sure that this book will appeal to the new cricket fan, as well as the more traditional supporter. It was great fun being interviewed and the people in this book that they have spoken to are some of the biggest characters to have played the game in recent years. Lets just say they arent the usual questions us cricketers get asked!

The articles in this book will keep you laughing all through the season, and the features such as cricketers getting piles, poor behaviour on tour, sledging (for which I was the technical expert!) and getting pinned, will ring true with anyone who has played the game at club or county level! Their article on cricket bats from the 1980s struck a chord with me, as they mention the Gray-Nicolls Scoop, as used by a childhood hero of both mine and Dan Whiting, David Gower. My father bought me a size 3 Scoop when I was a kid, and their look at retro bats brought back many memories.

As for the Guide to Banter section in here, they have even taught me a few new phrases!

The County Guide section will be a great companion to any travelling cricket fan, telling you where to go and grab a pint in a particular town and whos who among the counties, as well as having a laugh at some of the celebrities who hail from that neck of the woods. All in all, a cracking read.

I have played at the ground where they play their local cricket Southgate in North London, for Leicestershire against Middlesex, and saw Virender Sehwag hit the biggest six I have ever seen in my life. He actually hit the spire of a nearby church. He also put one through the bar window, and the boys from The Middle Stump keep telling me the local glaziers regularly ask When is Sehwag coming back? They also refer to him as Virender the Vandal after that day.

The boys from The Middle Stump are old school, like myself, and love having a chat about the game after stumps are drawn, over a beer or three. Cricket needs these people and the larger-than-life characters, like the ones interviewed in this book, are an integral part of why we all love the game.

However, although this book will give you laughs a-plenty, there is also a serious message behind it. A portion of the royalties from sales will go to Factor 50, an excellent charity known to many cricketers. Factor 50 are behind melanoma research, and educating young players to minimalise the risks of skin cancer while theyre out in the sun. As cricketers, we are regularly exposed to periods of prolonged sunshine, and the work that these guys do is outstanding. Andy Flower, the England coach is an ambassador for Factor 50, and he ran the London Marathon in 2012 for them as one of his designated charities after having a melanoma removed during the England tour to Australia during the 2010/11 Ashes series. I know they have been into the Durham University Cricket Centre for Excellence, run by ex-England opener Graeme Fowler to educate the students there, and their work should be applauded.

Cricket Banter will make you laugh and itll be like discussing the game down the pub with your mates. I wish Dan and Liam every success with their book, and look forward to having some of my own banter with them soon.

Nico, 2012

The Middle Stump was started in March 2012 by Dan Whiting and Liam Kenna. Within weeks it had gained cult status among the cricketing cognoscenti as a blog where lad culture met cricket. Followers included Paul Nixon and Gareth Rees initially, and then respected journalists such as Mike Selvey and Steve James.

By July 2012, we had secured a book deal via The History Press and our brand of cricket banter was really out there to a wider public; in changing rooms across the country, county and club cricket teams were all having a laugh by logging on to our website. Professional cricketers were happy to banter about their teammates via our blog, and soon appearances on Test Match Sofa beckoned. Links with the charity Factor 50 were made, and a donation from the royalties of this book will go to this charity helping fight the battle against skin cancer.