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'Shore Whipped In'

A Jobbing Professional

Stephen Musk

Published by Red Rose Books, 20

Original pictorial wrappers.

(i-iv), 5-92 pages, illustrated.

Charlie Shore was a slow left-arm bowler who played for Norfolk as a professional between 1889 and 1901. During this time he led the bowling attack, taking no fewer than 582 wickets. After recounting his brief career in the first-class game and his time as a club professional in Lancashire, this book concentrates on his time in Norfolk. A sizeable body of material on Shore was published in the local press and, rather than treating this chronologically, it has been arranged thematically. Topics covered include his bowling, his duties as a professional, his interaction with his amateur teammates, his participation in country house cricket as a well-rewarded hired gun, and his complex financial relationship with the County Club - which involved the matter of benefits. This material provides valuable insights, not just into the world of Shore, but, by extension, many other professional cricketers in the late 19th century.

Stephen Musk was the winner of the Brooke-Lambert Award for the Statistician of the Year in 2023 ‘for his substantial contribution to ACS scholarship’. This is his 11th publication for Red Rose Books.