The Cricket Annual

The Cricket Annual was a British cricket reference publication issued in 1961 and 1962. Although the name appeared for only two editions, it belonged to a much longer publishing lineage that began in 1895 with the Star and Leader Cricket Manual. Across several changes of title, ownership, and editorial leadership, the series maintained a recognizable pocket-book format and a focus on cricket information for general readers and enthusiasts. The publication was compact, measuring approximately 9.8 by 13.6 centimetres in its later form. Earlier editions were sometimes irregularly trimmed, and their dimensions varied. The annuals typically combined seasonal cricket information with statistical and reference content. Before the First World War, editions generally contained about 96 pages, although the 1908 volume had 80 pages. After the series returned following the war, the number of pages and the price increased over time. The series appeared under numerous newspaper-linked titles. It began as the Star and Leader Cricket Manual from 1895 to 1899, became the Morning Leader Cricket Annual from 1900 to 1908, and was subsequently issued under variants connected with the Morning Leader, Daily News, News Chronicle, and Daily Dispatch. The title history reflects changes in the newspaper organizations associated with the publication rather than a complete break in editorial tradition. The run was also interrupted during the First World War, with the annual reappearing in 1921. Several editors shaped the series. Alfred Gibson, known as “Rover,” edited it from 1904 through 1914. A contributor using the name “Mentor” edited the 1921 edition, after which Frank Thorogood served as editor from 1922 to 1939. Percy Rudd edited the 1946 edition, and Crawford White subsequently led the publication until Roy Webber joined him in 1957. Webber became particularly important during the transition to the final title. The Cricket Annual was published by Dickens Press, which had also acquired the Playfair titles in 1962. The acquisition created a practical and editorial conflict between two related cricket annuals. After Roy Webber died suddenly in November 1962, the publisher decided to combine the publications. The result was a new-style Playfair Cricket Annual for 1963. It retained the Playfair name but adopted the smaller size, format, and price associated with The Cricket Annual. Consequently, The Cricket Annual did not develop into a long-running independent brand; instead, its physical and commercial characteristics were absorbed into the continuing Playfair Cricket Annual series. The title is therefore best understood as the final name of an established British cricket-annual tradition rather than as a wholly new publication launched in 1961. Earlier copies, particularly those published before 1921, are regarded as scarce in good condition, and the earliest Star and Leader Cricket Manual editions are difficult to find. The specific title The Cricket Annual is defunct, while the broader publishing lineage continued through Playfair Cricket Annual editions.

The Cricket Annual formed the final two-edition phase of a British cricket publication series whose origins reached back to 1895. The earliest issue in the lineage was published as the Star and Leader Cricket Manual. The series subsequently appeared under several titles associated with British newspapers, including Morning Leader Cricket Annual, Daily News Cricket Annual, News Chronicle Cricket Annual, and News Chronicle & Daily Dispatch Cricket Annual. These title changes reflected shifts in newspaper ownership and publishing associations while preserving a broadly continuous pocket-annual format. From 1904 to 1914 the annual was edited by Alfred Gibson, who used the name “Rover.” After a wartime interruption, the publication returned in 1921 under the editorship of “Mentor.” Frank Thorogood edited it from 1922 until 1939. The series resumed after the Second World War with Percy Rudd as editor for the 1946 edition, followed by Crawford White. Roy Webber joined White in 1957 and later became a central figure in the final period of the title. The annuals were designed as small, affordable books. Later volumes were approximately 9.8 by 13.6 centimetres, while some earlier books varied because of inaccurate trimming. Pre-1915 issues usually contained 96 pages, with exceptions such as the 80-page 1908 edition. Prices were initially one penny for early editions. After the post-First World War return, prices changed over time, reaching one shilling and sixpence by 1957 as the books expanded. The name The Cricket Annual was used in 1961 and 1962. Dickens Press had published the title and in 1962 acquired the Playfair titles, including Playfair Cricket Annual. This placed two closely related cricket annuals within the same publishing operation. When Roy Webber died suddenly in November 1962, Dickens Press chose to consolidate the publications. The 1963 issue was published as a new-style Playfair Cricket Annual, retaining the Playfair name but using the size, format, and price associated with The Cricket Annual. The 1961–1962 title therefore ended not because the broader annual tradition disappeared, but because its format and commercial identity were incorporated into Playfair Cricket Annual. Later editions of the Playfair title represent the continuation of the wider lineage, while The Cricket Annual itself remains a defunct, short-lived title. Earlier volumes are of interest to collectors, with pre-1921 copies considered scarce in good condition and the first Star and Leader Cricket Manual issues particularly difficult to locate.

• 1963

  Format absorbed into Playfair Cricket Annual

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  Dickens Press publishes a new-style Playfair Cricket Annual using The Cricket Annual's size, format, and price.

• 1962

  Final edition under the title

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  The second and final edition of The Cricket Annual is published; Dickens Press also acquires the Playfair titles.

• 1961

  The Cricket Annual title launches

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  The long-running series is issued under the title The Cricket Annual for the first time.

• 1957

  Roy Webber joins the editorial team

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  Roy Webber joins Crawford White as editor during the later News Chronicle & Daily Dispatch period.

• 1946

  Postwar publication resumes

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  The annual returns after the Second World War with Percy Rudd as editor for that edition.

• 1922

  Frank Thorogood begins editorship

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  Frank Thorogood becomes editor, a role he holds through 1939.

• 1921

  Annual returns after the First World War

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  The publication reappears as the Daily News Cricket and Tennis Annual after the wartime gap.

• 1900

  Title changes to Morning Leader Cricket Annual

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  The series adopts the Morning Leader Cricket Annual title.

• 1895

  Publication lineage begins

  [1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  The publication tradition later associated with The Cricket Annual begins with the Star and Leader Cricket Manual.

An inexpensive, compact British cricket reference annual aimed at cricket followers and general newspaper readers.

• Cricket annual publication · 1961

  The Cricket Annual

  A compact British cricket annual published in 1961 and 1962. It represented the final title change in a series that had appeared under several newspaper-linked names since 1895. The publication was designed as an affordable pocket reference book, with its format, dimensions, and pricing later adopted for the 1963 Playfair Cricket Annual.

• Cricket annual publication · 1895

  Earlier titles in the same publication lineage

  The broader series included the Star and Leader Cricket Manual, Morning Leader Cricket Annual, Daily News Cricket Annual, News Chronicle Cricket Annual, and News Chronicle & Daily Dispatch Cricket Annual. These editions maintained continuity in format and subject matter despite changes in title and newspaper affiliation.

• 1962

  Dickens Press acquires the Playfair titlesM&A

  Background

  Dickens Press had published The Cricket Annual and acquired the Playfair titles, including Playfair Cricket Annual, in 1962.

  Action taken

  The publisher brought both cricket-annual lines under its control.

  Aftermath

  The overlapping titles were subsequently combined, leading to the 1963 new-style Playfair Cricket Annual.

  Source

• 1962

  Combination of The Cricket Annual with Playfair Cricket AnnualStrategy

  Background

  Roy Webber died suddenly in November 1962, and Dickens Press was managing two related cricket annuals.

  Action taken

  Dickens Press decided to consolidate the publications rather than continue both titles separately.

  Aftermath

  The 1963 Playfair Cricket Annual used the smaller size, format, and price associated with The Cricket Annual, ending the latter title as an independent publication.

  Source

• 1962

  Dickens Press acquires the Playfair titles[1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Dickens Press acquired the Playfair titles, including Playfair Cricket Annual, during the period in which it was also publishing The Cricket Annual.

• 1962

  Roy Webber dies and the two annuals are combined[1]The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org

  Leadership change

  Following editor Roy Webber's sudden death in November 1962, Dickens Press decided to combine The Cricket Annual with the Playfair Cricket Annual for the 1963 edition.

1. 1The Cricket Annualen.wikipedia.org