John Wisden (1826-1884)

John Wisden (1826-1884)
Cricketers' Almanack for 1880 [-1883].
WISDEN, John (1826-1884). Cricketers' Almanack for 1880 [-1883]. London: J. Wisden and Co., [1880-1883].

The last volumes published in John Wisden's lifetime, and the first half of a much sought after decade, all in their original wrappers. The seventeenth edition for 1880 contains a long description, analysis and comment on the disturbance during the match of England v N.S.W. at Sydney, February 7-10, 1879. On the Saturday, a crowd of 10,000 witnessed N.S.W. having to follow-on, being 90 runs in arrears. Murdoch had scored 82 for N.S.W. in the first innings ('a grand innings'), but when he was run out for 10 with the second innings score at 19, there was a crowd invasion, and Lord Harris, the English captain, was struck by 'a rowdy' (p. 31), or, in Harris' own words 'some "larrikin"' (p.33).

4 volumes, octavo (160 x 105mm), all bound in original wrappers. 1880: [2, ads], 216, [18, ads] pp. (F1-2 partially unopened, a very clean copy; rebacked with portions of original spine laid down, some staining and soiling to covers); 1881: [2], 228, [10] pp. (internally very clean; the wrappers in excellent condition with only minor repairs to head of spine, and a tiny area of repair to fore-edge of rear wrapper); 1882: [2], 212, [10]pp. (a very clean copy; rebacked with portions of original spine laid down, some staining and soiling to covers, front cover with light diagonal crease); 1883: [2], 284, [18]pp. (light marginal finger-soiling to P7-8 and to ads at end; rebacked with portions of original spine laid down, wrappers soiled with rear cover creased, both wrappers with very small repairs at tips).