WISDEN, John (1826-1884). The Cricketer's Almanack for the Year 1867. London: John Wisden, 1867.

Fourth edition. An exceptionally clean copy, in the original wrappers. W.H. Crockford of Greenwich is acknowledged as printer on the title verso. The sudden emergence of W.G. Grace as a genius with the bat is made clear in a statistical table of ‘Scorers of 1000 (or more) runs in 1866' (p. 152). This shows the young cricketer at the top with a total of 2,168 runs scored in 33 matches, and a highest score of 224 not out. This was in only his second season of top-flight cricket. After him follow C.F. Buller and Henry Jupp with 1647 and 1605 runs a piece. There is no equivalent table for bowlers of prowess, though Wisden suggests that any bowler might benefit from his ‘Patent Catapulta,’ a bowling machine pictured on the final page, and marking the first use of any illustration in the almanack.

Octavo (158 x 101mm). [4], 159, [1]pp. Wood-engraved advertisement (leaves H3-4 with slight adhesion, final quire with some uneven dust-soiling). Original printed wrappers (rebacked with some very small associated loss to printed border on front wrapper, light soiling to both wrappers).

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