Latest Publications

Sussex Cricket Museum by Nicholas Sharp

The Sussex Cricket Museum by Nicholas Sharp is the latest booklet published by the Museum and gives an excellent survey of the hurdles faced by the Museum in its early days and the story behind some of its more famous exhibits.  Nicholas is a trustee and a volunteer at the Museum and is ideally placed to write about the current collection. He gives us details of all the publications the Museum has produced – an important role in furthering understanding of Sussex cricket and in bringing in well needed funds to the Museum. A huge bonus to the Museum’s development was the auction of the Robin Marlar collection and how this happened is well documented in the booklet. The Museum collection includes many paintings and Nicholas has explained how some of these paintings came into the collection. The booklet is well illustrated with many photographs of the Museum’s exhibits, including Ranji, Arthur Gilligan and George Cox senior. The booklet would make an excellent accompaniment to a visit to the Museum or a good read about some of Sussex Cricket’s memorabilia.

The booklet costs £12 or £14 with postage.

For further details contact Jon Filby using the Contact Form below

‘Field of Dreams’ by Patrick Ferriday and James Mettyear

To celebrate 150years of the establishment of Sussex County Cricket Club’s ground at Eaton Road, Patrick Ferriday and James Mettyear’s “Field of Dreams”, with a foreword by MCC President Clare Connor, will be published on Wednesday 6th April.

A limited edition of 150 presentation copies signed by Clare Connor, John Barclay, Chris Adams and Rob Andrew is available at £45.

The hardback edition, priced at £17, will be available from Von Krumm Publishing, in local bookshops and from the Sussex Cricket shop.

For further details or to order a signed copy, contact Jon Filby using the contact form below.

Tommy Cook, the Life of a Superstar Sportsman by Phil Dennett

This year is the 120th anniversary of the birth of Tommy Cook, and to celebrate the event and the new memorial stone on Tommy’s grave in Cuckfield, Phil Dennett has written the first book on Tommy titled Tommy Cook, The Double Life of a Superstar Sportsman. The book covers both his football and cricket careers and can be purchased from the Cricket Museum.

Tommy Cook was born in Cuckfield in 1901, served  in both wars with distinction and played for Sussex between 1922 and 1937. He was an attractive batsman, a fine player of spin and an excellent outfielder who spent his winters coaching in South Africa. He was an outstanding footballer for Brighton & Hove Albion and was capped by England in 1925. He once had a trial for England scoring 22 but narrowly missed out on selection. Had he been selected he would have been one of just fourteen people to have played for England at both football and cricket. He scored 20,176 first-class runs in 459 games for Sussex, and scored 123 goals in 209 appearances in his seven year stay at Brighton before moving on to Bristol Rovers. He played for England whilst a Division Three player. Tommy had a benefit in 1937 after which he left Sussex to pursue a business career in South Africa. During World War Two he joined the South African Air Force where he was injured in 1943.He returned to England in 1950, but suffered from physical and mental illness, separating from his wife,  and committed suicide shortly before his 49th birthday.

Signed copies of Tommy Cook, The Double Life of a Superstar Sportsman can be purchased from Jon Filby for £15 plus £3 postage. You can contact Jon using the contact form below. Now Sold Out

‘On The Level’  Cricket and Society in 18th Century Brighton’

By John Goulstone

The latest issue from the publishing arm of the Sussex Cricket Museum is a scholarly written and beautifully produced 108 page book on cricket in late 18th–century Brighton, titled ‘On the Level’.

‘It was not until about 1790 that the Level just north of Brighton became a fashionable centre for cricket. Here we look at some of the personalities, respectable and not so respectable, actively engaged in or else attending matches during this period, along with the more raffish elements’ scandals, pranks, bizarre wagers and other escapades which in turn both amused and annoyed the town’s inhabitants. Following a glance at the Prince’s early experiences on the cricket field, the five key seasons from 1788 to 1792 are examined in sequence with entries arranged in diary form and biographical profiles inserted at the end of each year’.

‘It was not until about 1790 that the Level just north of Brighton became a fashionable centre for cricket. Here we look at some of the personalities, respectable and not so respectable, actively engaged in or else attending matches during this period, along with the more raffish elements’ scandals, pranks, bizarre wagers and other escapades which in turn both amused and annoyed the town’s inhabitants. Following a glance at the Prince’s early experiences on the cricket field, the five key seasons from 1788 to 1792 are examined in sequence with entries arranged in diary form and biographical profiles inserted at the end of each year’.

Newspaper reports and numerous notices have been re published in cricket books, and many of these are quoted, along with ‘new’ references culled from both London and provincial papers, with other actual or near contemporary source materials. Some original scorecards of the matches are reproduced along with 30 illustrations, many in full colour.

About the Author

The most important writer on early cricketing history is John Goulstone. He was born in September 1939 in Bexleyheath and spends much of his time researching archives for early cricket references. On this subject he has had published several books, and numerous booklets and articles.

He is the authority on 18th century cricket, and the Sussex Cricket Museum is proud to publish his latest book ‘On the Level’.

The book is published in two limited editions:

50 copies in hardback at £80.00 each

and 75 copies in softback at £20.00 each


Should you be interested in any of the above, please contact us using the contact form below.