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The Art of Batting

The Craft of Cricket’s Greatest Run Scorers – WILLIAM HILL SPORTS BOOK OF THE YEAR NOMINEE 2025

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The Art of Batting

By: Jarrod Kimber
Narrated by: Jarrod Kimber
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Bloomsbury presents The Art of Batting written and read by Jarrod Kimber

'a wonderful tale' – David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd

'one of cricket’s most distinctive writers' – Andy Zaltzman

COLOURFUL CRICKET HISTORY MEETS EXPERT ANALYSIS IN THIS RICHLY RESEARCHED EXPLORATION OF THE ART OF BATTING.

Most batters just do their best, yet the top players create art. It is physically impossible to face an 80mph delivery and track it with your eyes, yet the greatest batters do more than just watch the ball, they can see into the future.

This book is about the batters who see what mortals don’t. Javed Miandad purposefully makes errors to manipulate the field, Sachin Tendulkar dug up a pitch to take on Warne, Shivnarine Chanderpaul practised non-stop on a beach with tennis balls until he mastered technique and Joe Root’s great play against spin is known to be a confluence of three random events. Others, such as Smith, Pietersen and Richards, carried on the work of a man 100 years before their time, and Ranji changed cricket with a bucket.

Their methods and stories are different, but their currency is the same: runs. Through interviews with cricketing greats such as David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, Nasser Hussain, Rahul Dravid and Brian Lara, this book shows you the science, skill and culture that made the 50 greatest batters of all time – and, ultimately, how they conquered leather with willow.©2025 Jarrod Kimber (P)2025 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Cricket Sports Sports History
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Critic reviews

This is a wonderful tale of the great stories and evolution of batting, from Grace to Root. Kimber covers the history and present to celebrate batting in a cracking read. Get on the front foot and buy a copy. (David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd, former Test Match Special commentator)
Jarrod Kimber is one of cricket’s most distinctive writers. His insight, curiosity and constant challenging of accepted cricketing wisdoms, fuelled by his passionate fascination with cricket’s past, present and future, bring fresh perspectives on the sport. (Andy Zaltzman, Test Match Special cricket statistician)
I always thought Jarrod was a master of words. I loved how he navigated passages with his vocabulary. And then, I began noticing some very intelligent use of analytics. He now straddles these two worlds with the ease few possess. (Harsha Bhogle, Indian cricket commentator)
In The Art of Batting, Jarrod Kimber further cements himself as the world's best cricket writer. He's an astute observer of how the games we play, and how they evolve in concert or opposition with the world, reveal the true nature of a man hiding in plain sight. A raucous stadium, on Boxing Day in his native Australia, in the corner of a foreign field in India, or in the palace of Lord's in London, is only where years and years of private work are realised. Modern sports might look like mass entertainment, but they remain a deeply personal quest to find and nurture each person's artistic soul. That's the world he uncovers and in the nuanced, literary (and delightfully funny) telling of this story Kimber is a man at the peak of his powers. (Wright Thompson)
Jarrod Kimber’s writing is as irreverent as it is forensic – a highly entertaining and informative read on the elusive arts of batting and run-making. (Mark Butcher, former English Test cricketer)
Unless you have been living under a rock, you know by now that Jarrod Kimber is the finest contemporary young cricket writer.
Kimber is a 22nd-century cricket writer
When I first started Jarrod's book I thought 'oh great, another book on batting.' Bloody batsmen, it's all about their batting averages and batting contracts. Blah-di-bloody-blah. But the book's insights into the science, analysis of why and how great batsmen performed in all eras of cricket was particularly enlightening. A very courageous innings to pick your best 50 Test batsmen of all time including a surprise Number 1. All very interesting and insightful. For what is in the end... another bloody book about batting! (Damien Fleming, former Australian Test bowler)
A must-read for sports enthusiasts interested in the nuances of performance and excellence. (Stewart Lochrie)
All stars
Most relevant
very good book, similar to Jarrod's appraoch for his videos and podcasts, analytical but still has a writers flourish at times. While some of the stat bits might read better on paper having Jarrod read it brings a lot of life and personality to it. 1 or 2 editing mistakes and says "understated" instead of "overstated" but the fact those are the only nitpicks shows the book is as well rounded as Tendaulker's batting and the criticisms as minor.

perfect balance of analytical and artful

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This book is more than just a tier list.

It blends Jared’s statistical analysis, the history of batting within our sport and on hand experience from many of the greats.

All combine to determine what qualities make up the perfect batsman/woman.

It is a must read for any cricket nerd

Insightful and engaging

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Highly recommend this book for any cricket fan who wants to know more about the nitty-gritty details of how batting works. Jarrod's narration is engaging, and the book is clearly so well thought-out, with stats and insider information you probably wouldn't find anywhere else. Plus, it's written in a way that's actually interesting, unlike many similar in-depth books that end up sounding like a lecture. 5/5!

Incredibly well thought out and described

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Jarrod Kimber has managed to tell unravell the true stories hidden beneath the stats of all the great batters in both the men's and women's game since the 1800's. He covers not only the numbers but the skills and how they developed over time. If you are a cricket fan this is an absolute must read and you'll be sad when it's over.

A masterpiece in analysing the story behind the stats.

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For those who have known Jarrod’s work, know how deep his passion for cricket is. In this book, he delves into one aspect of cricket - batting - and details how it has evolved over time and how different individuals have influenced the way the game is played now. It’s a good listen, and I can’t wait to add the hardcover to my collection at some stage.

Expertise with Clarity

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