With its crisp white uniforms and fifth-day miracles, Test cricket has always held a sacred place in the hearts of fans. It is a game of deep tradition - a showcase for top talent, and an epic clash of nations - yet for all its claims to legend, it has continually evolved to suit the times. At the 150th anniversary of Test cricket, award-winning sportswriter Malcolm Knox presents a new history of the game, recounting the personalities and contexts behind iconic turning points with the passion of a life-long devotee. Along the way, he examines the eternal tensions - between players and their countries, sportsmanship and the thirst for victory - that have shaped Test cricket's transformation from an English gentleman's sport to a global, multi-billion-dollar industry. From the Golden Age to the Invincibles, Bodyline to betting scandals, and W.G. Grace to Shane Warne to Virat Kohli, The Long Game masterfully captures the spirit of a game that has enthralled generations, and reminds us why the Test endures as the pinnacle of cricketing success.

Details

ISBN13: 9781761773761
Format: Hardback
Number of Pages: 464
Edition:
Publication Date: 27 Oct 2026
Publisher: Pan Macmillan Australia
Publication City, Country: Sydney, Australia
Dimensions (cm): 24.8(H)x16.7(L)x4.5(W)812
Weight (gm): 812

Author Biography

Malcolm Knox grew up in Sydney. Since 1994 Malcolm has written for the Sydney Morning Herald and has won three Walkley Awards and a Human Rights Award. He was the Herald's cricket correspondent from 1996 to 2000 and has been its cricket columnist since 2011. His cricket books include The Greatest, The Captains, The Keepers, Bradman's War and Never A Gentlemen's Game. He has also contributed to many cricket anthologies and has collaborated on autobiographies with several well-known Test cricketers. He is also the author of nine novels, most recently The Second Child.

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