Rain Men: Madness of Cricket

Therearemanycricketbooks,andtheyareallthesame.'Don'tTellGoochie',autobiographicalinsightsofnightsonthetilesinDelhiwithLambieandtheboys;'Fruitcakedays',acelebratedhumouristrecalls'ball'-relatedbanterofyore;andWisden,adeadlyweaponwhencombinedwithathermosflask.RainMenisdifferent.LikethemomentthegeniusofRichieBenaudfirstrevealeditselftoyou,itisacricketingepiphany,alandmarkintheliteratureofthegame.Shiningthelightmeterofreasonintocricket'sincomparablemadness,MarcusBerkmannilluminatesalltheobsessionsanddisappointmentsthatthededicatedfanandpathologicallyhopefulclubmansuffersyearafteryear-theritualhumiliationofEngland'smiddleorder,thepartially-sightedumpires,thebattlingaveragethatreadsmorelikeashoesize.Assatisfyingasaperfectlytimedcoverdrive,andrathereasiertocomeby,RainMenoffersessentialjustificationforanyonewhohaseverrunateam-mateoutonpurposeorsecretlyblubbedatavideoofBotham'sAshes.