Rock'n'roll, chaps. Michael Vaughan on the front cover? You ain't seen nothing yet. In 140 years' time we'll have a girl. Sorry for giving you the longest Wisden ever - there wasn't time to write a shorter one. Ha ha. Anyway, to sum up the year, those beastly Aussies, whom we have to pretend to admire but really hate, have carried all before them once more. What a marvellous, marvellous team of sledgers they are. Still, they'll have to do without that druggie Warney for a year.
On a more sombre note, we have to condemn the International Cricket Council for its pusillanimity in dealing with Zimbabwe. We are obviously extremely concerned about the atrocities that the Mugabe regime has inflicted on the black population, but it is the treatment of the white farming community we utterly abhor. Cricket owes its worldwide appeal to the British empire and it is within the sport's noblest traditions to support these last remaining colonials.
Who has seen the most Test matches? We decided to find out. John "Wooders" Woodcock weighed in with more than 400, but Richie Benaud tops the table with 484. The prize would have gone to Major "Bunter" Bufton, ex of the Free Foresters, who has been present at 534 matches. Unfortunately, because he has slept through most of them, he has had to be discounted.
Our five cricketers of the year are: Michael Vaughan, a marvellous player; Matthew Hayden, a marvellous player; Nasser Hussain, a marvellous player; Shaun Pollock, a marvellous player; Adam Hollioake, a marvellous player. Congratulations to all five of these marvellous players on a marvellous season.
Our hearts go out to Jonty Rhodes, who has retired from international cricket after sustaining an injury to his hand in the World Cup; he was a marvellous player and a committed Christian who found it in his heart to forgive Hansie Cronje when others wouldn't. He will be sorely missed.
England v India, fourth Test. This match was the thriller that never was. After England compiled a massive 515, India replied with 508. There was just time for England's openers to race to 114 in the second innings before rain cut short proceedings on the final day. Nevertheless it was an absorbing end to an absorbing series, leaving the two teams poised at 1-1.
Azerbaijan: Despite financial hardship, Baku CC enjoyed an extremely successful year. Obituaries: Thomas "Corky" Bullard, who died on September 11, 1995. His death was not immediately noticed in cricket circles as members of the Garrick club assumed he was sleeping off another of his legendary lunches. Corky turned out once for Old Carthusians in 1953, scoring 1 and taking 0 for 92 in seven overs.
The digested read, digested:
1,760 pages for £35 declared (Tim de Lisle retired hurt 1)
