Molly Hide, England's captain and her best player leads her side for the last time as New Zealand arrive for their first overseas tour.

The BCCI award for the best Indian International cricketer of the year is named after Polly Umrigar, primarily a batsman he could also turn his arm over for a bit of off spin.

Frank Tyson, fast bowler, some say he was the fastest bowler of all time. When it goes wrong it can go horribly wrong, but when the ball is on target its murder.

Fazal Mahmood fights back, the first in an illustrious line of fast bowlers from Pakistan, and the first to win Wisden Cricketer of the year, his father advised him to walk 5 miles and run 5 miles everyday to build up his stamina. (We also recommend that he stops smoking.)

Tragedy at Tangiwai provided the backdrop for acts of great courage in the second test at Christmas in Johannesburg 1953, Bob Blair and Bert Sutcliffe, pictured, take a world record 25 runs off one 8 ball over bowled by South African off spinner Hugh Tayfield.

Trevor Bailey by turns useful, tidy, pugnacious and bloody minded. This was a year English cricket fans had waited for

Its a low key end to an exciting winter, when South Africa conclude their antipodean adventure by visiting New Zealand; meanwhile the most famous New Zealander of all time climbs THAT mountain.

I am using a non-cricket image this week because its such an iconic image and something beautiful to carry around in your pocket.

Its India's first trip to the Caribbean to play the West Indies, for Subhash Gupte it was love at first sight.

We also find out why Clyde Walcott was upset by his Uncle Harold.

Jack Cheetham's South Africa sprung not one but two of the biggest shocks in Test cricket history; they used sports science, hard work and fielding drill to drag themselves into a contest everyone said was unwinnable

Abdul Kardar had once played cricket for India, now he was Captain of Pakistan, tall, elegant, tough.

Pakistan play their first test match.

As a new international cricket side playing their first test matches away from home could they measure up to an experienced Indian side? It was cricket but it was so much more than just a game.