Chch find led to big cricket book

Press, 25 July 1986, Page 4

Chch find led to big cricket book

ByKEVIN McMENAMIN

A discovery under a stand at Lancaster Park in 1981 was the catalyst which led to the publication yesterday of the world’s biggest book on cricket.

It is “Men in White,” which covers in great detail the history of New Zealand international cricket from 1894 to 1985.

Published by Moa Publications, “Men in White” is a companion to the hugely successful “Men in Black,” the history of All Black rugby produced by the same company eight years ago. Like “Men in Black,” "Men in White” comes in two editions. The large de luxe volume is limited to 1200 copies and these have all been sold at just over a $lOOO each. The smaller edition, runs to 656 pages,

is selling for $69.95. It contains the same text, but almost 1000 fewer pictures.

The opus was the work of a Wellington cricket identity, Don Neely. Inspite of receiving plenty of assistance, Mr Neely acknowledges that the task of first researching the book and then putting it together had been far greater than he ever imagined.

“I think I know how an elephant feels after gestation. Five years of my life have been tied up in this book,” said Mr Neely. He said that while “Men in Black” sowed the seed for a similar book on cricket it was not until the Lancaster Park discovery that the idea took shape.

In 1981 the then groundsman at Lancaster Park, Mr Cyril Barnes, unearthed about a dozen dusty old tea chests an

unused corner of the No. 1 stand. They were full of early New Zealand cricket memorabilia. “It was a amazing find,” said Mr Neely. "It provided so much information on the early years, years we could not possibly hope to cover by traditional methods. We had a starting point and a book could no longer be ignored.” The managing director of Moa Publications, Mr John Blackwell, said that his one regret about books such as “Men in Black” and “Men in White” was that wealthy people were using them as investments.

"The big ‘Men in Black’ is being sold for twice its original price and already “Men in White” is being advertised for sale at a profit The books were intended for sports lovers, not investors,” he said.