1999
This almanack included the tale of yet another England defeat in West Indies - after three Tests it was 1-1, including the first Test ever to be abandoned because of an unfit pitch - but West Indies pulled away in the end. There was better news at home: in 1998 England came from behind to defeat South Africa, although Sri Lanka won a one-off Test at The Oval, leading to two of their stars - Muttiah Muralitharan and Arjuna Ranatunga - being named as Cricketers of the Year. The Five was completed by Ian Austin, Darren Gough and South Africa's Jonty Rhodes. The other articles included "The History of Mystery" - a look at the evolution of spin bowling, by Simon Wilde - and a look at the even darker arts of match-fixing, which was beginning to make headlines. There was also an examination of MCC's overdue decision to admit women to membership. On the field unbeaten Leicestershire won the Championship, for the second time in three years.
Editor Matthew Engel
Pages 1520
Price £28.00
Almanack essays
Further notes by the Editor
How David Batty's penalty miss revitalised English cricket, 1999
The biggest crisis since Packer
The Taylor years
And now for something completely different
How the World Cup continues to grow up, 1999
Five cricketers of the century
Panel of 100 to choose greatest contributors to the game, 1999
Slow, slow, quick, quick, slowie: the evolution of one-day strategy
Variation, fitness and fielding ahead of the World Cup, 1999
The corruption of cricket
Goodies threaten to change places with the baddies, 1999
The history of mystery
Googlies, chinamen and 'zooters', 1999
The light that flickered
Graeme Hick - unbowed by dismay, 1999
The Scottish connection
World Cup qualifiers with a surprising cricketing heritage, 1999
The speedometer summer
Donald pips Gough in pace race
The Wisden World Championship
England in danger of falling to last place, 1999
The year the citadel fell
Entry into MCC only the beginning, 1999
Series included
Akai Singer Champions Trophy, 1997-98
Coca-Cola Cup (India), 1997-98
Coca-Cola Cup (Sharjah), 1997-98
England in the West Indies, 1997-98
MTN Under-19 World Cup
Pepsi Asia Cup, 1997-98
Pepsi Triangular Series, 1997-98
President's Cup, 1997-98
Sahara Cup, 1997-98
Silver Jubilee Independence Cup, 1997-98
Singer Akai Nidahas Trophy, 1997-98
Standard Bank International One-Day Series, 1997-98
The Australians in India, 1997-98
The Australians in New Zealand, 1997-98
The Carlton & United Series, 1997-98
The Indians in Sri Lanka, 1997-98
The New Zealanders in Australia, 1997-98
The New Zealanders in Sri Lanka, 1997-98
The New Zealanders in Zimbabwe, 1997-98
The Pakistanis in South Africa and Zimbabwe, 1997-98
The Pakistanis in South Africa and Zimbabwe, 1997-98
The South Africans In Australia, 1997-98
The South Africans in England, 1998
The South Africans in Pakistan, 1997-98
The Sri Lankans in England, 1998
The Sri Lankans in India, 1997-98
The Sri Lankans in South Africa, 1997-98
The West Indians in Pakistan, 1997-98
The Zimbabweans in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, 1997-98
The Zimbabweans in Sri Lanka and New Zealand, 1997-98
Wills Challenge Series, 1997-98
Wills Golden Jubilee Tournament, 1997-98
© John Wisden & Co.
