“In this book, Richard parallels his life’s landmarks and milestones with countycricket’s arrival at an equally important juncture in its own existence. He manages tointertwine and compare some of these personal struggles and challenges, such asturning 50 , with the difficulties faced by the sport he so loves”Ryan Ten Doeschate   In this episode of Guerillashire @tonybishop1 meets Last Wicket Stand authorRichard Clarke, perhaps better known as @The_Grumbler Last-Wicket Stand is an honest account of one man's search for meaning, purposeand reinvention, both for himself and the sport he loves. At the start of the 2020season, English county cricket faced radical change. The Hundred was coming,introducing new 'franchises' playing a new format in the hope of attracting much-needed new audiences. Its inception was controversial. Advocates argued onlydrastic action could halt the decline of cricket in the UK. Opponents feared it wouldundermine the very fabric of the much-loved county game. One devoted Essex fanset out to document the last summer before the big change. He toured the country in2019 chronicling this often-ignored sport, from the gentle lullaby of the CountyChampionship to the bawdy singalong of T20 Finals Day. Richard Clarke was in his50th year, at a personal crossroads and fearing his best days may be long gone.Change vs tradition, growth vs security, money vs meaning - these perennialstruggles lie at the heart of this absorbing and revealing journey of redemption.In an additional treat, Tony and Richard also find time to discuss an all-time [email protected] XI.   Thanks to Jeff Perkins for the theme tune and jingles and to Jon Stone for editingand production support. To get exclusive access to all of our podcasts visitwww.patreon.com/Guerillacricket