
A Test of Character
The Story of John Holder, Fast Bowler and Test Match Umpire
Pitch Publishing Ltd
Published on 1. July 2016
Book
Hardback
352 pages
978-1-78531-177-2 (ISBN)
Description
Barbados-born John Holder arrived in England during the 1960s as part of the second wave of West Indian immigrants recruited by London Transport after the war. While working on the Underground he was recommended for a trial at Hampshire. Impressed by his speed and hostility with the ball, they signed him on the spot. For seven years, his career as an opening bowler followed an uneven course, periods of loss of form and confidence punctuated with moments of sheer brilliance, the most noteworthy both coming in his final year at Hampshire in 1972, taking 13-128 in the same match against Gloucestershire and a hat-trick against Kent. A back injury brought his county career to a close. What better way to stay in touch than to become an umpire? A first-class umpire for 27 years, he officiated in 11 Tests and 23 one-day internationals. Former team-mate Andrew Murtagh had unique and unfettered access to his subject. A Test of Character throws an interesting light on the job of an international umpire, with all its pressures, vicissitudes, controversies and prejudices, leavened of course with a fair degree of humour too.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Hove
United Kingdom
Product notice
sewn/stitched
Cloth over boards
Illustrations
Illustrations
Dimensions
Height: 236 mm
Width: 160 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
658 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-78531-177-2 (9781785311772)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

Andrew Murtagh | John Holder
A Test of Character
The Story of John Holder, Fast Bowler and Test Match Umpire
E-Book
07/2016
Pitch Publishing Ltd
€11.99
Available for download
Persons
It was when he was reading English at Southampton University that Andrew Murtagh joined Hampshire CCC. John Holder was a teammate of his and they built up a strong friendship that survives to this day. Andrew's previous books are A Remarkable Man, The Story of George Chesterton, short-listed for the MCC Cricket Society Book of the Year; Touched by Greatness, The Story of Tom Graveney, England's Much Loved Cricketer; and Sundial in the Shade, The Story of Barry Richards, The Genius Lost to Test Cricket.