A warm welcome back to the Bishop and Bear. We may be hurtling at speed into 2025, but we start today looking back the best part of 100 years.   Our guest on the Barstool of Bravado is Stephen Brenkley, former cricket correspondent for the Independent and the Independent on Sunday who once commented that our predecessor Test Match Sofa ‘were not as funny as they think they are’. Clearly a man of great perspicacity.  He’s here though to chat about his new book A Striking Summer (How cricket united a divided nation). The summer in question was 1926. A post war Britain was riven by a general strike and by class divide. Anything but the land fit for hero’s that Lloyd George had promised. England’s Cricket team had lost 3 consecutive Ashes series winning just one Test all of them. An Ashes series took place that transfixed and united the nation. Over 30,000 people thronged to Victoria station just to see the Australian team arrive for goodness sake!   Along with Stephen, we dive into the drama of the series, delve into the characters of the players and look at just how, in such troubled times, the game of cricket briefly united a deeply troubled nation. It is a superbly engaging read and comes heartily recommended. At the bottom of these notes you’ll find exactly where to get the book at a special Bishop and Bear price.   Fuelled with a couple of generous gin and tonics, Stephen stays to reflect on the battering England have received in the India T20s, the battering our Women were dealt in the Ashes and the less than stellar performances for the Lions and the U19 Women too. We ask the question “Are the ECB more focused on franchise sales than international competitiveness. Or is one a route to the other?”   Here is where you can find Stephen’s book.   A Striking Summer by Stephen Brenkley is published by Fairfield Books:   Buy the hardback for £16 + p&p with coupon code GC20: https://www.thenightwatchman.net/buy/a-striking-summer   Buy the ebook for £3.99 with coupon code GC20: https://www.thenightwatchman.net/buy/a-striking-summer-ebook   By the way, if you want to help us keep our show on the road and great cricket coverage free across the internet, then do please consider supporting us through Patreon here.     Cheers   Your Ursine Landlord and Episcopal Barman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices