Cover of Nightwatchman magazine, purple banner, cricketer staring out through helmet grill

Extract from article, headlined Smells Like Teen Spirit

Advert for book on history of John Player League, ‘Stars on Sunday’, published via pitchpublishing.co.uk

The Nightwatchman

Anyone picking up a copy of this quarter’s Nightwatchman can read my article, marvelling at the performances of Indian teenager Vaibhav Sooryavanshi but asking whether he could have done it on a wet Sunday afternoon in Tring.
#cricket #johnplayerleague
#sooryavanshi
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Back cover blurb includes photo of Peter Lever bowling for Lancs v Northants at Bletchley in 1976. Non striker David Steele and umpire Lloyd Budd in shot, in front of a packed seated crowd and ice cream van

First page of Chapter 6 of the book, covering the period 1980 to 1983

Second page of Chapter 6

Sample photo page from the book: John Arlott in reflective mood, Lancs skipper Jack Bond on the pavilion balcony at Old Trafford, Harry Pilling executing a square cut in front of packed crowd, Lancashire fail to beat Glamorgan at Old Trafford in 1971 to deny them a hat-trick of titles.

❤️🏏📚
My book, Stars on Sunday: The History of Cricket’s John Player League is due for release on 30 March
Available for pre-order now (Amazon, Awesome Books, Waterstones..)
Sneak preview of back cover, couple of sample pages & photos below
#johnplayerleague
#pitchpublishing
www.starsonsundaybook.com

Dusty Hare in action for Leicester Tigers rugby, about to catch the ball whilst wearing the famous red, white and green hooped shirt

❤️🏏 #johnplayerleague
#cricket #rugby

Although he made his name in Rugby Union, ‘Dusty’ Hare made 6 appearances in the John Player League for Nottinghamshire.

For more JPL memories, visit www.starsonsundaybook.com

www.trentbridge.co.uk/trentbridge/...

Front cover of the book Stars on Sunday, showing a John Player League game at Dean Park, Bournemouth, with the pavilion in background

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If you have been lucky enough to receive some book vouchers for Christmas, and fondly remember the 40-over John Player League, you may want to pre-order my book that is released by Pitch Publishing in March.
Foreword by David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd.

www.starsonsundaybook.com
#cricket #johnplayerleague

Covers of 4 cricket books released in 2026

Upcoming cricket books from Pitch Publishing

#cricket #johnplayerleague
❤️🏏📚💡

Scorecard from Aus v England 1st days play, neither side batting for 40 overs.

#Ashes
#johnplayerleague

Fully behind the innovation to play the Ashes over the John Player League format.
Looking forward to game 2 tomorrow.

Front of scorecard with 7 autographs from Lancashire players

Reverse of scorecard detailing competition prize money and playing conditions

#cricket #lancashirecricket #lccc #johnplayerleague #starsonsunday
Scorecard from 1970 John Player League fixture. Lancashire autographs include Clive Lloyd, Farokh Engineer and David ‘Bumble’ Lloyd

www.starsonsundaybook.com

1972 fixture list featuring slide-out card revealing weekly fixtures

1980 fixture card fold out

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#cricket #johnplayerleague
Fixture lists from the John Player League, seasons 1972 & 1980.

Personally prefer the earlier version, with the pull-out card which slides across each week to reveal the fixtures.

For more JPL memorabilia and YouTube clips, visit:

www.starsonsundaybook.com

Watching the John Player League on Sunday - on TV - was one of the reasons I developed an interest in cricket in the 1970s. #1970s #nostalgia #Johnplayerleague

Basharat Hassan hitting the ball to leg side as slip fielder watches on

Born in Nairobi, Kenya, Sheikh Basharat Hassan is the holder of the record John Player League run aggregate against a single county, scoring 805 runs in total for Nottinghamshire against Warwickshire, at an average of 100.6, including centuries in 3 successive seasons 1979-81. ❤️🏏 #johnplayerleague

Cricket pitch at Darley Dale in foreground, crowd on boundary edge alongside red bus with white roof. Peak District hills in background

Poster advertising the fixture, with bold red lettering

Darley Dale on the edge of the Peak District hosted its’ one and only county fixture on the last weekend of the 1975 John Player League season. A packed crowd of 6,000 witnessed Hampshire capturing the league title with a comfortable win over hosts Derbyshire.
#johnplayerleague #jpl #sundayleague ❤️🏏

A black and white photograph of Basil D’Oliveira batting

A colour photograph of Damian D”Oliveira batting, in white helmet

Basil and Damian D’Oliveira

The first father and son to score John Player League centuries. Basil in 1973 at Byfleet, Damian in 1985 at New Road.
Surrey bowler Pat Pocock was hit for six during both innings.
#johnplayerleague #sundayleague #cricket #jpl ❤️🏏

Chris Smith batting in cricket whites and blue cap

Robin Smith at the conclusion of another ferocious cut shot

Chris and Robin Smith: the 1st brothers to share a century partnership in the John Player League, adding 134 for Hants v Worcs, Portsmouth 1985. 3 sets of brothers appeared on the opening day of the inaugural 1969 season:Alan & Eifion Jones, Mike &Alan Buss, Ken & Roy Palmer #jpl #johnplayerleague 🏏

A black and white photograph of Glenn Tuner batting without helmet or cap.

Glenn Turner
1st player to score John Player League fifties against each of the other 16 counties, achieved in Aug 1979 (pre Durham achieving fc status)
In May 1980 he became the first to score 5,000 JPL runs (137 innings) and two years later was the first to 6,000 (168)
#johnplayerleague #jpl ❤️🏏

Slow left arm bowler Dilip Dosh releases the ball, his face a picture of concentration. Wearing his spectacles and cricket jumper with v neck.

Dilip Doshi - an important part of the Warwickshire side that won the John Player League in 1980 (Gladstone Small also impressing in his debut season).

Three years earlier, Doshi returned JPL bowling figures of 8-7-1–1 for Notts v Northants.
❤️🏏 #johnplayerleague #sundayleague #cricket #jpl

Stuart Turner standing alongside John Lever, wearing their Essex sweaters and cricket whites

Just the small matter of 647 John Player League wickets combined.
Stuart Turner was the first player to achieve the 200 wkts and 2,000 runs double (1978)
John Lever the first to 300 wickets (1984)
#cricket #johnplayerleague #sundayleague #jpl🏏

Batting partners Harry Pilling and Clive Lloyd discuss tactics mid over, Pilling standing a foot shorter than his team mate.

The contrasting figures of Harry Pilling & Clive Lloyd, whose styles combined beautifully,never more so than in the John Player League v. Somerset at Old Trafford 1970, when they added 182 for the 3rd wicket, a record partnership for Lancashire in the competition. #cricket #johnplayerleague #jpl ❤️🏏