Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians

 

If you are intrigued by cricket's facts and figures, or if your interest is in the origins and history of the game, you will find a group of like minds in the ACS.

 

Founded in 1973 by a small group of enthusiastic statisticians, the Association widened its scope in 1993 to include the word ‘Historians’ in its title. Now an international body represented in around 20 countries, the ACS is thought to produce more cricket titles a year than any other publisher. In addition to the quarterly journal, books compiled by members and published by the ACS exceed 500.

 

It numbers amongst its members many of cricket's leading biographers, historians, scorers and statisticians. Its principal purpose has long been ‘to promote and encourage research into the statistical and historical aspects of cricket throughout the world at all levels and to publish the findings’. However many members simply join to read articles in the ACS quarterly journal, purchase ACS publications or debate issues of the day in the Association's email forum.

 

When the ACS was formed there was no agreement on when first-class cricket began or, indeed, what criteria should be applied in classifying the status of early matches. Debate still continues – perhaps it always will – but the ACS Match Guides are widely accepted as the most authoritative declaration on the matter. Moreover, detailed early scores have been made more accessible through the publication of the First-Class Cricket Matches series and Great Cricket Matches 1772-1800: a significant example of recent research into 18th-century scores by ACS members which draws on modern research and a painstaking review of 18th-century newspapers and other contemporary sources to provide corrections and additional details for many long-accepted scores for the 237 matches played between 1772 and 1800.

 

Members of the ACS have established many hitherto unpublished dates of birth and death for first-class cricketers worldwide. Research has also covered players taking part in the Minor Counties Championship. In recent times attention has been directed to classifying the status of the bewildering array of limited-overs matches with their many different formats. The concept of List A limited-overs cricket, a classification devised by the ACS, has now been accepted by the International Cricket Council, who regard the Association as the leading authority on statistical aspects of the game.

 

ACS publications such as the International Cricket Year Book (containing personal particulars and career records for all top-level cricketers world-wide), the Second Eleven Annual (summarising the county season in England and Wales), and the Overseas First-Class Annual (giving full scorecards of all first-class matches outside the UK) provide essential information on the contemporary game. On the biographical ahd historical front, the ‘Lives in Cricket’ and ‘Cricket Witness’ provide much new light on some of the personalities and some less-familiar historical aspects of the game.

 

Benefits of membership include four quarterly editions of the journal The Cricket Statistician, and a voucher allowing a discount on one book order each year. As well as an online forum where members can join lively debate, there are opportunities to meet other members at the AGM, held in late March. Members are also entitled to a discount on their annual subscription to Cricket Archive

 

For more information, please visit https://acscricket.com or contact:

 

The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians

Hon Secretary Andrew Hignell

c/o Archives Department,

Glamorgan Cricket

Sophia Gardens,

Cardiff CF11 9XR

 

email: secretary@acscricket.com