Mutual & Federal South African Cricket Annual
ONE of South Africa’s most respected cricket publications will be unveiled when the Mutual & Federal South African Cricket Annual is launched in Johannesburg on November 9.
It is the 56th volume of the Annual and the 15th under the editorship of veteran cricket writer Colin Bryden. Only the legendary Geoffrey Chettle, who edited the first 22 editions, has had a longer tenure in charge.
It also marks the 13th year in which Mutual & Federal have supported the publication in one of cricket’s longest-running sponsorships.
The importance of the Mutual & Federal Annual was stressed by Gerald Majola, chief executive of Cricket South Africa.
“The annual is a vital part of CSA’s portfolio because it records for posterity the achievements of both our professional and amateur players,” said Majola. “This edition is a real collectors’ item because it contains the playing details of South African cricket’s best ever season.
“This includes the extraordinary deeds of Graeme Smith and the Proteas who rose to the top of the world’s Test and ODI ratings by the end of the season. Their achievements included the unprecedented “double” of beating both England and Australia in a Test series on their home turf.
“We would like to thank both Mutual & Federal and the annual’s editor, Colin Bryden, most sincerely for producing this highly respected publication,” he concluded.
Bryden, who recently retired after 18 years as cricket correspondent of the Sunday Times, said he hoped to continue to edit the Mutual & Federal Annual for several years to come.
“It is an honour and a privilege to have the responsibility for producing an accurate record of the game in South Africa, particularly in times as exciting as these when our players are setting new standards of excellence on the world stage,” said Bryden.
When Bryden took over as editor in 1995, South Africa had recently emerged from international isolation and the Annual was in need of a revamp. He oversaw a complete re-design which brought the publication in line with the best in modern typography.
More importantly, he said, was to ensure that the Annual met the highest standards of credibility. “With the massive contributions of Andrew Samson, the official CSA statistician, and Robin Isherwood, who checks every record and every statistic with an astonishing eye for detail, we have been able to achieve an exceptional degree of accuracy.”
One tradition which Bryden carried over from previous editors was to select five Cricketers of the Year. The naming of the Mutual & Federal SA Cricket Annual Cricketers of the Year has become a highlight of the launch function each year.
In addition to providing a detailed record of the previous year’s cricket, Bryden strives to commission feature articles by leading cricket personalities and writers.
The 2009 Mutual & Federal Annual includes articles by Proteas coach Mickey Arthur, who describes the planning and philosophy behind South Africa’s recent success, and former fast bowler Vintcent van der Bijl, who writes about the umpiring referral system, which will be used in all Test series over the next year. Van der Bijl is the manager of the International Cricket Council’s match referees and umpires and is thus ideally placed to provide an insider’s view.
You can buy the book online by visiting the Mutual & Federal website, or you could email your order to cricket@mf.co.za
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My Father’s cricket annual was a labour of love. When he passed away My Mother gave the complete records to the SACU for nothing on condition that she, my Brother and I received a copy of the succeeding issues in perpetuity. I am sorry to say this has never happened.