1896 “Annals of Cricket” scarce ltd ed cricket book by W.W. Read 1st ed ltd to 250 copies bound in 3/4 leather and matching green cloth boards with decorative gilt spine - 268pp - 3 pages of advertisements. Portrait frontis, 25 plates comprising an account of the early history of the game and autobiography of the Surrey batsman who played in 18 Tests for England. This book is one of the cornerstones of cricket book library - anyone interesting in the county game during the latter part of the 19th century, with good chapters also on Hambledon, club cricket in Surrey, early matches at Lord's, gambling, public school cricket, and much more. Foxing to closed pages and to the front and rear free end plates otherwise very clean internally