BOOK REVIEW - THIRD MAN TO FATTY'S LEG by S. JAMES

By Kenny Shovel
March 22 2007

Resident bookworm Kenny Shovel reviews Steve James' 'Third Man to Fatty's Leg' and believes it will become a classic of its genre.

With books, as with life, first impressions can be important, and within the first few pages of ‘Third man to Fatty’s Leg’ by Steve James you know you’re going to get the same quality of writing as can be found in the authors insightful newspaper columns. The book opens with a chapter that gives a fairly honest appraisal of Andy Caddick, and James’ response to pressure and being sledged. This honesty is a constant throughout the book, making it a real eye-opener to life on the country circuit.

James had a long and successful career for Glamorgan, scoring almost sixteen thousand runs at a healthy average of just over forty. You’d imagine that with that kind of record, he would be a man at ease with his talent and confidant in his ability to perform. Instead James paints a different picture, of an insecure sportsman lacking a ‘sturdy inner belief’. Something identified as the most likely reason he failed to establish himself on the international stage. This insecurity is fleshed out as we learn of his fear of failing and how he was fazed by large crowds early in his career. He admits to sleepless nights whilst in the middle of big scores, and in particular when faced with the prospect of short pitched bowling. He even admits to a couple of occasions as captain where he choose not to use the most effective bowlers against opposition tailenders as he didn’t like the idea of opening the innings for a few tricky overs before close of play.

The doors of the Glamorgan inner sanctum are opened for a revealing look at the dressing room politics and mixture of characters that must exist at every club. Glamorgan supporters will lap it up, but there is much to be learned by all cricket fans from the dynamics that play out between the clubs major players. You can imagine the relationships and rivalries between Maynard, Morris, Metson, Croft and James himself, being mirrored by the team of your choice.

Duncan Fletchers time as Glamorgan coach is covered in some detail, and whilst James gives him top marks for his abilities overall, a few more debatable character traits emerge. James reveals that Fletcher wasn’t above a bit of favouritism as well as being someone who was hard to shift from their initial impression. Sound familiar England fans?

James lightly covers his youth, time at Cambridge, passion for playing rugby and general life outside of cricket, giving just enough detail to explain his personality on the cricket field. His trade off for keeping his private life private is a willingness to be open about his inner feelings as a player. It’s a balance that proves beneficial to the reader as we are given far more insight into the pressures of professional cricket than are usual found in such books.

If I was being hyper critical I’d say that fans of Glamorgan and rugby – and there’s probably quite a overlap between those groups – will get the most from the book. There are also a few phrases that get a little overused.
James describes any number of players from the county circuit as being ‘imbibers of ale’ as well as giving, amongst other things, ‘ennui’ as a reason for the premature ending of the careers of both Colin Metson and Mark Lathwell. Damn that feeling of listless boredom that has taken so many good men! However these are minor quibbles compared to the overall quality of the book.

Verdict: An unflinchingly honest examination of a gifted cricketer who lacked the inner belief to reach the very top. Insights into dressing room politics and the doubts and character flaws that beset the men who cross the boundary rope, make this a revealing read for fans of the domestic game.
Penned by a sportsman with a gift for both cricket and the written word, this is well-crafted book, which may in time be regarded as a classic of its type.