Award-winning cricket writer Scyld Berry brings us a heartfelt celebration of what county cricket has been for more than a hundred years – an integral part of English life.

Drawing on 60 years' experience of watching county cricket, the author provides an in-depth profile of each of the 18 first-class counties, delving into the past to explore how the game took off, in no small part thanks to the legendary W.G. Grace.

With change and possible existential threat looming in the shape of The Hundred franchise, and the proliferation of T20 tournaments around the world, the England and Wales Cricket Board is looking to cut the County Championship to just ten games per season.

There's never been a more pertinent time to unpick the workings of this centuries-old institution and examine why its survival is so important.