This comprehensive volume serves as an exhaustive encyclopedic reference designed to document the history, rules, and global development of cricket. Edited by E.W. Swanton with assistance from John Woodcock, the work compiles contributions from a wide array of cricket authorities and historians. It utilizes an alphabetical structure to organize technical data, biographical entries, and historical accounts into a singular, accessible resource for students of the game.

This work is regarded as a definitive reference text for cricket enthusiasts and researchers due to its rigorous editorial standards and breadth of coverage. The inclusion of expert contributors ensures that the technical and historical data remains highly reliable for academic and casual inquiry alike.