Here's a very gentle blast from the long distant past, a copy of Cricket By The Fireside, a game which can be played with a pencil, some paper, a big thick book and a healthy dollop of imagination.

Described as "a realistic way of playing imaginary matches indoors" this classic is from the Eagle Annual, No. 5 and designed by Noel Ranns.

It allows one to answer such questions as: "How would your school team get on if it could play the Australians? Would Bill's googly, the one he bowls out of the back of his hand, upset Keith Miller?"

It is reproduced here for those with a penchant for cricket related things that are from a jolly long time ago.