Anthony Condon

Nancy Millis Award winning Ph.D. thesis.

Using the phenomenological methodology Vivid History, this thesis examines how culture was reproduced through the British Empire in the middle of the 19th Century. The sport of cricket was more than just a past-time, it was one of the primary methods through which the British spread their culture and influence through their Empire. Through the public schools matches, traveling professional sides, and eventually international tours, the dominant culture of the English Gentleman was both formed and reproduced.

From Darkness into Light tells the fascinating story of how a handful of intrepid cricketing soldiers helped save the game from oblivion. English cricket emerged from the Great War in a bruised and battered state. A four-year hiatus in the first-class game had left administrators, players and aficionados anxious about whether life on the field could ever be the same again. The state of Test cricket was even worse after the disastrous experiment of the Triangular Series of 1912. Into this maelstrom of uncertainty stepped the Australian Imperial Forces team. Comprised of men waiting for demobilisation, the XI toured England and Scotland in the summer of 1919. They were well received by cricket-hungry crowds and provided a great fillip to ailing county finances. The popularity of international cricket was confirmed, and the tour paved the way for the resumption of Ashes contests the following year. This book traces the origins of the AIF XI and examines the myriad of controversies and confusion that surrounded its inception.

Available for purchase: https://www.pitchpublishing.co.uk/shop/darkness-light