Nay, Umpire!

When history lecturer Adge Harrison retires, he flees the hubbub of London for the little North Yorkshire village of Rivendale, hoping for a quiet life.

Just when he thinks it might be too quiet, a kind deed on a bleak, wintry night introduces him to a new career as a cricket umpire in a place where the game is played with a consuming passion he soon finds himself sharing.

Among the high fells and remote valleys of the Dales, he learns of the ancient sporting rivalries and tales that make cricket more than just a game; and in a team with more than its share of eccentrics, dreamers and enthusiasts he finds a welcome that soon feels like a homecoming as he is drawn into the lives of the players and their families.

Their adventures and misadventures are chronicled with both empathy and humour, and with an abundant knowledge of the game and its lore - and a host of other topics.