Meanwhile, he undertook a research degree on "the place of history in education" for Exeter College, Oxford.
He also turned his hand to the world of publishing, for a time being general editor of the Historical Division of Pergamon Press.
He wrote several school textbooks, and was general editor of a Dictionary of World History (1973), a massive project which involved working closely with an advisory board that included A.J.P.
He was Head of History at Radley College, but writing and editing were taking much of his attention, and neither he nor the school was very happy with his time there.
He said: "I was not ambitious to be a headmaster and I came to resent the fact that I never had time to put pen to paper (or, more specifically, to write a book) during my years there."
In 1977, he moved to a senior pastoral post at Lord Williams's School, Thame, which gave him more time to pursue his other interests.
His retirement from academia gave him more time for his cricket writing, and he produced several well received biographies of famous players.
That on Learie Constantine, whom he had first met when at Glenalmond College, won the Cricket Society's golden jubilee award.