Playfair Cricket Annual

Its main purposes are to review the previous English season and to provide detailed career records and potted biographies of current players.

It is produced in a "pocket-sized" format, being approximately 5×4 in (i.e., about 13×10 cm), so that it is a convenient size for carrying to cricket matches.

Between 1948 and 1962 the annual was a larger size, 4¾×7¼ in (12×18 cm) and had a different style, being printed on glossy paper and including numerous photographs.

In 1962 the Playfair titles were acquired by Dickens Press which had just published The Cricket Annual, edited by Roy Webber.

[7] The following tables provide a summary of each annual by reference to editor, size and price: In each of the first 15 editions there was a 16-page photographic section in addition to the numbered pages.

Introductory information about each county club has expanded, largely because of the introduction of limited overs cricket competitions.

Until 1972 most editions gave potted scores for each club's home matches but lack of space caused this to be removed.

Currently, the annual's contents typically include:[9] As one of the leading statistical cricket publications, Playfair has to take a view on the status of Test, One Day International, first-class and domestic one-day (i.e.