The Inscrutable Master: Hugh Tayfield

By Sanjit Misra

This book is a deep insight into the phenomenal exploits and beautiful bowling skills of Hugh Joseph Tayfield, the inscrutable master of spin. He played the noble game of cricket with a gallant heart. The Inscrutable Master brings to the reader the brilliance of Tayfield and his unique place in South Africa and cricket’s history.

‘I am sure Sanjit’s assiduously researched book on Hugh Tayfield, about whom the world knows so little, despite his off spinning style and skills being comparable to Jim Laker, will be a huge success.’

Abbas Ali Baig, former Indian cricketer

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Dec 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398437920

Sanjit Misra

Sanjit Misra is an avid follower of cricket throughout the world. He is a collector of cricket memorabilia by inclination, and by profession is an Investment Executive. With his keen cricketing sense, he tries to assimilate the finer aspects of the game in his writing. He has a huge personal collection of cricket memorabilia which he has built over the years by interacting with players from all over the world. It consists of autographed cricket bats, balls and photographs. He also has a collection of rare books on cricket, dating from the 1930s. He is the author of the book ‘Cricket Chronicle’, which was published in 2016. It has his reflections on the matches, players, fans, the experiences and feel of some of the fabulous cricket grounds. His website is www.thecoverpoint.com. It houses his entire collection of cricket memorabilia online and also some of his writing. Sanjit lives in Singapore, with his wife and daughter.

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About the Author

Sanjit Misra is an avid follower of cricket throughout the world. He is a collector of cricket memorabilia by inclination, and by profession is an Investment Executive. With his keen cricketing sense, he tries to assimilate the finer aspects of the game in his writing.

He has a huge personal collection of cricket memorabilia which he has built over the years by interacting with players from all over the world. It consists of autographed cricket bats, balls and photographs. He also has a collection of rare books on cricket, dating from the 1930s.

He is the author of the book ‘Cricket Chronicle’, which was published in 2016. It has his reflections on the matches, players, fans, the experiences and feel of some of the fabulous cricket grounds.

His website is www.thecoverpoint.com. It houses his entire collection of cricket memorabilia online and also some of his writing.

Sanjit lives in Singapore, with his wife and daughter.

Dedication

Dedicated to my parents, Pradyot and Smita; my wife, Charu; and my daughter, Siyona.

Copyright Information ©

Sanjit Misra 2022

The right of Sanjit Misra to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

The story, experiences, and words are the author’s alone.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398437913 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398437920 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

This book would not have been possible without the help of many individuals. I would like to thank Mr Abbas Ali Baig for his encouraging comments on my book. I thank Mr Dilip Doshi for sharing with me his conversation with Neil Harvey. My parents have always encouraged me to write and I am deeply grateful to them. Mr Anindya Dutta has been a guiding light for me and I sincerely thank him for his guidance, while I was writing this book. My friend, Ritesh Goenka, has patiently gone through my written material many a times and I thank him for his support. I would like to thank the team at Austin Macauley Publishers for bringing this book to the readers. Finally, I would like to thank my wife, Charu, my daughter, Siyona, my sister Suchitta, my brother-in-law, Preeti Ranjan and my nephew, Pranshu, for their invaluable support and encouragement through the years.

The Discovery

A spinner from South Africa is a rarity and is sometimes yearned for by the team and the spectators alike. The cricket grounds in South Africa like the Wanderers, Newlands, Kingsmead and St George’s Park are known for their grassy surfaces, which help the pace bowlers by providing steepness of lift and lateral movement. Hence the rainbow nation has engendered a distinguished pantheon of fast bowlers, but spinners