Glossing over the gasholder

This beautifully presented and glossy book is a cricket lover's dream; 242 pages of stunning and, in some instances, rare cricket photography at The Oval, some of which stretch back to the mid-19th century.

The book revolves around the photos and pictures chosen by the author David Norrie, the News of the World's cricket correspondent; many of them will be new to most readers. From a delightful depiction of "American base-ball players" in the late 1800s, to a football match staged at the ground in 1870 between England and Scotland, and the hordes of bowler-hatted gentlemen standing subserviently at the Vauxhall End, each page fails to disappoint.

Accompanying the illustrations, Norrie's observations and commentary are always insightful, and often very interesting - in particular, the background history of the club, and its origins, which would enlighten even the most knowledgeable of Surrey members. Did you know, for example, that the first advertising board to appear on an English ground was at The Oval in 1968, and earned them the grand total of £500? Or that in 1906, more than 80,000 people turned up to watch Surrey play Yorkshire?

Norrie's knowledge of Surrey's home turf is extensive. However, the text lacks a natural rhythm and flow, at times hopping from one topic to another without logical progression. The breathtaking photography, however, more than makes up for the lack of imaginative prose. The publishers' eagerness to join the Ashes hype during the summer is understandable, but they missed a trick: had they waited a few weeks, a fascinating comparison of two near-identical sporting victories could have been made. A collection of photos depicting England's Ashes victory in 1953 left, after a 19-year wait, show schoolchildren and their parents flocking in their hundreds, swarming onto the pitch, and thousands more clapping and cheering Len Hutton's side. What a wonderful visual comparison, and social observation, this could have been: two near-identical sporting victories, at the same venue, separated by 52 years.

Indeed, the book's most pleasing aspects are the extensive historical photography; great emphasis is made of the ground's longevity, but what a shame that the collection's most endearing of photos is hidden on the final page behind the cover: a murky, dusky shot of schoolchildren playing in a street behind the famous gasholder, sleeves rolled up, caps askew - and a stance to make Jack Hobbs envious.

Although split into 11 chapters, a more comprehensive index would have been a useful addition. And the gratuitous, albeit inevitable advertising of The Oval's sponsors, twice on every page, will irritate some - not least this reviewer. But, gripes aside, it is a marvellous pictorial celebration of London's other ground, the "people's ground." A must for most coffee tables, and not just in Surrey.