Book Extract: Stars on Sunday by Mark Sands

1976 delivered a glorious summer, with cricket mostly played out under cloudless skies, across parched outfields, with water rationing and even hosepipe bans in force in some areas. Barry Richards of Hampshire certainly made the most of the warm conditions, completing a record run of consecutive half-centuries. His Sunday best included 97 against Sussex, 101 against Essex (where he reached his century with successive sixes off Acfield) and an unbeaten 95 versus Surrey. He would finish the season breaking his own JPL record for most runs in a season (710), and in so doing passing 4,000 runs in the competition.

As the JPL approached its’ final weeks, and the heatwave continued, the Minister for Drought (and former football referee) Denis Howell advised the public to ‘save water, bath with a friend’ and the skies filled with swarms of seven spotted ladybirds. Sussex’s victory over Essex at Hove ensured the final weekend's fixtures would commence with five teams in contention.

"It all came down to the final Sunday of the season ... with the destination of the trophy in doubt until the very last ball bowled..."