The Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians (ACS) was founded in England in 1973 for the purpose of researching and collating information about the history and statistics of cricket. Although it is essentially a British society, it has a worldwide membership of over 1000 and is open to anyone with a relevant interest. Bowler Shaun Pollock bowls to batsman Michael Hussey. ...

The ACS was originally called the Association of Cricket Statisticians, hence its abbreviated name, the words "and Historians" being added in 1993. It was formerly based in Nottingham at an address opposite Trent Bridge Cricket Ground. This Nottingham venue was sold in 2006 and the ACS now has its administration based in Cardiff as the Secretary of the organisation the Glamorgan Cricket Archivist and Historian, Andrew Hignell. Its membership communicates postally or electronically. The membership officer is based in Haywards Heath, Sussex. Nottingham is a city (and county town of Nottinghamshire) in the East Midlands of England. ... For more coverage of cricket, go to the Cricket portal. ... Cardiff (English:  , Welsh: ) is the capital, largest and core city of Wales. ... Statistics Population: 22,800 (2001) Ordnance Survey OS grid reference: TQ335245 Administration District: Mid Sussex Shire county: West Sussex Region: South East England Constituent country: England Sovereign state: United Kingdom Other Ceremonial county: West Sussex Historic county: Sussex Services Police force: {{{Police}}} Ambulance service: South East Coast Post office and... Sussex is a historic county in South East England corresponding roughly in area to the ancient Kingdom of Sussex. ...

From the outset, the ACS sought to assist historical and statistical research by trying to compile details of all known first-class cricket matches and List A limited overs matches. Members have also documented details of matches not officially regarded as first-class such as minor counties and second XI cricket in England. The findings have always been published in book such as the quarterly Cricket Statistician which are distributed among the subscribed membership. First-class cricket matches are those between international teams or the highest standard of domestic teams in which teams have two innings each. ... List A cricket is a classification of the limited-overs (one-day) form of the sport of cricket. ...

The ACS has no formal responsibility in respect of the official status of matches and any recommendations it makes are guidelines only. It has tried to establish influence with the International Cricket Council (ICC) but its views can only be seen as advisory and no different to the views of any other group of cricket fans. ICC logo The International Cricket Council (ICC) is the governing body for international Test match and One-day International cricket. ...

ACS views about first-class playing records are equally to be viewed as advisory only. In the 1983 edition of Wisden Cricketer's Almanack, the editor John Woodcock took the ACS to task for trying to amend the first-class career record of WG Grace, pointing out that to change long-established records was tantamount to rewriting history. The situation with first-class records before 1947 is that each writer, including the ACS as a body, is entitled to his own view and there is no official version. John Woodcock OBE (born 7 August 1926) is an English cricket writer and journalist. ... William Gilbert Grace (July 18, 1848–October 23, 1915) was an English cricketer who, by his extraordinary skills, made cricket perhaps the first modern spectator sport, and who developed most of the techniques of modern batting. ...

Some notable people from the cricket world have been involved with the ACS. The author Peter Wynne-Thomas was its treasurer at inception in 1973 and then its secretary from 1974 to 2006. The former England cricket captain Mike Smith is the current President of the ACS. Peter Wynne-Thomas (born Retford, Nottinghamshire 30 July 1934) is an English cricket archivist, writer, historian and statistician. ... The English cricket team is a national cricket team which nominally represents England and Wales, but is a de facto United Kingdom team. ... Michael John Knight Mike Smith, often referred to by his initials M J K, is an English cricket player. ...

Publications

• "A Guide to Important Cricket Matches Played in the British Isles 1709-1863"
• "The ACS International Yearbook"
• "The ACS Second Eleven Yearbook"
• "The Cricket Statistician", a quarterly Journal for members.
• "The ACS Famous Cricketers Series", complete playing records, match by match, of notable cricketers.

References

External links

• Association of Cricket Statisticians and Historians