The MCC Cricket Coaching Book is one of the most authoritative and influential cricket coaching manuals of the post-war era, produced under the auspices of the Marylebone Cricket Club (M.C.C.), the traditional custodian of the Laws of Cricket.
 
Edited by H. S. Altham, the respected cricket writer and administrator, and G. O. Allen, former England captain and distinguished amateur, the book brings together expert instruction covering all major aspects of the game. It reflects the MCC’s official coaching philosophy during the early 1950s, a period when modern coaching methods were beginning to be systematised.
 
The work covers batting, bowling, fielding, wicket-keeping, captaincy, training methods, and match preparation, with clear explanations aimed at players, coaches, and serious students of the game. Emphasis is placed on correct technique, sound fundamentals, and the traditional values of cricket, making it both a practical manual and a historical snapshot of mid-20th-century English cricket thinking.
 
Illustrated throughout with instructional diagrams and photographs, the book was widely used by clubs, schools, and county coaches, and remains a cornerstone reference in collections of classic cricket literature.
 
First editions are increasingly scarce, particularly with the dustjacket. Later reprints (such as this 1954 issue) are still highly collectible due to the book’s enduring importance.