In a tournament which saw Vettori lauded for reversing Collingwood's run out and Strauss criticised in some quarters for recalling Mathews after colliding with Onions, It's Not The Winning That Counts is an interesting and timely read.
The Daily Telegraph journalist Max Davidson has researched 54 instances of sporting chivalry across a range of sports, with seven devoted to cricket. Ricky Ponting, Mark Taylor, Adam Gilchrist, Sir Gary Sobers, Andrew Flintoff, the Sydney crowd and Shane Warne are all featured for miscellaneous reasons, although united in their honourable actions.
The book starts and ends with two enduring images from the 2005 Ashes, Flintoff's consoling arm around Brett Lee after the two-run win at Edgbaston and Shane Warne racing over to congratulate Pietersen after the urn was reclaimed at the Oval.
The title is a catchy oxymoron of course, since sport is ultimately all about winning, but the series of short stories are a telling reminder that you can still play the game competitively and do the right thing when dilemmas present themselves.
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