Batting in the Baltic

About the book

Scotsman Angus Bell is minding his own business in Montreal when a psychic tells him he'll be leaving North America to embark on a travelling media project. When the words 'cricket' and 'Ukraine' pop into his head, he sets off to fulfil his destiny. A voyage of surprising discovery is in store for him: not only do they play cricket right across central and eastern Europe, bu they're as passionate about the game as he is. From tournaments on ice in Estonia to university leages in the crumbling Crimea, from a Croatian military island to communist Belarus, Slavs are playing the Englishman's game. Angus uncovers a shadowy side of eastern European cricket too; with fingerless 'Tamil Tigers' in Prague, a bomb plotter in the Austrian Alps, Mafiosos and an MI6 secret agent making the team sheets. He becomes the first man to hit a ball between continents and ends up captain of an international cricket team. Between games he is pursued by the KGB, becomes embroiled in a drug bust on the Midnight Express and seeks emergency treatment from a Romanian dentist. Batting in the Baltic is a hilarious and unique traveller's tale. It redefines the spirit of cricket and will make the games' most sworn enemy a fan.