Wisden cricket collection raises £12,000 at charity auction

Derek Williams' collection of cricketing tomes dated from between 1878-2012

An archive of cricket books dating back 130 years has raised £10,000 at a charity auction.

Life-long fan Derek Williams, 84, left part of his estate to The Lord's Taverners, a youth cricket and disability sports charity.

It included his collection of annual Wisden Cricketers Almanacks, known as "cricket's bible", dating from 1878.

Mr Williams, from Caerleon, near Newport, acted as scorer for his local cricket club for much of his life.

He died in 2020.

• Spider-Man comic page sells for over $3.3m

• Bargain 16th Century globe sells for £116,000

Hansons Auctioneers auctioned his collection of Wisdens, an annual publication which was founded in 1864, to benefit Age Concern, Cancer UK and The Lord's Taverners during an online auction on Saturday.

'Legacy'

Auctioneer Charles Hanson said: "We feel privileged to handle this important collection and to play our part in enabling Derek's wishes to be honoured."

Mr Williams' collection, which includes hardbacks from 1903, 1904, 1905, 1906, 1910 and 1942, date between 1878-2012.

Former England cricket captain David Gower, president of The Lord's Taverners and Wisden player of the year 1979, said: "The young people we support on our cricket programmes will be eternally grateful to Derek for remembering the Lord's Taverners in his estate.

"The sale of this fantastic collection of books will ensure his legacy lives on in future years."