WHAT have the petty politics from inside the Lancashire County Cricket Club pavilion got to do with Mods and Rockers, the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights struggle?

Nothing you would think until you read Colin Evans's brilliant first book "Mods & Blockers - Lancashire's Rock `n' Roll Summer".

The former M.E.N. cricket correspondent turns the clock back to the summer of 1965 when Lancashire were toiling in championship mediocrity and the rookie 17-year-old reporter was taking the first steps in a long and distinguished career in journalism.

He mirrors his early experiences as a teenager growing up in the Manchester suburbs in the 60s - beer, girls, the famous Twisted Wheel nightclub, hitch-hiking and rock concerts - with the intrigues inside Old Trafford.

As a journalist Evans never ducked an issue and this book is packed with information and insight on the characters, who ruled the roost - and many who didn't - inside the Warwick Road corridors of power.

It was a memorable summer for David Green, who made history by stacking up over 2,000 first class runs without scoring a century, but Evans gives a forthright and revealing analysis of personalities with much higher profiles.

Cedric Rhoades joined the Lancashire committee in 1965 after leading a members revolt at the end of the previous season and said he wanted to turn the club into the "Real Madrid of cricket."

Power

"He did transform the club over two decades," says Evans, "...but loved power and stayed on too long."

Cyril Washbrook served as a player, first professional captain, the first manager, committee man and president from 1934 to 1990. "One of the most respected figures in the game, not universally liked but regarded as the professional of all professionals."

Evans draws a comparison with Sir Alf Ramsay the England football manager, another hard man but one who got the best out of his team. They died within days of each other in 1999 but no-one from Lancashire attended Washbrook's funeral. The club had not been informed of his death.

David Lloyd, Sky Sports cricket commentator and M.E.N. columnist, gets an affectionate mention. "A genuine caring character imbued with a rarely matched enthusiasm for the game … but not the best choice as Lancashire captain."

Brian Statham, Ken Higgs, Geoff Pullar, Harry Pilling all get the treatment from Evans as he tells the story of what was a fairly uneventful season for Lancashire but a revolutionary era for mankind and his flowing, leisurely style makes this book difficult to put down.

Evans will be signing copies at Old Trafford today when Lancs takes on Yorkshire in the Roses clash.

Mods & Blockers - Lancashire's Rock 'n' Roll Summer, published by Max Books, is available from Colin Evans, 1 Wittenspithall Cottages, Dunham Road, Warburton, Lymm, WA 13 9UH. Priced £9.99 including post and package, cheques payable to Colin Evans.

Alternatively, you can get in touch with Colin at colinevans682@btinternet.com to order your book.

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