ANDREW Thomas’ history of Worcestershire County Cricket Club contains a remarkable amount of facts, figures and commentary on each season of the first 150 years.

‘Pears 150 - The life and times of Worcestershire County Cricket Club 1865-2014’ is a first-class reference book of facts and statistics.

Thomas’ excellent book traces the County’s development from the earliest reported cricket in the region in 1820 to the present day in 540 A4-size pages.

Worcestershire have had some wonderful players, Basil D’Oliveira, Tom Graveney, Glenn Turner and Graeme Hick to name just a few.

But this publication doesn’t include player profiles of for - mer players.

It includes 19 graphs, 22 charts, 14 maps, 23 tables and 243 photographs which take the reader on a fascinating historical journey at New Road.

Apart from cricket, the book also has a 28-page chapter on flooding on New Road and mentions many events to help put the county scene into context.

Ironically, Worcestershire won the NatWest Pro 40 Division One in 2007 without playing a game at New Road because of two summer floods.

Club president Lord Mervyn King provides the foreword to Thomas’ publication and acknowledges that the County’s progress was slow for the first 100 years before becoming one of the stronger teams on the circuit.

Interestingly, Thomas recognises there is no trace at New Road of two of the County’s most loyal supporters, Paul Foley and Earl Coventry from Croome Park, who did so much to establish it.

Supporters will enjoy the chapters from 1961 to 1966 when Don Kenyon’s appointment as captain heralded the County’s first golden era.

Worcestershire won two County Championship titles, twice finished runners-up and played in two limited-overs cup finals.

And, of course, Norman Gifford led Worcestershire to their third County Championship triumph in 1974.

The publication chronicles the County’s second golden era with Phil Neale at the helm and the impact of Ian Botham and Graham Dilley.

Worcestershire’s won the County Championship in 1988 and retained it a year later as they made a record profit of £94,000.

The last trophy in Worcestershire’s second golden era was their NatWest triumph in 1994.

Priced at £28, ‘Pears 150’ is available from Worcester - shire County Cricket Club.