AN acclaimed biography of a Malvern schoolmaster, county cricketer and wartime pilot has won further recognition when it was shortlisted for the prestigious MCC – Cricket Society Book of the Year award.

A Remarkable Man, local author Andy Murtagh’s life of George Chesterton, was published last summer on its subject’s 90th birthday.

Mr Chesterton died in November.

Mr Murtagh and his wife Lin were among the guests when the award’s evening dinner was held in the Long Room at Lord’s in London last week, alongside cricket writers, journalists and senior figures from the world of cricket.

He said: “It was a thrill to learn that my book had been shortlisted. It was great fun to write, but of course, as the title suggests, George was a truly remarkable man.

“His story deserved to be told, and I’m delighted the judges recognised this.”

This year’s award went to Gideon Haig’s book On Warne, about his fellow Australian, Shane Warne.

Among other authors shortlisted were Christopher Martin- Jenkins, Steve James and previous award-winner Stephen Chalke.

The judging panel was chaired by former Somerset and England cricketer Vic Marks, cricket correspondent for The Observer and The Guardian, and included members of the BBC’s Test Match Special team.

The book tells the stories of Mr Chesterton’s careers as an RAF pilot, when he participated in the D-Day landings and Battle of Arnhem, as Worcestershire cricketer and as schoolmaster at Malvern College.

Mr Murtagh is now working on a biography of Tom Graveney, which he hopes will be out later in the year.