The Eighties was a colourful period in English cricket. As a member of the most successful team in Essex's history and an England side capable of extraordinary highs and lows, Derek Pringle was lucky enough to be in the thick of it. Now he lays bare the realities of life as a professional cricketer in a decade when the game was dominated by a cast of unforgettable characters.

Picked for the Test side while still a student, he was as surprised as anybody to find himself playing alongside the likes of David Gover, Allan Lamb and Phil Edmonds. He also had to contend with being hailed as the new Ian Botham, even though the old one was still growing strong - and playing in the same team.

The hard slog of domestic cricket had never seen so much talent, with counties boasting overseas players like Viv Richards, Malcolm Marshall and Javed Miandad. A coach-free zone, it was left in the hands of canny old pros such as Keith Fletcher and John Lever, who guided Essex to multiple Championship and one-day successes.

But cricket was changing, and necessarily for the better. By the end of the decade it became clear that the days of the maverick cricketer was numbered. Few players ended the Eighties wealthy, but as Derek Pringle's eye-opening memoir reveals, all left rich in experience, with enough stories to last a lifetime.