Stars on Sunday. Looking back to 1982 when Sussex won their first John Player League title

The first county cricket match I ever saw was a John Player League game at Old Trafford, so the competition has always held a place in my heart. The regular weekly coverage on BBC2 was also an important factor, enabling those new to the game to quickly become acquainted with all of the county sides. The idea for the book was in the back of my mind, and the importance of the JPL to a generation of fans would crop up from time to time (such as in the book 1973 & Me by Colin Babb). But when I overheard a group of Lancashire fans at Blackpool fondly recalling happy memories of watching Sunday League games during the 1970s and 80s it gave me the final push to try to capture at least some of what made the JPL such a fantastic competition.