The Judge by Robin Smith & Rob Smyth

The Judge (Cricket Memoir in Illustrated Dust Jacket)

The Candid Memoir of England and Hampshire Batsman Robin Smith, Written with Rob Smyth and Introduced by Shane Warne and Mark Nicholas

Bibliographic Specifications

• Title: The Judge: More Than Just a Game
• Authors: Robin Smith & Rob Smyth
• Publisher: Yellow Jersey Press, London
• Publication Date: 2019
• ISBN-13: 9781787290143
• Edition Details: First published 2019. Hardcover, 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 number line present.
• Binding: Publisher's black cloth hardcover with a white illustrated dust jacket and yellow endpapers.
• Physical Format: Octavo hardcover, 336 pages, approximately 235 x 155 mm. Text with illustrated dust jacket.
• Language: English

Official Condition Report

• The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
• Exterior / Boards: The black cloth boards are clean and square, with only a tiny light speck near the lower edge. The spine is straight. The page edges are clean and white.
• Interior: The pages are clean and cream-coloured, free of foxing, marks and writing. The binding is tight, and the title and copyright pages are unmarked.
• The Dust Jacket: Present. The white jacket, illustrated with a cricket photograph, is clean and bright, with slight rubbing and edge wear at the head of the spine. It is protected in a durable archival-type plastic cover.

Synopsis & Historical Value

The Judge: More Than Just a Game is the autobiography of Robin Smith, the South African-born England Test batsman whose nickname gave the book its title. Written with Guardian journalist Rob Smyth, it was published by Yellow Jersey Press in 2019 and carries forewords by Shane Warne and Mark Nicholas.

The book follows Smith's career with England and Hampshire. Most of its chapters read as a cricketer's life story, while the closing chapters deal frankly with his struggles after retirement, including problems with alcohol and his mental health.

It was shortlisted for the Cricket Writers' Club Book of the Year Award. For collectors of cricket literature and of South African-born sporting figures, it is a well-regarded modern memoir in a clean copy with its dust jacket.

Author Profile: Robin Smith & Rob Smyth

Robin Smith (1963-2025) was born in South Africa and played Test cricket for England. He was part of the England squad that finished runners-up at the 1992 World Cup. He spent his county career at Hampshire, where he remains a club hero, and his Test record shows an average of 43.67 across 62 Tests.

Rob Smyth has been on the Guardian sports desk since 2004 and has written or edited ten books. His other titles include The Spirit of Cricket, his first book, and Jumpers for Goalposts, co-written with Georgina Turner.

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