PAUL Chapman has combined his love of cricket and history to compile the book Re-Called to Service.

It tells the story of the 1946 County Championship season when cricket picked up the pieces after the Second World war.

Chapman, who lives in Yeadon and has been a Yorkshire member since 1957, tells the story of how the White Rose county won the title despite the tragic loss of Hedley Verity.

During his research, Chapman discovered that the resumption of county cricket was not that straightforward.

Six years of conflict had taken its toll in all areas of life, and county cricket was not exempt.

Chapman said: "Those on the verge of making a career in the game in 1939 suspected that the war years had robbed them of any realistic chance of making the grade and opted for the relative safety of a career outside cricket.

"Counties tended to rely on the old guard who had served them before the war but as injuries and England selections robbed the teams of their players, it became increasingly clear that the war years had impaired the burgeoning of cricketing talent."

Re-Called to Service recalls that despite the paucity of personnel and the poor weather in the Summer of 1946, the clubs struggled to seat all would-be spectators.

A jaded populace, frustrated by the immediate post-war conditions, sought the brief respite of escapism in contests undertaken in a sporting spirit.

The first edition of Re-Called to Service was offered exclusively to Yorkshire cricket supporters during county matches at Headingley and Scarborough and t sold out within a month. The profits were donated to the Yorkshire County Cricket Supporters’ Association and this remains the case with the current reprint.

The volume retails at £9.99 and is available from the Grove Bookshop in Ilkley or from the author at troubadour42@gmx.com