Description
eBook version – epub and pdf files provided.
240 pages
The autobiography of Ricardo Ellcock tells the story of a Barbadian schoolboy who left his family behind to move overseas and follow his sporting dreams. With a burgeoning reputation as one of the fastest bowlers in the land, Ellcock’s hopes of playing Test cricket for England were cruelly thwarted by injury. Plunged into depression and forced to pursue another career, a childhood interest in aviation was to be his salvation. Ellcock relocated to the USA and qualified as a commercial airline pilot, becoming the first black captain with Virgin Atlantic.
Ellcock’s autobiography is unsparing and hard-hitting, revealing as it does a lifetime spent overcoming biases, prejudices and racism, not to mention being saved from death by receiving four life-saving brain operations in the space of eight weeks. Balls to Fly charts one man’s extraordinary story of determination, endeavour and resilience.
The book is a fascinating journey through the ups and downs of Ellcock’s singular story, describing how he used to be driven to school by the Prime Minister of Barbados; earned a scholarship at one the UK’s most prestigious public schools at just 15 years of age; turned up to make his first-class cricket debut whilst wearing school uniform; had cruel luck with injury sabotaging his hopes of playing Test cricket for England; retrained as an airline pilot and became Virgin Atlantic’ s first black captain; he was saved from death by four brain operations within eight weeks.
About the author:
Ricky Ellcock became an airline pilot after his career as a thrillingly fast bowler for Worcestershire and Middlesex was prematurely ended by recurrent injuries. This is his autobiography.
Praise for Balls to Fly
He tells his story with admirable equanimity in Balls to Fly… His is a genuinely inspiring story of human resilience.
Anthony McGowan, Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack
A moving autobiography, delightfully written by Ricky Ellcock himself. He has an inspiring story to tell, and his terrific recall of detail brings it to life superbly. The chapter on his experiences of racism is all the more telling for being so gently matter-of-fact.
Stephen Chalke
Ellcock is a consummate storyteller. With an eye for the telling if occasionally bizarre detail, his descriptions can be brilliant.
Derek Pringle, The Cricketer
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