BAXTER, Peter (b. 1947, editor).  Test Match Special. London: Queen Anne Press, 1981. [Number One]. 4to. Half tone illustrations. Original green cloth, spine lettered in gilt, dust-jacket. FIRST EDITION. The RARE first appearance of this publication. It contains two contributions from Henry Blofeld, “Old Trafford: The Team Goes North” and, in collaboration with Don Mosey, “Home Thoughts from Abroad.” Other contributors include John Arlott, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Brian Johnston and Fred Trueman. The text on the front turn-in accounts for the abiding popularity of Radio 3’s “Test Match Special”: “… The team’s mixture of lyrical description, dry wit, shrewd appraisal and cheerful bonhomie is reflected in the book, which uses the 1980 season (the West Indies tour and the Centenary Test match) as a framework for reminiscence on past disasters, drinks in the box, listeners’ letters, broadcasting overseas – and, of course, the inevitable ‘Rain Stops Play’.” With 3 other books produced by the BBC Test Match Special Team, namely, The Ashes. Highlights since 1948 (London, 1989), England v. West Indies. Highlights since 1948 (London, 1991) and Peter Baxter’s Can Anyone Hear Me? Testing Times with Test Match Special on Tour (London, 2013, paperback). "The First Test Match Special Book which is very difficult to come by, especially in d/w, as there was a small print run. Contains Arlott's brilliant piece on the history of TMS" (H.B.). (4)