AN AUTHOR from Eastcote will take on Olympic sprinting champion Michael Johnson and former Chelsea boss Carlo Ancelotti in his bid to win £23,000.

Graeme Wright, of Field End Road, is one of 14 writers up for a national award after winning praise for his book about grassroots cricket.

The 68-year-old's summer release, Behind the Boundary: Cricket at a Crossroads, is in contention for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award, which this year includes works by some of the biggest names in sport.

Mr Wright was runner-up for the award in 1993 for Betrayal: The Struggle for Cricket’s Soul.

The former Eastcote Residents’ Association newsletter editor said: “Behind the Boundary has slipped in under the radar somewhat, and when you look at some of the international names on the list, my book is mixing it with some weighty contenders.

“It’s not about stars or celebrities; it's simply recognition of hard-working people behind the scenes struggling in difficult financial times to sustain England’s national summer game.”

Mr Wright has lived in the Eastcote and Ruislip area for nearly 40 years, and was an editor of Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack from 1987-1992 and 2001-2002.