Shane Warne is one of cricket’s most colourful and at times infamous characters, both on and off the pitch. His book Shane Warne’s Century : My top 100 test cricketers profiles players that have had influence on him and the game. Ironically he never reached a test century although he achieved 99 three times. Perhaps the title should be changed to reflect this!

With the ANZ netball championship matches on locally and televised it may encourage budding and seasoned netballers to learn new skills. Anita Navin’s manual Netball : Skills, techniques ,tactics will give all ages practical advice to improve their game.

Cycle for life : Bike basics + Body basics + Challenge yourself by Nicole Cooke and Steven James is aimed at novices and improvers. Three crucial elements, the body, the brain and the bike will ensure successful cycling whether for pleasure or competition.

Read more about these books and a wide variety of others including skateboarding, the NZ Maori rugby team and jigsaws via this month’s Recent Sport Picks.