Norman Preston came from good Almanack stock, His father, Hubert, had edited the Almanack before him and was a partner in Pardon's Cricket Reporting Agency which he joined in 1933. He also covered overseas tours for Reuters as well as working for the Press Association.

Only Sydney Pardon was in office longer than Preston's 29 years, and his final edition in 1981 was published weeks after his death. He guided the Almanack through some difficult times, and the expansion of the game led to tough - and not always popular - decisions to cut or restrict some long-standing content.
Martin Williamson

• The Wisden timeline
  
• Norman Preston, MBE
  
• A history of Wisden