40 years ago Abergavenny cricketing hero Malcolm Nash was the unfortunate bowler hit for six sixes by West Indies captain Garry Sobers in cricket's most famous over - an over that is now the subject of a new book by Grahame Lloyd.

Six of the Best was published in August and has now been included on the long list for The Cricket Society and MCC Book of the Year 2009, an annual award made since 1970 for the best writing about cricket.

In the last three months, the book has received a number of favourable reviews with the distinguished sports writer, Frank Keating describing it in the latest edition of The Oldie magazine, as "the nearest I can imagine to a perfect book."

As well as the memories of Sobers and Nash, Six of the Best, by Grahame Lloyd, features the recollections of the surviving members of the Glamorgan and Nottinghamshire teams who took part in the historic game at St Helen's in Swansea on August 31, 1968.

The book also casts new doubts on the authenticity of the ball sold at auction for £26,400 two years ago and explains how Sobers' amazing achievement only came to be recorded by BBC Wales by the chance intervention of a cricket-mad cameraman.

Previous winners of The Cricket Society and MCC award have included the late writer and BBC broadcaster, E.W. Swanton, former England captain Mike Brearley, The Times columnist, Simon Barnes and the BBC's sports editor, Mihir Bose. A short list of books will be drawn up at the end of January with the winner being announced in May.

Six of the Best is Lloyd's seventh book and his second about cricket. In 1998, he produced the official celebration of Glamorgan's third county championship win, Daffodil Days: Glamorgan's Glorious Summer and he has also written the life stories of former Liverpool footballer, Jan Molby and the ex-Wales captain and manager, Terry Yorath.

"I'm delighted that the book has been nominated," said Lloyd, "especially considering the calibre of those writers who have won the award in the past. I felt it was important for the 40th anniversary of such an iconic moment in the history of the game to be marked by a book and fortunately for me, all the surviving members of the two teams involved were happy to share their memories."

Among those recalling the events of that momentous afternoon are the Nottinghamshire batsman at the non-striking end, John Parkin, and Glamorgan fielder Roger Davis who caught the fifth ball of the over before tumbling over the boundary – thus nullifying the catch.

The ball-by-ball account of the five minutes of mayhem also reveals what happened to the players who took part in the game, to the two umpires and to the bat and the ball which was found in a nearby street by schoolboy Richard Lewis.

Malcolm Nash, who by his own reckoning is still asked at least once a month about the six balls he bowled that day told the Chronicle, "As one of the two main principals being written about, I found the book extremely well researched, well written and very honest.

"I wish Grahame every success with this publication and hope that many younger cricketers buy the book and remember never to give up, but to learn from experience."

Grahame Lloyd will be signing copies of Six of the Best with two of the former Glamorgan all-rounders, Peter Walker and Roger Davis, at Waterstones in Abergavenny on Friday, December 19.