I was recently introduced to the exciting and unique game of cricket. Cricket, which most resembles American baseball, is fast, fun and confusing to beginners. A lot of head scratching is normal when first learning about this sport.
The rules (excuse me, they are called laws) are like none other I have seen and the terminology can be mind boggling. Some terms you might hear: Leg Before Wicket (LBW) which happens if the ball is bowled and it hits the batsman first without the bat hitting it, Maiden Over (you look it up), Spin Bowling and many others. Test matches are 5 day games that can go for up to 10 hours a day, can have 400 plus runs and still end in a tie. Shoot me, will ya.
Pitchers are called "bowlers" in cricket and they don't throw the ball, they "bowl" it. Americans would poke their eyes out in frustration but our international neighbors, love it. If you give it time, it grows on you.
This sport can be a "sticky wicket" but is well worth the time and effort. Oh, and they even take time out for tea. How cool is that? If you stick with the wicket watching, you will meet many interesting cricket fans along the way. I should know.
4 comments:
This article is very interesting and it CRACKED me up! I love it! The game sounds very confusing but I guess once you watch for a while you catch on! Now I know who to bring along with me if I ever go to a cricket game! :) Emma
YIKES! "LAWS" vs. rules - they take their cricket SERIOUSLY! So glad you educated me on it, though - i had know idea! Sounds like an amazing trip, you lucky thang!
I consider myself pretty sports-minded, but I must admit I knew very little about Cricket until I read your story. If it's anything like NASCAR where the "laws" change like the wind, I may never fully grasp it (I'm still learning all the baseball rules too..lol), but anything related to "sticky wickets" has got to be worth a try! I'm definitely intrigued now, and hope for the opportunity to explore further (maybe even on a trip like yours - wouldn't THAT be nice-ha. Thanks so much for sharing...you really have a way with words my friend!
Chirp, chirp. So, with all the quaint terminology, why is it called Cricket? Is there leaping or hiding in dark places? Or, perhaps the fans chirp their support? All kidding aside, it sounds fascinating - for real.
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