[wdvltalk-social] Any Cricket Players?

[joseph harris]

Ah, yes.   My young friend failed to tell you about county 
cricket [the 'first class' game] of 3 days per match - or maybe 
four.    So in terms of length the game can be ½ (the 20-20 Matt 
mentioned), 1, 3, 4, 5 or 6 [which has been experimented with for 
'Test Matches' - the games between tha mian playing countries].

All that I write, by the way, is in addition to what Matt has 
said, which is accurate.

The US has a cricket team which has qualified for inclusion in 
international cricket, but was pevented from being involved in 
the matches in the Carribean this year becasue of irregualrities 
in their accounts!   It is generally a game palyed by some 80+ 
former British colonies and some  other countries which would 
presumably like to have been British colonies!

In India and Pakistan it is  the true national religion.

While baseball scoring means one rarely has to take ones socks 
off to count, the system of runs in cricket requires a large 
number of people to sit with hands out and socks off...

On a bad day only about 80 or 90 runs might be scored in one 
innings, but on one of those days that is really, really, really 
pissing off one team the  other is getting over 700 runs.

If a game goes to completion then the winner is the one with more 
runs in its two innings than the other [first class cricket]. 
Games may be drawn, and often are when the teams are more evenly 
matched, or rain affects play.

As Matt was explaining there are variations of the game and these 
are really continuations of the origins of cricket in the English 
village when games would be played on the afternoon of the 
Saturday.   Each team would have only one innings, and that would 
usually be limited in some way.

In detail the ball [similar in size to a baseball, but made of 
cork covered in leather] is bowled at the other end [a 22-yard or 
one chain wicket in the middle of the field of play] and the 
object of the bowler and his ten colleagues spread about the 
field is to get the batsman out - whe nthey do that to the tenth 
one the whole team is out.

The innings is divided into overs and each consists of six 
'balls'.   Then another bowler bowls an over from the other end.

The batsman 'defends his wicket' and tries also to score runs. 
The game often sways to and fro, giving advantage forst to one 
team then to the other.

It is, of course, a patient game, and its complexity arises from 
the time devoted to it.   But it is increasing in popularity and 
more and more countries are achieving national status, although 
the number of test countries is low - maybe sixteen;  Michael 
will be able to give you accurate figures.

While this will not really teach you the game what Matt and I 
have put will at least enable you to recognise some of the terms 
which your new friend is certain to use.   No cricket afficionado 
will fail to talk of 'bowling a maiden over'.   This refers to an 
over bowled in which the batsman has not been able to score a 
run.   The pun on it is obvious, i think...

Hope we are helping.   Michael, over to you.

Joseph