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Around the age of 5 years old or so, both American kids, U.K. & cricket playing countries kids start watching their baseball and cricket playing heroes. It doesn't take long before they start emulating their heroes moves and gestures, but there is a big difference in the two when they are older.



For example---------you will never see a Cricket Player tug or scratch at his crotch, constantly spit, chew tobacco or gum, constantly adjust his cap, knock imaginary dirt from his cleats. I grew up with American Baseball but think there is way too much time wasting, unnecessary programmed behavior to the game. I don't fully understand all the rules of Cricket but they do seem to get on with the game. Maybe there are subtle habits and unnecessary moves that I am not aware of.:-3

Lon;1224747 wrote: Around the age of 5 years old or so, both American kids, U.K. & cricket playing countries kids start watching their baseball and cricket playing heroes. It doesn't take long before they start emulating their heroes moves and gestures, but there is a big difference in the two when they are older.



For example---------you will never see a Cricket Player tug or scratch at his crotch, constantly spit, chew tobacco or gum, constantly adjust his cap, knock imaginary dirt from his cleats. I grew up with American Baseball but think there is way too much time wasting, unnecessary programmed behavior to the game. I don't fully understand all the rules of Cricket but they do seem to get on with the game. Maybe there are subtle habits and unnecessary moves that I am not aware of.:-3


I would like to stress at this point that rubbing the ball on the crotch of one's trousers is an entirely necessary part of the game of cricket :wah:

Cricket is a gentleman's game that's full of wonderful phrases. I love cricket. Everytime they bowled a maiden over I wished I was that maiden! hee hee :wah::wah:

UK kids heroes are football players. Many of the players are foreign nationals playing for our clubs, but whatever their nationalities, they're heroes. Sadly they're also a bunch of snotty-nosed, spitting, swearing, over paid hooligans imo. And thats who the kids emulate.

I'm a cricket fan from a family of cricketers. Get me started at your own risk!

I can't claim cricketers never spit or time waste, because they do. But I also regard Test matches - cricket in its five day version - as perhaps the ultimate sport.

Imagine day one of a Test match. You go out to bat facing bowlers who fire that hard 5.5 oz ball at you at up to 95 mph. Skilled bowlers can make it swing in the air and bounce funny in various different ways. A really good batman will hope to be out there facing this all day and part of the next (they very rarely succeed in this, but that's what they are trying to do). It is accepted that the bowler can try to hurt and scare the batsman. I know that I was scared every time I opened the batting. I was not very good! But dealing with that fear was part of the game.

I know of no game that reveals and tests the character of the player as much as cricket. And I'm a big rugby fan.

(Clodhopper stops here by a major effort of will!)

Bryn Mawr;1224756 wrote: I would like to stress at this point that rubbing the ball on the crotch of one's trousers is an entirely necessary part of the game of cricket :wah:


Ahh! Those rowdy, crotch rubbing pace bowlers! Not done by the more gentile left arm spinners, like myself!....... :wah::wah:

Bryn Mawr;1224756 wrote: I would like to stress at this point that rubbing the ball on the crotch of one's trousers is an entirely necessary part of the game of cricket :wah:


Here here Brynny boy. Even the girls do it. It has a leathery nice feel about it:sneaky:

Ponting adjusts his cap quite often.

Clodhopper;1224761 wrote: I'm a cricket fan from a family of cricketers. Get me started at your own risk!

I can't claim cricketers never spit or time waste, because they do. But I also regard Test matches - cricket in its five day version - as perhaps the ultimate sport.




At last I've found my dream man.

:wah::wah::wah:

Nothing better than the Ashes!

Well played you bastards! Fought it out for the draw. Two games to go and it's all still in the balance.

My word, Ponting is a fine player. Don't be fazed by the booing - he's our favourite pantomime villain. North looks like a real find as well! You've got the batsmen, but where are the Lillee, Thomson, Warne and McGrath! Sorry - Mitchel Johnson just doesn't cut it. So far...

BTW, I heard the other day that the NYPD has a cricket team! Anyone know anything about this????

I've often wondered whether Americans could play cricket ...............with the spirit of the game rather than a sport , if you know what I mean?

I'm an Ashes girl from way back. I got into the day/nighters but lost interest after awhile. And this new 20 / 20 matches are a bloody bore. It's just a slog match or indoor cricket on the field.

[quote=fuzzywuzzy;1224863]I've often wondered whether Americans could play cricket ...............with the spirit of the game rather than a sport , if you know what I mean?



Lon said:



I know what you mean and I think no they couldn't. We Yanks seem to be adept at SLAM BANG and not finesse. It's a wonder we adapted to golf, which takes considerable finesse.

Agreed about baseball. Its a great game but 160 games is way too much and the gaps in playing time with rituals like spitting tobacco are excruciatingly painful. Also pulling up both sleeves, tapping both shoes with the bat, adjusting the cap, backing off the plate etc. Hard to watch.

Nomad;1224917 wrote: Agreed about baseball. Its a great game but 160 games is way too much and the gaps in playing time with rituals like spitting tobacco are excruciatingly painful. Also pulling up both sleeves, tapping both shoes with the bat, adjusting the cap, backing off the plate etc. Hard to watch.


I love it..watching baseball. Got my Boston Red Sox cap on as I type and go figure I live in Philly:wah:

Fuzzy: With Dad being one of the last amateurs to play for Surrey and a teacher we always watched the Tests during the summer hols.

Lon: I think if cricket didn't exist, and someone suddenly said they'd invented this 5 day game that might not have a winner by the end I don't think it would be popular here, either!

I suppose the bizarre thing is that cricket DOES have such wide appeal: Brits, Indians, Africans, Pakistanis, ANZACS, Afro-Carribbeans, Dutch - heck, even the Irish!

I think the short 20 over version might catch on, though. (Fuzzy: I prefer 20/20 to the 40 or 50 over version, partly because almost everyone who plays cricket will have played a 20 over game at some point and can relate to it and because I usually only bother watching the last 10 or so overs of 40 or 50 over games, but Test cricket is the best)

Clodhopper;1226094 wrote: Fuzzy: With Dad being one of the last amateurs to play for Surrey and a teacher we always watched the Tests during the summer hols.

Lon: I think if cricket didn't exist, and someone suddenly said they'd invented this 5 day game that might not have a winner by the end I don't think it would be popular here, either!

I suppose the bizarre thing is that cricket DOES have such wide appeal: Brits, Indians, Africans, Pakistanis, ANZACS, Afro-Carribbeans, Dutch - heck, even the Irish!

I think the short 20 over version might catch on, though. (Fuzzy: I prefer 20/20 to the 40 or 50 over version, partly because almost everyone who plays cricket will have played a 20 over game at some point and can relate to it and because I usually only bother watching the last 10 or so overs of 40 or 50 over games, but Test cricket is the best)


It's the damage the mindset of Twenty20 will do to the five day game that worries me. As the next generation of players comes into the game they'll have no concept of how to build an innings.

Bryn: Well, they'll play the County Championship but I do take your point - I've been wondering if the IPL is why Bopara seems unable to build an innings against an Aussie attack that while not the best we've ever seen, is certainly better than the Windies.

Clodhopper;1226214 wrote: Bryn: Well, they'll play the County Championship but I do take your point - I've been wondering if the IPL is why Bopara seems unable to build an innings against an Aussie attack that while not the best we've ever seen, is certainly better than the Windies.


And why Pieterson keeps throwing good starts away?

Well, perhaps, but I'm more inclined to say that's just Pieterson...

Clodhopper;1226094 wrote: I suppose the bizarre thing is that cricket DOES have such wide appeal: Brits, Indians, Africans, Pakistanis, ANZACS, Afro-Carribbeans, Dutch - heck, even the Irish!
I'm glad you left us Scots out of your list. We seem to prefer drying paint......

The typical audience for a game of cricket in Scotland is in the region of 50 people and a dog - that's including both teams, the referees and the scorer (and the "ladies" doing the tea).

Just laziness. I said Brits rather than English/Welsh/Scots...

Thinking about it, the last "serious" Cricket Club I played for was Scottish, back in University days...

don't know Bryn we still play district (county)? two weekender games that's how the kids take up cricket here.

Chookie;1226385 wrote: I'm glad you left us Scots out of your list. We seem to prefer drying paint......

The typical audience for a game of cricket in Scotland is in the region of 50 people and a dog - that's including both teams, the referees and the scorer (and the "ladies" doing the tea).


ahhh the ladies doing the tea ............What would we do without the ladies?

fuzzywuzzy;1226537 wrote: don't know Bryn we still play district (county)? two weekender games that's how the kids take up cricket here.


I really hope you're right because the art of cricket is in the tactics, not in the slog however exciting that might be.

I'm a purist too. The increasing popularity of 20/20 is a little worrying. Bryn's right in that it might deflect the interest away from Test cricket.

First day of the 4th test and I note that we are doing our usual trick in being bowled out cheaply only to gift the Aussie's with some easy boundaries.

We never learn

Snowfire;1226790 wrote: I'm a purist too. The increasing popularity of 20/20 is a little worrying. Bryn's right in that it might deflect the interest away from Test cricket.

First day of the 4th test and I note that we are doing our usual trick in being bowled out cheaply only to gift the Aussie's with some easy boundaries.

We never learn


I'm sitting here in disbelief. The last five minutes might have been OK had the previous six hours not preceded them.