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Arctic ice between the crews of two whaling
ships in searchof theNorthwest Passage. Play
was suspendeduponthearrival of apolarbear.
It’s little wonder that, over the years,
cricket has counted a rich variety of poets
and dreamers among its most devoted
fans. James Barrie, the creator of
Peter
Pan
, had an almost messianic belief
incricket, “an ideaof thegods,”which
he saw as a revolt against the soul-
destroying uniformity of certain
other sports,withtheir “unrelieved
aggression.” In the early 20th
century, Barrie formed his own
touring team, which included
the likes of P.G. Wodehouse, A.A.
Milne and Arthur Conan Doyle,
who once managed to set himself
on fire when batting in a cricket
match (aball struckhimontheout-
side of his thighand ignitedaboxof
matches he kept inhis pocket). Sam-
uel Becke played two professional
games some 40 years before winning
theNobel Prize for Literature. Fi ingly,
in the one surviving account of his brief
sporting career, the author of
Waiting for
Godot
was describedas an “enigmatic” player.
Sure, cricket has its longueurs, as anyone
who has sat through a full five-day “test,” or
internationalmatch, will agree. But the length
is part of the appeal: Spread out over four or
five days, the action tends to ebb and flow
more freely than in the average sport. A team
can be way ahead on Thursday and still end
up losing badly on Monday.
Regardless, whether you’re there for days
or hours, cricket can be wonderfully thera-
peutic. In August 2011, as riots broke out on
Britain’s streets, I was at the cricket ground
inBirmingham, England’s second city, watch-
ing the national teamplay a close-fought test
with its archrival, India. I’m not suggesting
that cricket is the answer to theworld’s social
ills, but I will say that at Birmingham that
day, a good-natured crowd of all ages sat in
the sunshine with picnics, and sometimes
broke into rousing song. Opposing groups
of fans mingled in a way you somehow can’t
imagine happening at a high-stakes soccer
match. At the end of the game, everyone
shook hands. There were no public order
problems. Unless you count a bunch of
grown men hurling things at each other’s
heads. Politely, of course.
CHRISTOPHER SANDFORD,
a British writer now
living in Seattle, has yet to actually set himself on
fire while playing cricket.
THE FAN
||
culture
Gardening
►
A batsman’s prodding
at the turf with his bat between
deliveries; of no known
horticultural benefit.
Googly
►
A deviously spinning ball.
Gully, leg-slip, slip, silly
mid-on, sillymid-off, fine leg,
long leg, thirdman
►
Fielding positions broadly equivalent to first
base, second base, etc.
Luncheon
►
One of two all-important refreshment breaks
taken during a day’s play, with the other being tea.
Nelson
►
A score of 111 runs, either by a single
batsman or the total for the side, thought to
refer to British Adm. Horatio Nelson’s lost
eye, arm and leg (though, as he actually had
both legs intact, the third missing body
part is mythical). Odd things are said to
happen on this score.
Stickywicket
(or sticky dog)
►
A field affected by rain or sun,
causing the ball to bounce or spin
unpredictably.
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