AS ALWAYS, ALL GENUINE COMMENTS WILL RECEIVE AN UPVOTE
Cricket, the quintessential English summer activity that has been transferred around the globe and become one of the best loved sports in many other nations since. It's a game steeped in tradition, funny sounding terminology and rules that to an outsider must seem almost impossible to understand. I have had comments from people on my blogs who have never seen a cricket match and so I though I would write an article about why they and everyone should give the great game of cricket a chance
Certainly when I write about Test cricket, the longest, grandest and hardest of the forms of the sport to get your head around, I can imagine that for people who aren't familiar with the game it must be like reading a blog in a foreign language. However, I'm writing today to say that you don't have to understand the rules of cricket or have an encyclopaedic knowledge of it's history to actually enjoy watching a game.
At it's simplest level, cricket is after all just a sport where one man throws a ball and the other one tries to hit it. This is particularly true in cricket's shortest format, known as T20 where each team tries to hit as many runs (points) as possible in just over an hour. These matches are fast and furious and the short nature of the game means that spectators are often treated to thrilling, close finishes.
Last night I was lucky enough to go to a T20 match with some colleagues of mine from work. The game was held at the Oval, London's 2nd cricket stadium after Lord's and the venue of the 5th and final Test between England and India this summer. It was a domestic T20 match between Surrey (whom I support) and Hampshire. Surrey won but overall the game was a little dull with Hampshire noting scoring enough runs and Surrey chasing them down with relative ease.
However, the great thing about most cricket venues these days is that there is something for everyone and the quality or excitement of the game doesn't necessarily have to be the defining factor in a good day/night out. In England, a trip to the cricket is very much a social occasion, you go with friends and you often make new ones while you are there. I've never known there to ever be trouble between rival fans in the same way that you might see at a football ground. Everyone is mixed in with one another and generally speaking they are looking to have a good time. Certainly in England we also enjoy consuming alcohol while watching the cricket. I enjoy a beer or 2 myself and particularly when in good company, like last night this can add to the enjoyment of the occasion. Of course it might not be for everyone and I do think that the ECB and cricket grounds around the country should do more to get families with children in to watch the matches. After all, they are going to be the next generation of cricket players and lovers.
In that respect competitions like India's IPL where alcohol can't be consumed within the ground and Australia's Big Bash where there are alcohol free, family friendly zones are light years ahead of England. The IPL (Indian Premier League) is probably the greatest spectacle in cricket at the moment and if you are a new fan of the sport or perhaps looking to watch a game for the first time, I would definitely recommend trying to catch a game when it comes around in April next year. The IPL has the world's best players, the noisiest fans and the most razzle dazzle. Again there is as much happening off the pitch as there is on it.
The Big Bash in Australia is played throughout December and January which coincides with both the summer and Christmas holidays. As such it is the perfect chance for people to take their kids to a cricket match while they are off school and the cricketing authorities have seized upon that opportunity by running all manner of activities for kids to take part in while also enjoying an exciting game of cricket. The other big bonus is that Big Bash games are relatively speaking cheap to get into meaning that 80,000+ seater stadiums like the MCG are frequently filled. Anyone who has been to a great sporting arena and seen it at full to capacity, knows that the atmosphere alone can be worth the price of admission.
So shake off any preconceptions you have about the game of cricket and if you are lucky enough to live in a country that plays the sport at a high level then get yourself down to the ground. Even if you don't live in one of those countries, try catching a game online. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised by what cricket has to offer......
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