Wednesday, September 14, 2005

Cricket

Cricket.

We English have more to proud of in this game than just the winning of the Ashes.

This game is what England is all about.

Hard but fair, respect for your opponents, great performances without necessarily winning. Going for a draw if a wins is not possible (sweet moderation heart of this nation….as Billy Bragg correctly said!). Losing with dignity.

Fans can booze all day but you rarely see any trouble.

A team game with room for individual excellence which relies on partnerships but cant be played successfully unless all players perform. Matches which take place over a long enough period to sort out the flash in the pans from the true champions.

Rain and bad light can stop play, even when no-one quite understands why! The rules are written down but it takes a lifetime to interpret them correctly.

It is a sport which can  unite India and Pakistan, Australia and New Zealand, South Africa and the West Indies. It even keeps Zimbabwe in the news!

Norman Tebbit (an old tory to**er ) once said that ethnic minorities should be put to  a ‘cricket supporting test’ to see if they had integrated enough to stay in this country. Well I know one thing as I watched the Ashes celebrations on television with my son. I saw wildly happy faces from many cultures and races joining in the euphoria. It has to be the most hopeful thing I have seen for a long time.

As for the Australians – they took their defeat well. They will be a different propostion indeed in two years time!!

So there it is, I rest my case. Cricket is like England. It has all the eccentricity, complication, tradition and class based classlessness that infuriates and fascinates us about our home.

And did those feet in ancient times walk upon………………

1 comment:

David said...

Couldn't agree more with you general comments there Paul & the sentiment that runs through them.

Having transplanted my allegiances to New Zealand it still is very satisfying to see the Aussies lose at anything.

David