Cricket

I've been asked by one visitor to the website to explain cricket. I suppose I should have expected that, given that I keep going on about the Brondesbury Under Eleven team. But it's hard to explain the game properly. I could just say 'It's a bit like baseball', and I'd be right (it is a little bit like baseball), but I don't think that would help much of you're trying to visualise the game.
 
And then there's the tradition and custom surrounding the sport. You can't really understand cricket until you've been to a match and noticed that everyone at the ground is more interested in their picnic/beer/suntan/umbrella/tea/cake than what's happening on the field.
 
There is a famous little riddle that describes, but does not explain, cricket. It has appeared on millions of tea-towels, tea-trays and T-shirts. There are lots of different versions, but they all say something like this:
 
"There are two sides out in the field, one in and one out.
Everyone in the side that's in goes out and stays in until he's out, when he comes back in and the next man goes in until he's out.
When they're all out, the side that's been out comes in and the side that's in goes out and tries to get those coming in out.
But there's always one who's still in and therefore not out.
Once everybody has been in and out - including the not outs - that's the end of the game."
 
Once you've recited that you have to chortle like a fat Englishman and stroke your greying beard. That's what I like to do, anyway.

The only thing you need to know is that England must always lose to Australia, and that Brian Lara (a West Indian) is a genius.