Cricket, isn’t that a kind of insect? By Ryan Thomas
I have played a sport most of my life, it is called cricket and it has nothing to do with insects. Cricket is a sport not very well known outside of the ten or so countries where it is a major sport. Even a lot of my Australian friends don’t like it much and their team is the world champion!
In the Indian subcontinent, they are crazy about it and famous players are treated like movie stars. The English think it is a game for gentlemen, played on village greens while their wives prepare afternoon tea in the clubhouse. In the West Indies international matches have a party atmosphere with reggae music playing and the fans dancing. South Africans and Australians play it with a grim-faced, square-jawed attitude that makes them hard to beat. In New Zealand, it’s the game we watch because there’s no rugby on today.
In Japan, it’s just a mysterious English sport most people haven’t heard of or confuse with croquet.
I grew up watching my father play on Sundays and I love the game. As an adult I joined a club and eventually became a team captain, manager and coach. When my wife asked me to think about moving to Japan I said “Only if I can play cricket there.” She thought that meant my answer was no, but here we are. I played my first game only two weeks after we arrived here. I play a lot less since I came to Japan. That’s OK I’m getting a bit old and slow these days anyway.
(メルマガの続きはここからです。)
Sometimes it is hard for the five teams in Kansai to find enough players or even somewhere to play. There aren’t any cricket fields in Kansai so we play on soccer fields or any other park we can get. Cricket needs a lot more equipment than most other sports too. What do you need to play soccer? Just a ball and a little open space. Cricket players need pads and gloves and of course bats and ball. Then there’s the stumps (two sets of 3 X 1m poles), a pitch (20m of flat hard ground) in the centre of a big field and that’s not everything. Of course there also aren’t any cricket stores in Kansai so players have to order things from overseas or leave space in their suitcases when they go on trips to overseas.
This year the teams are looking forward to the competition with excitement. A home has been found for the league in Kobe and games will be far more regular than in recent years. Though I’m not sure how my old knees and tired back will feel after playing more often. Or maybe it’s just the exercise I need to feel young again. A chance to recapture my youthful glory… Hmmm maybe not, maybe its time I put down bat and ball and picked up a pencil. After all someone has to fill in the scorebook and I get to sit down all game.
