I knew some countries still played it, although over here it has a reputation for being for rich countries

There are really weird countries playing cricket now -- Holland is in the World Cup? That just seems wrong...

There are really weird countries playing cricket now -- Holland is in the World Cup? That just seems wrong...

Holland also plays semi-professional baseball (as does Italy). I think their national sports identity is a little wobbly. Little footie, little speed skating and then they just throw themselves at the nearest empire.

Canada's all over it too. Very odd.

over here it has a reputation for being for rich countries

Heh. Mostly ex-colonies in good standing, I'd say. The West Indies consider it life and death, and I'd not stand between your average Indian guy and his latest scores (did they just beat England?).

Aha. Thanks. I guess the stories about the wickets having to be made out of willow trees from the Queen's private forest, the ostrich-skin gloves, and the hammer-things covered with giraffe fur were jokes. ;)

Snerk! Actually, one of the good things about cricket is that, although obviously for a full match you need a big oval and proper stumps and stuff (still no more elaborate than baseball though), it's very easy to play a version of it in a confined space with minimal equipment. "Backyard cricket" is a ubiquitous summer pastime in Australia, and there are always kids playing out in the laneway behind my building, or (rather hair-raisingly at times) in the middle of my street, with cars whizzing past.

Actually, one of the reasons I've seen put forward for England currently being terrible at cricket is that English kids no longer do this, because their parents are too paranoid to let them out of the house.

Holland also plays semi-professional baseball (as does Italy). I think their national sports identity is a little wobbly. Little footie, little speed skating and then they just throw themselves at the nearest empire.

Somewhere, Hans Brinker weeps...

Wow. Really? That's sad. When I was a kid we came home from school, dumped our books, changed out of our uniforms, and out we went with the understanding we weren't to come back until dinner. No video games yet so we played stickball, sat on the stairs talking, and street games like Red Rover and Ali Baba and stoopball and ring-o-leaveo. There were less cars on the streets, because most families had one and Dad took it to work and brought it back at night.

Where was this paradise? Well, Fort Apache itself, the Bronx in the 1970's. Albeit a relatively safe neighborhood. We're always hearing here about how peaceful and safe Europe is compared to America, so I was surprised to hear about England.

And I thought cricket was like a really high-maintenance game. But it doesn't seem like something kids would like--is there a site that shows the basic rules?

I thought cricket was like a really high-maintenance game. But it doesn't seem like something kids would like--is there a site that shows the basic rules?

Not even slightly! Honestly, I don't quite get all the rules of baseball or American football, but the hardest part of cricket is remembering if that mid-off is silly or not. The positions are a little oddly named.

The ultra-stripped down version we played on the heath was really just a bowler and a batsman and an impromptu wicket.

Basically, if you're up at bat, don't let anything knock the wicket over. But shielding it with your leg is cheating. If you're bowling, knock the wicket over with the ball.

simplest rules I could find

Thanks for the site! I think I understand it a lot better now. That's what I get for trying to get it from Monty Python skits.

Edit: Actually, from the description the wicket doesn't sound very stable. Wouldn't doing something like, I dunno, looking at it too hard knock it down?

That's what I get for trying to get it from Monty Python skits.

Otherwise, though, MP is a perfectly good representation of Old Blighty.