cricket anyone?
In the United States, hardly anyone understands cricket at all. Unless you have a satellite dish and buy special program practices, seeing a cricket match on tv here is very rare (I've seen one and that was more than twenty years ago and I didn't understand it at all). Seeing one live is pretty much out of the question.
Sir Conan Arthur Doyle wrote some short stories about Brigadier Gerard. In one story, Brigadier Gerard plays in a cricket match. Unfortunately, with my lack of knowledge of cricket, I didn't understand what Brigadier Gerard was doing wrong although I'm sure he was doing something very wrong.
yeah I think the mistake was he was french , yeah cricket was a game for the officer classes back in the day and when the british colonised countrys they took the game with them,ie india,pakistan,sri lanka,south africa,australia, new zealand and the caribbean. Just seems the u.sa was the only one who didn't take it up . By the way, love the conan doyle stories ,just been reading some on line .
What side do people want to see at Chester-le-Street?
I love Trott, but he hasn't had a good series, so I'd like to see someone else given a chance now that we've won and there's no pressure. The natural backup #3 is probably Stokes (hopefully they've learned not to move Bell up the order) but I'd rather see Compton or someone come in and Cook drop to #3, which is where I've always thought of him ending up. We seem to have an abundance of mid-order batsmen but very few top order batsmen. I don't expect Stokes or Compton or Hales or Carberry would be any better than Trott (though maybe more exciting) but I'd like to see them given a shot.
Other possibilities:
Pietersen to #3, Taylor in (probably more likely to work than any of the top order batsmen I suggested)
Prior rested, Bairstow to #7, Ballance in... although Bairstow bats above Ballance for Yorkshire so that might not be such a good idea. I think Bairstow would be doing fine if he was selected as a wicketkeeper, but he's been selected for batting ability alone. Hopefully he gets a century in the next two tests.
Gerard was trying to hit his opponent when bowling. You are supposed to try and hit the wicket (the three wooden stumps). He lets himself be bowled when batting, and then only got his opponent out in an unconventional, unintentional manner.
Gerard was trying to hit his opponent when bowling.
I remember that. He seemed rather proud of himself if I remember correctly.
For those who haven't read it, here's the story online: http://www.pagebypagebooks.com/Arthur_Conan_Doyle/The_Adventures_of_Gerard/How_The_Brigadier_Triumphed_In_England_p1.html. The excerpt on cricket:
With a shout I rushed forward and hurled the ball at him. It flew as swift as a bullet toward his ribs, but without a word he swung his staff and the ball rose a surprising distance in the air. Lord Rufton clapped his hands and cheered. Again the ball was brought to me, and again it was for me to throw. This time it flew past his head, and it seemed to me that it was his turn to look pale.
But he was a brave man, this gardener, and again he faced me. Ah, my friends, the hour of my triumph had come! It was a red waistcoat that he wore, and at this I hurled the ball. You would have said that I was a gunner, not a hussar, for never was so straight an aim. With a despairing cry--the cry of the brave man who is beaten --he fell upon the wooden pegs behind him, and they all rolled upon the ground together. He was cruel, this English milord, and he laughed so that he could not come to the aid of his servant. It was for me, the victor, to rush forward to embrace this intrepid player, and to raise him to his feet with words of praise, and encouragement, and hope. He was in pain and could not stand erect, yet the honest fellow confessed that there was no accident in my victory. "He did it a-purpose! He did it a-purpose!"
Again and again he said it. Yes, it is a great game this cricket, and I would gladly have ventured upon it again but Lord Rufton and Rudd said that it was late in the season, and so they would play no more.
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