AngelsWin Today: Why you love Cricket, but don't know it yet

[AngelsWin.com]

By @WicketMaiden, AngelsWin.com Contributor

Cricket is not new to the United States. Indeed, it is a little known fact that the first ever international cricket fixture in the world was played in New York between the USA and Canada in 1844. There was so much interest created at the time that it is believed over $100,000 was wagered on the outcome of the game. An incredible amount of money by 1844 standards, but sadly for those backing the home side, Canada won by 23 runs in a low scoring affair.

While the game had a good hold in the US in the 19th century, it was around the time of the US civil war that baseball became more prevalent as, unlike cricket, it could be played almost anywhere and didn’t require specially prepared pitches (something quite hard to provide for a marching army). This began a long and slow decline of cricket in the US which was checked for a while by The Philadelphians at the turn of the 20th Century. The Gentlemen of Philadelphia had a fine cricket team in the late 1890’s and early 1900’s, beating the Australian and Ireland national teams and also touring England three times with some genuine success.

In their final tour, in 1908, one of their bowlers (Bart King - USA’s greatest ever cricketer) topped the English first class charts for bowling averages with a record shattering average that wasn’t bettered for fifty years. Such was the interest in keeping Bart in England to play County Cricket (and hopefully Test cricket for England later on), he was offered a marriage to a rich English heiress that came with an annual income of £7000 per year, an astronomical sum to an insurance clerk like King, but alas for English cricket he returned to the US and never toured here again.

Bart King was so good that had he been Australian or English he would still be lauded today as one of the best bowlers that ever played the game, and he is widely regarded as being the world’s first genuine swing bowler - a skill that plays an enormous role in cricket today. A truly wonderful legacy, and proof positive of the confluence between cricket and baseball because Bart played both and used his knowledge of pitching curveballs to inform his swing bowling in cricket. Bart changed cricket forever.

All very nice and all very old, but what is the attraction of cricket today to an American baseball fan? Well, whatever you like about baseball, cricket has it too.

You like dingers? In cricket it's called a six and scores six runs. In an IPL T20 match you'll typically see around 14 or 15 of those, per game. Want to see your favourite player hit more dingers? No problem, if a batsman hits a 6 in cricket he stays out there to face the next ball. The world record is six sixes from a six ball over (an ‘over’ is a set of 6 balls). Imagine that - Trout hits a pitcher for a HR, then stays there for another, then another, then another… you get the picture.

Like the running game and great defence? In cricket we catch the ball with our hands, (only the catcher (wicket-keeper) wears gloves), and we get batters out by throwing the ball directly at the stumps (strike-zone), often hitting the equivalent of strikes and getting people out from 100 feet away. In a game which slightly favours the batsman scoring runs, the catches and outs (wickets) in cricket tend to be more spectacular because of their rarity: there are only a maximum of 10 outs per team per game, so they are big events within the context of a match.

You into pitching and like a fastball up and in to keep the batters on their toes? In cricket you're allowed to hit the batsman as many times as you like, and you can even aim at his head once or twice every six balls too. It's a big part of the game and is why the batsmen wear so much padding, (it still bloody hurts when the ball hits you though).

Do you like players that are two-way talents? - Cricket is chock-full of them, with two or three on every team who are genuinely good with both bat and ball. Even those players who are in the team just for their bowling skills still have to go out there and try to bat for a while - which can be really good fun when they get it right and hit a few sixes at the end of an innings.

Enjoy the battle between pitching plans and batting adjustments? This is at the very heart of cricket, and with the variations of pace, line, length and delivery type available to the bowlers, and the different stances, positions and shots in the batsmen’s armoury, bowling plans and batsmen’s adjustments are aplenty. Match-ups are key, as in baseball, but in cricket it’s not one spell of bowling and then you’re done for the game, in cricket the captain can chop and change the bowlers every over if he so chooses, and can bring people back whenever he wants to until they’ve bowled their allotted overs for the match.

Get annoyed by over-managing from the dug-out? No problem, once the cricketers enter the field of play it’s all on them. The captain chooses the bowlers and sets the field, but the bowlers themselves choose what type of delivery they will bowl, ball by ball (with some input from senior players and the captain). The coaching staff are in the pavilion watching and have to wait for a session or innings to end before they can influence the team’s thinking and strategy.

Or maybe, it’s the stats that really make a sport come alive for you and if that’s the case, yes, cricket has that covered too. Batting averages, bowling averages, spin, turn, speed, distance, trajectory of the ball into the crowd, and the old favourite the scorecard, which records the outcome of every ball in detail. Cricket loves stats.

Add to that, excellent umpiring, a brilliant and efficient review system, knowledgeable and passionate fans, and matches that often build to a crescendo with all results still possible right up until the very final ball of the match - in this year’s IPL final, CSK won by hitting a 6 and a 4 off the final two balls of the match, (that’s like hitting a ground-rule double and a HR in the bottom of the 9th with two-outs and two strikes in an 0-2 count off consecutive pitches). It was a brilliant end to a fantastic match in a wonderful competition.

In short, baseball and cricket are a sporting brotherhood. Two of the finest games the world has to offer and I encourage anyone who loves either one of them to watch the other, because the chances are you’ll soon come to love that one too. There is no better time to get into cricket as an American than now: Major League Cricket begins this year in Texas in July, it’s your first T20 competition and I can’t wait to see how well it does over there. I'm sure it will be a great success.

https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/about/

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[Chuck]

@HaloSpurs talked briefly about the game of Cricket on our podcast last week as well. 

[Amazing Larry]

I watched this a while back and I still can't figure it out lol.

 

[WicketMaiden]

1 hour ago, Lhalo said:

I watched this a while back and I still can't figure it out lol.

 

I can see why, Larry, it's awful. The guy doesn't seem very confident with the subject matter. I only lasted about three minutes or so (...that's what she said!) and thought he covered a load of stuff that really isn't important for a newbie to the game.

My best advice is just watch a few games to begin with. You don't need to know all the details but you already understand outs and runs, big hits and great catches, so along with the commentary style, which is very informative and insightful, you'll be up to speed in no time with a solid understanding. After that, layer upon layer of nuance will unfold as you get deeper into the game and begin to understand what the captain is doing with the fielders and bowlers to get people out, and how to spot different approaches the batsmen employ to counter that.

Basically the game is: man with ball throws at man with big stick; man with big stick tries to hit ball; if man with stick misses ball = bad (mostly); if man with big stick hits ball = good (mostly). The rest is just details.

Will post a thread for Major League Cricket when that begins, so that will fill in a few more blanks for anyone watching.

I also invite anyone to PM me with any cricket questions, I can talk for hours about cricket (or baseball) so I'm happy to do so.

[T.G.]

@WicketMaiden - Well done, mate.

[Lou]

Great job, buddy. A nice, short description of a great game. I don't have to tell you how much I appreciate your insights about the game. 

[Lou]

Great job, buddy. A nice, short description of a great game. I don't have to tell you how much I appreciate your insights about the game. 

That's how I got into the game. Started with the basics and then just kept watching more and more. 

These are my first posts about cricket just over 3 years ago: 

On 2/29/2020 at 3:07 PM, Lou said:

I've been watching cricket for about 20 minutes.

I have no f'n idea what the hell is going on.

 

On 2/29/2020 at 10:07 PM, Lou said:

They just concluded for the day.

India is beating New Zealand by 97 points. However, for some unknown reason, they are in serious trouble. 

 

On 2/29/2020 at 10:16 PM, Lou said:

The only thing I understand on the scoreboard is "India leads by 97".

Evidently, that isn't as important as I thought it would be. 

 

Now, I'm no expert on the game but I'd like to think my understanding of it has deepened over the years. ( @WicketMaiden may disagree)

[REDneck]

While working on a sea going tug boat, we were drug up in Trinidad/Tobago in dry dock for several months.

The locals were hospitable enough to let me participate in many of their pick up games.

Fun game, I sucked, but had a blast!

[totdprods]

Not gonna lie, I don’t know ANYTHING about cricket but reading that makes me think it kicks ass. Good stuff.

[Erstad Grit]

I tried to play once with some Australians and they kept calling penalties on me and laughing that I threw like an American baseball player. 

[WicketMaiden]

2 hours ago, Lou said:

Great job, buddy. A nice, short description of a great game. I don't have to tell you how much I appreciate your insights about the game. 

That's how I got into the game. Started with the basics and then just kept watching more and more. 

These are my first posts about cricket just over 3 years ago: 

 

 

Now, I'm no expert on the game but I'd like to think my understanding of it has deepened over the years. ( @WicketMaiden may disagree)

Thanks, mate. I've enjoyed the opportunity to share them.

I laughed at those comments, mostly because your understanding of cricket is pretty solid these days and you've got really good instincts for the game. You picked GT for this year's IPL final, for example. Nice call.

I think a knowledge of baseball offers some solid points of reference to help understand cricket.

[Lou]

1 minute ago, WicketMaiden said:

Thanks, mate. I've enjoyed the opportunity to share them.

I laughed at those comments, mostly because your understanding of cricket is pretty solid these days and you've got really good instincts for the game. You picked GT for this year's IPL final, for example. Nice call.

I think a knowledge of baseball offers some solid points of reference to help understand cricket.

 

[WicketMaiden]

1 hour ago, totdprods said:

Not gonna lie, I don’t know ANYTHING about cricket but reading that makes me think it kicks ass. Good stuff.

It really does. Cricket at its best is as fun to watch as any other top sporting event and matches up well for skill, drama, entertainment, spectacle, and the execution of elite sporting athleticism, hand-eye co-ordination, and mental acuity under pressure that time and again just make you go, 'Wow! Did you see that?".

If you get baseball, you'll get cricket pretty quickly and enjoy the same sorts of highs.

[Chuck]

I'm ready for another sport. Can't watch hockey, the NBA sucks and the NFL season is too short. 

@WicketMaiden what is the best way to watch games in America?

[WicketMaiden]

18 hours ago, Chuckster70 said:

I'm ready for another sport. Can't watch hockey, the NBA sucks and the NFL season is too short. 

@WicketMaiden what is the best way to watch games in America?

Well you will be pleased to hear, @Chuckster70, cricket is played all over the world, so there is usually something going on somewhere in the world, all year round. Details on how to watch here: https://crickist.com/how-to-watch-vitality-t20-blast-in-the-usa/

This month the big things in cricket are:

The T20 Blast, England, throughout June (one or two games every day/night) quickfire cricket and the games last about 3 to 4 hours in total. It isn't the very best T20 competition in the world as all the very best players are about to play Test cricket, but it's a decent place to begin with to gain a grasp of the game before the really fun stuff begins.

Details on how to watch here: https://crickist.com/how-to-watch-vitality-t20-blast-in-the-usa/

World Test Championship Final: London, 7th - 11th June. This is a five day Test between India and Australia to decide who is the Champion Test side in world cricket. This is the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Australia have the best bowling attack, India have the better batting line-up, but, their players may be rusty and there is a risk that they're not ready for this match. If India's batsmen are on form I think they'll win on the 5th day, if they are as rusty as I suspect, Australia could wrap it up early on day 4, maybe sooner. This is on from 11am to 6-30pm UK time.

THE ASHES! June 16th to July 31st Australia visit England in the oldest Test competition in world cricket. This has been fiercely contested for 130 years and makes national headlines in both countries, sometimes front page news, and over a billion people will tune in worldwide. Australia may be coming of a win in the World Test Championship Final and are current Ashes holders; England are coming off an incredible 13 and 1 record under their new captain and coach and have been rewriting how Test cricket should be played. They haven't just been beating teams, they have been dismantling them with bat and ball by playing in a relentlessly aggressive style throughout the match and setting new Test records along the way. Only India vs Pakistan comes close to this rivalry in cricket. Packed grounds will be watching 5 of the top 10 Batsmen in the world, 4 of the top ten Bowlers in the world, and 4 of the top ten All-rounders in the world (two-way players). I can't wait!

Major League Cricket, Texas, July This looks really promising. A T20 league with IPL backing and some top international players already signed up to play.

 

[Chuck]

4 hours ago, WicketMaiden said:

Well you will be pleased to hear, @Chuckster70, cricket is played all over the world, so there is usually something going on somewhere in the world, all year round. Details on how to watch here: https://crickist.com/how-to-watch-vitality-t20-blast-in-the-usa/

This month the big things in cricket are:

The T20 Blast, England, throughout June (one or two games every day/night) quickfire cricket and the games last about 3 to 4 hours in total. It isn't the very best T20 competition in the world as all the very best players are about to play Test cricket, but it's a decent place to begin with to gain a grasp of the game before the really fun stuff begins.

Details on how to watch here: https://crickist.com/how-to-watch-vitality-t20-blast-in-the-usa/

World Test Championship Final: London, 7th - 11th June. This is a five day Test between India and Australia to decide who is the Champion Test side in world cricket. This is the absolute pinnacle of the sport. Australia have the best bowling attack, India have the better batting line-up, but, their players may be rusty and there is a risk that they're not ready for this match. If India's batsmen are on form I think they'll win on the 5th day, if they are as rusty as I suspect, Australia could wrap it up early on day 4, maybe sooner. This is on from 11am to 6-30pm UK time.

THE ASHES! June 16th to July 31st Australia visit England in the oldest Test competition in world cricket. This has been fiercely contested for 130 years and makes national headlines in both countries, sometimes front page news, and over a billion people will tune in worldwide. Australia may be coming of a win in the World Test Championship Final and are current Ashes holders; England are coming off an incredible 13 and 1 record under their new captain and coach and have been rewriting how Test cricket should be played. They haven't just been beating teams, they have been dismantling them with bat and ball by playing in a relentlessly aggressive style throughout the match and setting new Test records along the way. Only India vs Pakistan comes close to this rivalry in cricket. Packed grounds will be watching 5 of the top 10 Batsmen in the world, 4 of the top ten Bowlers in the world, and 4 of the top ten All-rounders in the world (two-way players). I can't wait!

Major League Cricket, Texas, July This looks really promising. A T20 league with IPL backing and some top international players already signed up to play.

 

This is great, @WicketMaiden. Thank you for all of this information!! 

[Inside Pitch]

That was great @WicketMaiden, legit one of the best reads in this forum in a long time.  Side note, it feels like the Angels have been taking a paddle to the fan's butts the last week or so.  Not much fun.

[Chuck]

Enjoying the game chatting with @WicketMaiden!! 

[Chuck]

The Aussies just won. Damn.

Sorry, @WicketMaiden & @HaloSpurs.