Earlier this summer, I was scoring for a juniors’ cricket game and got talking to the lady who was scoring with me. I was struck by something she said. She was talking about driving around the county to pretty village grounds for cricket games even if she wasn’t particularly interested in cricket at the outset and was just doing it for her son who was playing. Cricket, she said, forces you to relax because for a period of a few hours, there is really nothing else you can do but watch the game and enjoy a cup of tea.
This got me thinking about how people enjoy watching cricket in so many ways. Unlike other fast paced sport like rugby or football where all the action is crammed into a couple of hours, the languid nature of a game of cricket means that spectators find enjoyment in much more than just the game itself.
From the village and club cricket scene to the county and international level, the nature of distractions is different, but every one of these is intended to fill the day when the game itself does not quite hold your attention.
At club cricket and junior cricket level, spectators arrive at the grounds with folding camping chairs, hot flasks of coffee, a couple of blankets, a couple of sandwiches, some digestives or a bag of crisps, a newspaper or two, maybe even a crossword puzzle. Here, the concept of cricket teas is an interesting one as well, because it has a community bonding element associated with it. To quite a few, this would probably be more of a draw than the attraction of the game. Others settle down at the bar in the clubhouse to have a pint or two with mates, and occasionally update themselves with the situation of the game being played outside.
Fans arriving at county cricket grounds to watch a T20 or a one day game know they can look forward to a reasonably good standard of cricket through the day. They would still expect to find entertainment in food, drink, face paint, fireworks, cheerleaders and acrobats (on occasion), and large furry mascots.
International games that guarantee television coverage brings a new source of entertainment for the fancy dress brigade, and I am amazed at the novelty of the costumes involved. Nuns, nurses, Dickie Birds, Elvis Presleys usually make their appearances. We once had the pleasure of sitting in front of a bunch of sweaty sheep accompanied by a rather hairy Mary. I’m sure they didn’t quite anticipate the heat wave on that day when they chose their suits. I am told we got on TV that day because of them.
As the games ebb and flow, we see the obligatory beer cup snakes (swiftly discouraged by the stewards and the ensuing good natured boos from the crowd) the half-hearted Mexican waves (usually disrupted by one section of unapproving spectators), the singers, the chanters, the buglers, the drummers.. I could go on.
Amidst all of these, you can still the serious student of the game who brings along a scorebook and religiously tracks every moment of the game for no other purpose but to focus on the events unfolding in the middle. I have also overheard conversations between very knowledgeable spectators who share interesting facts and statistics that only the very deeply involved would care to imbibe or retain. We see the less dedicated bring along a book to read, some knitting to get through, maybe even pillows to catch a quick nap during the day.
So, the next time you are out to enjoy a game of cricket, be sure to remind yourself that there are many reasons to fall in love with this beautiful game