The Skill of the Irish

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:26 am

I suppose most of you hadn't noticed, but the world cup cricket finals are on at the moment. For the first time ever, Ireland are participating. Cricket isn't a major sport in Ireland, and even if it were would they have a chance against teams like India who have more fanatical supporters than America has people, probably twice over. So they'd just be making up the numbers, right?

Not quite. Last week Ireland tied with Zimbabwe who play cricket at the highest level. Because of the political turmoil in Zimbabwe surrounding the Mugabe regime, they can't really field anything like their strongest team, but even still, this was a very strong result for Ireland.

It was only the first course. On St. Patrick's day, Ireland beat Pakistan, effectively putting them out of the running. If this means nothing to you, it's rather like Bosnia beating the US at baseball. It's even more meritorious than I have suggested. Ireland's best batsman, Ed Joyce, plays for ... wait for it .... *cough* ... England. If you want to have a high profile professional career, you need to play Test cricket, ie, international cricket at the highest level. Ireland aren't likely to get test status soon although, with the recent results, who knows?

There is a very sad ending to the story. Pakistan has the most fanatical and fickle cricket supporters in the world. The team and their English coach could not have been looking forward to the trip home. Bob Woolmer, the coach died suddenly the day after the match.

I used to share a flat with a friend who opened the batting for the Irish team in the early '80s. I wonder if he ever expected to see this day. I think I'll write to find out.

dubhlinn · Post by **dubhlinn** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:51 am

Indeed.

I came across the result by accident as I was reading up on the Rugby at the time. I can't even remember ever seeing a cricket pitch in Ireland let alone knowing somebody who played the game.

Still and all, a small country like ours takes our victories wherever we can get them so congratulations all round.

Howzat,
D.

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 6:58 am

You mean cricket and rugby aren't the same thing?

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:19 am

Congratulations wrote:You mean cricket and rugby aren't the same thing?

You're on a steep learning curve.

In rugby they have much bigger balls. Cricketers also have short legs and sometimes even silly legs but, unlike rugby players, they don't need hookers.

That's not a bad place to start.

chrisoff · Post by **chrisoff** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:27 am

Scotland (currently the highest ranked associate nation) got destroyed by Australia in their opening game

But it's only cricket so who cares? It's a silly game anyway.

Mind you we also lost to France in the rugby at the weekend meaning we finished the 6 nations with the wooden spoon

And Aberdeen lost 3-0 to Rangers in Glasgow

But Scotland are playing Georgia this weekend in the Euro 2008 qualifier so a good result there will make it all better again

Congratulations · Post by **Congratulations** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 7:41 am

Wombat wrote:In rugby they have much bigger balls.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:09 am

Congratulations wrote:
Wombat wrote:In rugby they have much bigger balls.

Cricket and rugby terminologies rather lend themselves to double entendre. (In case you hadn't noticed.) There is a great passage in Joyce (James, not Ed) where he seems to be describing a cricket match but it doubles as a piece of lovemaking. Or is it the other way around?

burnsbyrne · Post by **burnsbyrne** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 1:12 pm

So, cricket's that game that you play with a flat bat and both the pitcher and batter wear something like a hockey goal tender's shin guards. Oh yeah, and I heard that the games can go on for days. But do they have hot dogs and beer?
Mike

djm · Post by **djm** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:09 pm

burnsbyrne wrote:So, cricket's that game that you play with a flat bat and both the pitcher and batter wear something like a hockey goal tender's shin guards.

No, no, no. That's called grasshopper.

djm

Coffee · Post by **Coffee** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 3:27 pm

Mind you we also lost to France in the rugby at the weekend meaning we finished the 6 nations with the wooden spoon

Wouldn't that, in the case of Scotland, be the wooden spurtle?

dfernandez77 · Post by **dfernandez77** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 5:28 pm

Wombat wrote: In rugby they have much bigger balls. Cricketers also have short legs and sometimes even silly legs...

I suppose that's a good thing. Silly short legs could create an ergonomic nightmare with those "much bigger balls."

Which begs the question, are rugby players bow-legged as a rule?

talasiga · Post by **talasiga** » Mon Mar 19, 2007 8:43 pm

Congratulations wrote:You mean cricket and rugby aren't the same thing?

It is if you share a flat with a player of either.

Wombat · Post by **Wombat** » Tue Mar 20, 2007 4:58 am

talasiga wrote:
Congratulations wrote:You mean cricket and rugby aren't the same thing?
It is if you share a flat with a player of either.

Millions of Indians indistinguishable from rugby players and fans? How interesting.

TonyHiggins · Post by **TonyHiggins** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:25 pm

I found out the news from my next door neighbor, who is from Pakistan, while I was mowing my lawn. He's been following the games on television. All I could say was, "Cricket? Ireland?"
Tony

Bloomfield · Post by **Bloomfield** » Fri Mar 23, 2007 5:32 pm

It has turned out the Bob Woolmer was strangled just hours after the test match. There were some lugubrious hints about betting and very upset people in the papers.