23 May 2005

Cricket for the uninformed

Today we had an end of year picnic for all those involved in Sunday School/CCD. Parents, teachers and children all had a "pot luck" lunch (*) and then the children played various sports. Some played baseball, there was a group skipping rope, throwing footballs around (**) and so on. Eric had brought our cricket set in the car and asked if we could play. Being the excellent sportsman that I am I agreed.
We just played a form of backyard cricket but I had to explain the basics. We used a rubbish bin (trash can) for a wicket. I showed the local lads how to hold a cricket bat and how to bowl - no chucking (pitching) allowed. Naturally enough, the standard batting pose was a baseball one and bowling tended towards pitching. I had a go later and all the tips my brother Philip taught me over the years (between laughs at my lack of prowess) came back. At one point, one lad said in astonishment, "You can pick where you want the ball to go?". "Sure" I said and flicked one across to him. Woo hoo! Philip would have been proud!
We did get quite a few peculiar looks. One doesn't often see cricket being played in a park in the mountains of country Georgia.

(*) A Pot Luck supper is one where everyone brings something for all to share. All the meals are placed on a table and everyone gets a variety to eat.

(**) I don't know why it is called football. All they seem to do is throw it and then run with it.

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