This is also not true in England, 3rd/4th/5th xi or village cricket is brilliant fun and every club has a team made of guys who can barely move, young kids, the dad's of young kids who never played before but started when their child did, or just random fellas who are not naturally very good but love the game. They have great fun. Sounds like local club cricket here is very different to how it is in other countries and if anything a lot more inclusive
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Will we see a greater shift in momentum now that we move north?
- Thread starter Whistler
- Start date
Daemon
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That’s interesting. Quite different here where overall the standard is obviously far far lower than actual cricket playing nations, but the baseline is reasonable (higher than the village stuff you see on social media). Basically it’s only kids who learned the sport in school and adults (90% expats) who played the sport in their youth that partake. Next to impossible for an adult casually trying out the sport to join a club let alone get a game.
Also really expensive. $500 annual fees plus $50 match fees.
Yeah its usually just the 1st xi that is cliquey. Personally ive always enjoyed playing for 2nd or 3rds usually much more relaxed. Surprised the fees are so expensive. Is that in India @Daemon?
sledger
Spanish_Vicente
Yeah, in my experience 2nds and 3rd teams are fine for just showing up and messing about/having a laugh etc. But if you want to play "properly" (i.e. seriously) you'll need to break into the first XI, and that's where you'll find all the previously mentioned barriers to entry.
Also worth keeping in mind that playing outside of any structured club time/activity is really difficult. The romantic image of street cricket just isn't a thing in the UK (whether it ever really was I don't know), so a young person would need a pretty decent number of friends all available at one time (bearing in mind that, as also mentioned above, 2nds and 3rds teams will be made up of old blokes and other adults who will be at work and whatever) and access to at least a field to be able to have anything resembling a decent game/practice.
Also worth keeping in mind that playing outside of any structured club time/activity is really difficult. The romantic image of street cricket just isn't a thing in the UK (whether it ever really was I don't know), so a young person would need a pretty decent number of friends all available at one time (bearing in mind that, as also mentioned above, 2nds and 3rds teams will be made up of old blokes and other adults who will be at work and whatever) and access to at least a field to be able to have anything resembling a decent game/practice.
sledger
Spanish_Vicente
The best time was when Pothas and I played for our village 3rds.
I was asked to bat at 5 despite never having met any of the team before or shown up to any training or whatever. Pothas, despite actually being known to some of them, and having had a lot more cricket experience than me, was put in at 7 for some reason.
Anyway, for 40 or so of the 50 overs of our team's batting innings the two old bloke openers basically just stayed in and blocked, scoring very slowly, before then both randomly deciding to start slogging, and holed out immediately.
I came in to bat with the captain (who was a very red faced rotund man who did not really seem to be aware of his surroundings). He walked over to me and said "Don't worry mate, just stay with me, I'll take charge of the strike". Next ball he ballooned it straight up in the air and was out.
Next over started with me on strike. Went for the big cover drive and hit it right out of the middle. Unfortunately the bloke at mid-off stopped it with a great dive. Bloke I was batting with turned down the single for some reason. Next ball I went for the exact same shot and was caught behind by the WK. Out of 0.
Pothas in. Remember watching him hit a nice on-drive for 1. Think he finished 1*.
Then despite having a crap total overall the other team took ages to knock it off, meaning we had to spend ages in the field just waiting for them to get it, because most of our bowlers were literally children and so there was no chance of getting them out. Fun memories.
I was asked to bat at 5 despite never having met any of the team before or shown up to any training or whatever. Pothas, despite actually being known to some of them, and having had a lot more cricket experience than me, was put in at 7 for some reason.
Anyway, for 40 or so of the 50 overs of our team's batting innings the two old bloke openers basically just stayed in and blocked, scoring very slowly, before then both randomly deciding to start slogging, and holed out immediately.
I came in to bat with the captain (who was a very red faced rotund man who did not really seem to be aware of his surroundings). He walked over to me and said "Don't worry mate, just stay with me, I'll take charge of the strike". Next ball he ballooned it straight up in the air and was out.
Next over started with me on strike. Went for the big cover drive and hit it right out of the middle. Unfortunately the bloke at mid-off stopped it with a great dive. Bloke I was batting with turned down the single for some reason. Next ball I went for the exact same shot and was caught behind by the WK. Out of 0.
Pothas in. Remember watching him hit a nice on-drive for 1. Think he finished 1*.
Then despite having a crap total overall the other team took ages to knock it off, meaning we had to spend ages in the field just waiting for them to get it, because most of our bowlers were literally children and so there was no chance of getting them out. Fun memories.
Have you read anything I and others have posted in this thread? It's inclusivity depending on your background
Yes and this response was directed at the poster who said where he lives, if you are not very good then your opportunities are limited. He pleasantly replied to me in the thread as he is clearly a decent bloke. Not every post is a reply to you.
And to answer you directly this time, the league I play in and the neighbouring middlesex league there is always at least 3/4 plus South Asian background cricketers in almost every xi enjoying their cricket so no uninclusive cricket down here. My xi I'm captain of has an average age of 23, 3 u15s each week, a mix of backgrounds and varying income families. Most weeks 8/9 former youth players brought through a youth section where we invite anyone to play at a great price. We are a small club but doing well as are most clubs in our part of england
Tells me what I need to know
Forgot about this thread but after this weekend's washout I'd support making this decision a permanent one
Molehill
Cricketer Of The Year
As someone who lives down South, I can tell you there would have been no play at all on the Saturday (maybe a few overs in the morning at best) but Sunday was totally clear.
The only issue is, England players don't seem to be as good in the South.
loterry1994
International Debutant
Sydney in January is deadset like England these days. Can’t remember a summer the last 5 years that didn’t rain the first few weeks in January here
I refer you back to my prior post. While the north may now have their noses ahead, there's not much in it.