Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Cricket World Cup
I'm enjoying the Cricket World Cup. Part of the enjoyment, I have to say, is the near absurdity of some aspects of this competition - terms like 'power plays' and 'super-8s' applied to cricket make me giggle every time I hear them. There's something a little ridiculously theatrical about the colourful team kits, too. I'm a great fan, incidentally, of the New Zealand kit. If you've ever wondered what Darth Vader would look like at the crease, just watch New Zealand in bat.
The thing I really like, however, is the juxtaposition of try-hard razzmatazz (the costumes, the 'power plays') with ramshackle cricketiness - the often more or less empty stadiums, the TV shots of spectators reading newspapers rather than watching the match, the beer bellies (have you seen team Bermuda?), the team captains falling into potholes, that sort of thing.
Many of the games have been pretty entertaining. I especially enjoyed the Ireland - Pakistan match recently where the Irish somehow managed to win the game with the last ball.
Unfortunately, this competition is likely to be remembered for the death of the Pakistan coach - Bob Woolmer - rather than Vaughan's pothole incident, or Dwayne Leverock's athleticism. It's been announced today, that Jamaican police are treating Woolmer's death as 'suspicious'. Sounds like it might have been suicide (surely cricket hasn't stooped so far that coaches now get bumped off for losing).
The thing I really like, however, is the juxtaposition of try-hard razzmatazz (the costumes, the 'power plays') with ramshackle cricketiness - the often more or less empty stadiums, the TV shots of spectators reading newspapers rather than watching the match, the beer bellies (have you seen team Bermuda?), the team captains falling into potholes, that sort of thing.
Many of the games have been pretty entertaining. I especially enjoyed the Ireland - Pakistan match recently where the Irish somehow managed to win the game with the last ball.
Unfortunately, this competition is likely to be remembered for the death of the Pakistan coach - Bob Woolmer - rather than Vaughan's pothole incident, or Dwayne Leverock's athleticism. It's been announced today, that Jamaican police are treating Woolmer's death as 'suspicious'. Sounds like it might have been suicide (surely cricket hasn't stooped so far that coaches now get bumped off for losing).
Labels: Cricket
