As you can see from my avatar, I am a dedicated fan of the sport of cricket. I watch every test match between Australia and the country they are playing on TV and each one takes up to five days to complete.
I realise from the comments of the Americans I have met that for most of them, cricket is a mystery. A game so complex it needs the brain of Einstein to understand it. They may be right as I was brought up on the game as a spectator, player, umpire and coach in the UK where I come from and spent many a school holiday at the County Ground watching Hampshire playing cricket against the opposing County.
Let me point out some important points about the game of cricket.
One. It is a team game. Whilst I understand the efforts of one player can turn a match, overall it is a case of every member of the team performing to the best of their ability which wins matches.
Two. Every team member has a certain role to fulfill. A specialist batsman is not expected to take wickets and a specialist bowler is not expected to score centuries although on occasion these things do happen. The most notable was Jason Gillespie a fast bowler in the Australian team who scored 200 in a test match against Zimbabwe.
Three. Every member of the team celebrates the success of the other members of the team.
Four. Every failure is a failure of the whole team, not just one member of it.
Five. Constant training and practice are necessary to reach the heights of the top team in the league.
Six. Every match is a battle and only the best, well-disciplined team wins.
Seven. Knowing your enemy is vital.
In test cricket, the most rigorous of all, the team will study the other team to try and find out its strengths and weaknesses so that it can expose those weaknesses and break down its strengths.
With all the foregoing in mind, I can understand why some people do not understand the game and I can understand why churches avoid any form of conflict with Satan and the world as it requires too much effort.
I realise from the comments of the Americans I have met that for most of them, cricket is a mystery. A game so complex it needs the brain of Einstein to understand it. They may be right as I was brought up on the game as a spectator, player, umpire and coach in the UK where I come from and spent many a school holiday at the County Ground watching Hampshire playing cricket against the opposing County.
Let me point out some important points about the game of cricket.
One. It is a team game. Whilst I understand the efforts of one player can turn a match, overall it is a case of every member of the team performing to the best of their ability which wins matches.
Two. Every team member has a certain role to fulfill. A specialist batsman is not expected to take wickets and a specialist bowler is not expected to score centuries although on occasion these things do happen. The most notable was Jason Gillespie a fast bowler in the Australian team who scored 200 in a test match against Zimbabwe.
Three. Every member of the team celebrates the success of the other members of the team.
Four. Every failure is a failure of the whole team, not just one member of it.
Five. Constant training and practice are necessary to reach the heights of the top team in the league.
Six. Every match is a battle and only the best, well-disciplined team wins.
Seven. Knowing your enemy is vital.
In test cricket, the most rigorous of all, the team will study the other team to try and find out its strengths and weaknesses so that it can expose those weaknesses and break down its strengths.
With all the foregoing in mind, I can understand why some people do not understand the game and I can understand why churches avoid any form of conflict with Satan and the world as it requires too much effort.
