What do you like so much about Cricket?

[Uppercut]

I get asked this frequently by the vast majority of people, who fail to understand its appeal, and i never know what to say. "What is it about the game that makes you enjoy it so much?"

Difficult, but a few things off the top of my head include:

-The propensity for the momentum of the game to swing rapidly between teams.

It happens in all forms of the game. Often it seems inconceivably that one team can get back in the game, then somehow they work into a winning position and it seems impossible for the other to, only for them to come through with a few late runs/wickets.

- Characters

There's some really obvious examples of characters i find fascinating to watch, like Warne or Pietersen. But there are more subtle examples of this, with stubborn players like Khan, resilient ones like Chanderpaul, aggresive/plain crazy ones like Nel. Whether you like them or not, it's remarkable how their personalities come out in the way they play the game.

- The best team wins

It's extremely rare, i can think of no example in test cricket, where a team performs consistently better than the other throughout the game and still loses. Sounds odd, but this happens in football and rugby often. For all that the pitch, conditions, toss etc. can influence the result, its really very rare for a team to win or lose undeservedly.

Lots more, but that'll do for now. Anyone else have anything in particular that makes them love cricket so much?

 

[Burgey]

What's cricket?

 

[Uppercut]

What's cricket?

I live in Ireland. I get asked that more often than you'd expect.

"What? You like cricket? What, like, the insects that make the funny noises? Why?"

 

[Mard]

seriously speaking the best thing i like about cricket is the noise which comes out when a ball hits the bat. the feeling you get is really amazing

 

[cowboysfan]

Its the only sport I can play well.I am working on my tennis right now but its still early days.I can see why people who havent played or watched it from childhood would be put off by it.

 

[Top_Cat]

I love that it seems to be the only sport where injuring or even hitting a batsman is not penalised and batsmen just have to suck it up.

 

[cowboysfan]

I love that it seems to be the only sport where injuring or even hitting a batsman is not penalised and batsmen just have to suck it up.

that's a great answer-It should be the official answer when anybody asks that question again.

 

[Top_Cat]

that's a great answer-It should be the official answer when anybody asks that question again.

Big compliment coming from a NFL fan!

 

[laksh_01]

I just dont know y I like Cricket. May be, am so mad about something that I did'nt have time to think y am mad about it...

 

[vic_orthdox]

The mixture of team and individual.

 

[SJS]

The mixture of team and individual.

Yes I think thats very true. You are in a team game and yet all the skills that you learn to play the game well are individualistic. It is always one against one (batsman versus bowler) and that is what you work all you playing life to master and yet you are in a team which is combining its individual skills to make a complete whole attack (or defense).

I also love the great amount of technicalities involved in the game. For a game that is physical in nature (unlike the table games) it requires a high degree of application of mind if you are to master it. I know all cricketers do not do it to the same degree but it is fascinating to be a student of the game (and to play it) and study why you must do things in a particular way (and then apply them) to counter what your opponent (batsman or bowler) is doing in a particular way.

Finally, I love the game's characters and how the very format of the game allows for the flowering of these characters and how their very presence enriches the game and the whole experience of playing and watching the game.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Yes I think thats very true. You are in a team game and yet all the skills that you learn to play the game well are individualistic. It is always one against one (batsman versus bowler) and that is what you work all you playing life to master and yet you are in a team which is combining its individual skills to make a complete whole attack (or defense).

I also love the great amount of technicalities involved in the game. For a game that is physical in nature (unlike the table games) it requires a high degree of application of mind if you are to master it. I know all cricketers do not do it to the same degree but it is fascinating to be a student of the game (and to play it) and study why you must do things in a particular way (and then apply them) to counter what your opponent (batsman or bowler) is doing in a particular way.

Finally, I love the game's characters and how the very format of the game allows for the flowering of these characters and how their very presence enriches the game and the whole experience of playing and watching the game.

Agree with all the above.

 

[SJS]

Agree with all the above.

One of these days I am going to come to New Zealand and have a long chat with you

 

[vic_orthdox]

One of these days I am going to come to New Zealand and have a long chat with you

Reckon you're better off coming to Australia.

 

[FRAZ]

I am in deep love with the art of fast bowling . The Bouncer , Yorker , and Beemer are our sons and this newly born naughty sledging has completed my family for the time being ...

 

[Dissector]

One of the special things about cricket is the role played by the pitch. Every pitch has its own character and subtleties which will affect almost everything in the game: the type of shots you should play, the best line of attack, the right field placements. Every player has to understand the pitch and adjust his game accordingly. What's the more the pitch doesn't stay the same and doesn't change predictably either. While they usually deteriorate, sometime they mysteriously ease out as well.

Another great thing about cricket is the sheer range of physical types who can excel at the game; someone like Murali can be just as deadly as an Ambrose.

 

[SJS]

Reckon you're better off coming to Australia.

Sorry.

I keep saying New Zealand because I have such a great desire to go there (one of the few major countries I haven't been to). I have a very dear friend in Australia and have visited them in the past (besides some other business trips before my retirement. They are going to visit us this November and I think we should be visiting them in early 2009.

 

[Richard]

The mixture of team and individual.

Yes I think thats very true. You are in a team game and yet all the skills that you learn to play the game well are individualistic. It is always one against one (batsman versus bowler) and that is what you work all you playing life to master and yet you are in a team which is combining its individual skills to make a complete whole attack (or defense).

I also love the great amount of technicalities involved in the game. For a game that is physical in nature (unlike the table games) it requires a high degree of application of mind if you are to master it. I know all cricketers do not do it to the same degree but it is fascinating to be a student of the game (and to play it) and study why you must do things in a particular way (and then apply them) to counter what your opponent (batsman or bowler) is doing in a particular way.

Finally, I love the game's characters and how the very format of the game allows for the flowering of these characters and how their very presence enriches the game and the whole experience of playing and watching the game.

Indeed. There are so many things to enjoy about it one could not possibly list them all or come even close.

However, the one thing I love most about cricket is picking-up a brand-new ball, sending it down, and watching it bend away from the batsman (or alternatively watching someone else do such a thing). Ideally beating the outside-edge and cannoning off-stump (I don't do that as often as I'd like myself, sadly).

 

[SJS]

Indeed. There are so many things to enjoy about it one could not possibly list them all or come even close.

However, the one thing I love most about cricket is picking-up a brand-new ball, sending it down, and watching it bend away from the batsman (or alternatively watching someone else do such a thing). Ideally beating the outside-edge and cannoning off-stump (I don't do that as often as I'd like myself, sadly).

And I love going back and across to that swinging out swinger and either letting it go outside the off stump

 

[The Masterplan]

Hmm.. the thing I like most about cricket is Ashley Giles