Catching Cricket Fever

I had never watched a cricket game, and seeing that it's Australia's national sport, I figured I should take in a match while I was here. Craig, being a big fan, was happy to oblige. I met him and his friend Cain outside of the famous Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG) to watch a test match of Australia versus India. It was the second day of the match, and Australia was still batting in the first inning.

It was a warm and sunny day, and we had front row seats. We arrived a couple of hours after play had started, but the game lasts seven or eight hours per day (and the match takes 20 days), so there was really no rush. Craig explained the basic rules, and I was surprised at how quickly I picked up on them.

It's amazing how long these guys need to maintain their concentration. Harris and Smith were batting together for the first several hours, then Harris finally went out. I found out that Smith had been batting for seven hours, and he accumulated 192 runs before finally losing his wicket. All it takes is one bad swing, and you're gone.

Like baseball, cricket is a game in which fans can relax and have a conversation with their friends while taking in the action. And play stops every few hours for a lunch break or tea time. There are an impressive number of statistics to keep track of, so this game has a lot of appeal to me. I don't expect cricket to overtake baseball in popularity in the United States, but it was really fun to watch such an important match. By the time we left the stadium, Australia had scored over 500 runs in the first inning, which would prove to be an insurmountable sum.