Amazing silhouette of a child cricketer by Photosightfaces
I was watching a cricket game at Smoothie Park. It started with a few kids just batting back and forth. Then younger kids started hovering around. First they were spectators, then they chased down errant balls, then they were fielders, and then they were allowed to bat. Some old men got tired of walking around and stepped in to catch and play. And like that, they had a game.
The game is quite lovely that way. As a child I remember playing with a child monk at my grandmother’s farm. We didn’t even have a bat, just a sawed off coconut branch. We’d play till someone hit the ball into the paddy fields and we’d have to trudge down to the nearest store to get another. The game is completely satisfying just played by two.
What’s lovely is that cricket scales up from two kids to an entire company picnic without difficulty, offering fun each step of the way.
I grew up playing baseball in America, but it’s not quite the same. It’s much more fun to have all four bases covered than just batting around. I’ve played pick up basketball, but you need even numbers and oldies and children mess up a game. Football, rugby, I don’t know. They’re all great games.
It’s just that for scalability, nothing quite matches cricket. It only requires two, but can accommodate a crowd.
I remember playing football with only 4 kids. (You need 4 pairs of slippers/shoes to mark the field boundaries and the goals)
..and in a crowded park or a school ground you’ll see many cool variations. crisscrossing pitches, playing for other matches while you get the batting chance of one etc etc. :-D