The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device that
indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the players,
silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.). Probably
I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has become in
England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia several
times)? Not like when I were a lad.

I should add that when I were a lad I hated cricket, and chose rowing
at school so that I wouldn't have to play it. Watching it was OK in
small doses on hot summer days (yes, we did have those from time to
time, for those of you who think that when it was not raining it was
grey and overcast).

--
Athel cb

On Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:18:58 +0200
Athel Cornish-Bowden <me@yahoo.com> wrote:

> The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
> seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
> accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
> American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
> dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device that
> indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the players,
> silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.). Probably
> I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has become in
> England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia several
> times)? Not like when I were a lad.
>
> I should add that when I were a lad I hated cricket, and chose rowing

'A good snooze ruined' to paraphase the comment on golf.

> at school so that I wouldn't have to play it. Watching it was OK in
> small doses on hot summer days (yes, we did have those from time to
> time, for those of you who think that when it was not raining it was
> grey and overcast).
>
> --
> Athel cb
>

--
Bah, and indeed Humbug.

On 23/04/2024 17:18, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
> The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
> seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
> accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
> American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
> dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device that
> indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the players,
> silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.). Probably
> I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has become in
> England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia several
> times)? Not like when I were a lad.
>
Probably T20 (Twenty20) a quick version where each team has 20 overs in
their innings.
The whole match takes about two and a half hours. It has been an
international success since its introduction in 2003 by the ECB.

--
Ray
UK

On 2024-04-23, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:

> The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
> seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
> accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
> American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
> dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device that
> indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the players,
> silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.). Probably
> I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has become in
> England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia several
> times)? Not like when I were a lad.

I've never heard of cheerleaders, but county cricket teams do have
names now (Yorkshire Vikings, Derbyshire Falcons) & coloured uniforms
(derively known as "pyjama cricket").

> I should add that when I were a lad I hated cricket, and chose rowing
> at school so that I wouldn't have to play it. Watching it was OK in
> small doses on hot summer days (yes, we did have those from time to
> time, for those of you who think that when it was not raining it was
> grey and overcast).
>

--
My destination is a secret
And the doctrine is soft

On Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:18:58 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden
<me@yahoo.com> wrote:

>The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
>seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
>accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
>American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
>dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device that
>indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the players,
>silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.). Probably
>I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has become in
>England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia several
>times)? Not like when I were a lad.

Those things characterise 20-over cricket, sometimes called T20 or
20-20. I don't regard it as real cricket, though I too hated cricket
at school. Standing out in a field in the hot sun was not my idea of
the best way to spend an afternoon.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On Tue, 23 Apr 2024 18:18:58 +0200, Athel Cornish-Bowden
<me@yahoo.com> wrote:

>The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
>seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
>accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
>American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
>dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device that
>indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the players,
>silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.). Probably
>I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has become in
>England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia several
>times)? Not like when I were a lad.

Oh yes, and I should add that in the 20-over form of the game they no
longer have teams or sides, they have "franchises" which seems to be a
kind of catch-all noun like "unit" or "module" and so the Lower
Rampling Panthers are not a team, they are a franchise.

--
Steve Hayes from Tshwane, South Africa
Web: http://www.khanya.org.za/stevesig.htm
Blog: http://khanya.wordpress.com
E-mail - see web page, or parse: shayes at dunelm full stop org full stop uk

On 2024-04-23 10:52, musika wrote:
> On 23/04/2024 17:18, Athel Cornish-Bowden wrote:
>> The other day we watched an episode of Midsomer Murders that we hadn't
>> seen before (probably from 2016). When it started I wondered if I had
>> accidentally tuned in to some American channel and was watching some
>> American sport. But no, it purported to be cricket, with fireworks,
>> dancing girls/cheerleaders, a huge screen connected to some device
>> that indicated the score etc., brightly coloured uniforms for the
>> players, silly names for the teams ("Lower Rampling Panthers", etc.).
>> Probably I'm getting too old, but is that really what cricket has
>> become in England (and Australia, as the programme mentioned Australia
>> several times)? Not like when I were a lad.
>>
> Probably T20 (Twenty20) a quick version where each team has 20 overs in
> their innings.
> The whole match takes about two and a half hours. It has been an
> international success since its introduction in 2003 by the ECB.

I got hooked on T20 a few years ago, and thoroughly enjoy it.
I generally watch the Indian Premier League, often catch a few games
here in Regina (Saskatchewan League) during the summer.

--
Verb is a noun.

* Steve Hayes <ga3h2j1dbh1jd1qkd0kusoi3enoe0ofoer@4ax.com> :
Wrote on Wed, 24 Apr 2024 06:43:40 +0200:

> Oh yes, and I should add that in the 20-over form of the game they no
> longer have teams or sides, they have "franchises" which seems to be a
> kind of catch-all noun like "unit" or "module" and so the Lower
> Rampling Panthers are not a team, they are a franchise.

and cheerleaders.

the franchises are "owned" by celebrities, and the news is generated by
the owners trading the players for millions of dollars, creating gasps
from the audience at the incredible sums

what is actually being franchised is money laundering banker technology
from baseball basketball football into cricket