Extract
But then, and now we get to the nub of the matter, my pals dropped a bombshell. They told me that serious plans were afoot to introduce an off-shoot of the sport, that would seriously undermine its fabric and structure. Look it up, they said. Type in ,’ The Hundred – Is it really cricket?’
Well I did type it in and was perturbed, maybe even horrified, at the impact these advanced plans would have on the traditional shape and features of cricket, across England’s counties and possibly other countries as well.
From my limited insight, it felt like this was a new brand of elitist sport, that might ensure that the game would never again be played against a background of sheep in the meadow, thrushes in hedgerows, warm beer and leather on willow. At least that was the utopian image I had always had of county level cricket.
Grass roots encounters
Lockdown arrived and seriously challenged my new found addiction. Then COVID restrictions started to ease slightly. I wandered down Shropshire country lanes with my wife, occasionally stumbling across a local league match. “Are you going in to watch?” she would ask, but, from the top of the hedge, just watching a couple of overs bowled was good enough – it meant something.
(Continues)
In full, see An Addictive Foe
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