By Rev’d S.W. Ceylon-Browne
The answer is yes. There is nothing invented by humans that comes even close to the joys of test match cricket.
Ah, Test cricket, the sport that makes even the longest movies feel like a quick YouTube video. Some may argue that it’s slow-paced and lacks the excitement of other sports, but they are lunatics who don’t know perfection when spread in front of them.
Shall we talk of heroes? Botham? Warne? Harwood? Or Sir Don Bradman. The man was a legend in Test cricket, with a batting average so high it makes my bank account jealous. His records still stand tall like a towering six over the boundary line.
Then there’s the Ashes rivalry between England and Australia. It’s like watching two siblings fight over who gets to eat the last slice of pizza. The banter, the intensity, and those glorious moments when one team triumphs over the other – it’s pure sporting drama at its finest.
Sure, Test matches can go on for days (or even longer), but that just means you have more time to appreciate the artistry of each player. It’s like savoring a gourmet meal instead of rushing through fast food.
Next time someone tries to argue that Test cricket is boring, just remind them of Bradman and those nail-biting Ashes battles. Of Willis, of Broad, of Peter Willey. If they have sense (and it must be admitted some do not) they will realise that this sport is truly in a league of its own – where legends are made and fans become lifelong devotees – and beg to come with you next time you head to Lords or Edgebaston.
Even the cricket matches in jolly old End at the End Cricket Club are truly a spectacle to behold. The bowler’s arm swings back and forth with a determined grace, unleashing the ball in a swift and calculated manner.
The batsman, steady and resolute, matches this display of skill and ferocity with a powerful stroke of his willow bat. The crowd, engrossed in the elegant dance between leather and wood, erupts in a rapturous applause, their cheers echoing across the hallowed grounds.
In this place, where tradition and sport intertwine, cricket reigns supreme, proving that even in the most peaceful of pursuits, a fierce competitive spirit can still prevail.
Want to learn to play cricket, God’s Greatest Game? Come along to the End Cricket Club next to the river next Thursday at 6pm where there will be training run by the esteemed coach Harley Grainger (yes the very man who hit Sir Garfield Sober Junior for seven sixes in one over!)
