The Blogger took a day off ( he thought) when invited to Lords last Thursday to see England play South Africa on the second day of a 5 day Test Match. Cricket is a complicated game certainly rarely understood by Americans for example. Why on earth would someone play a game for 5 days and keep stopping for lunch tea and the rain. The English love waiting and enjoy queues more than anyone. I sat there for nearly 8 hours and must confess I was getting very Edgey in the Edrich Stand.
To arrive at the Stadium on time I had to rise early , drive into town as all the Public Transport had gone on strike, accommodate the 20 and 30 mph speed limits, navigate cycle lanes, squeeze my car into streets designed for horse and cart, pay a Congestion charge to enter London , pay an eco charge as I was driving a diesel dog and find parking like a needle in a haystack. Then I had to find a taxi and be driven to the hallowed ground. By the time I got there ( just making it on time ) it had cost me an arm and a leg ( no not cricket terms but an English idiom for cost me a fortune. My hosts were pleased to see me as I them as we made our way to our seats.
The cricket ball is very small and when bowled down the 22 yards towards the wicket at 93 miles per hour your eyes must focus fast. The batsman with his willow stick must try and hit the ball preferably somewhere other than into the hands of anyone and preferably before his bails are hit ( yes bails ) . If you’re stumped at this point I’m talking about the three sticks at the end of the chain ( no not toilet chain ) but the 22 yards. It’s difficult to follow and the rules are complex. Never mind you soon stop for lunch then tea and if you’re not driving you can consume alcohol which might help you see that ball.
So how can this all go on for 5 days ? Well it didn’t because in 3 days South Africa thrashed England and everyone went home. Microsoft in a 2015 study established that humans can concentrate only for 8 seconds which incidentally is less than a Goldfish. How we ever expected people to sit there for 5 days in this 21st Century which is one reason why one day games are increasingly popular.
Our attention spans in this digital age are shortening and even less than that fish as we all swim in our own life bowls watching grown men bat and bowl. Anyway enjoy your weekend and if anyone can pinpoint the ball in the photo above you can take home the prize, a goldfish in a plastic bag so that you can watch it and extend your own attention span.
qbitblogger 