1 Jan 2008
David Palmer
Just for the record, England is currently 5th in cricket world rankings behind Australia India Sri Lanka and the 5th escapes me could be South Africa.

Cricket may give the appearance of being designed for toffs but it is embraced by all as, in Australia, it is our number 1 summer sport - forget tennis, golf, cricket rules.  We love cricket with great passion and our only disappointment at present is that no other country poses our boys a serious threat.

We love cricket so much our test matches run over 5 days, and the 2nd test against India starts today in Sydney - hurray.

I note baseball games last only one day indicating lack of interest by its supporters. I know our football matches, whether Rugby or Aussie Rules also only last a couple of hours but that is because we yelled ourselves hoarse and besides, late afternoon in July its getting dark and bloody cold.

4 Jan 2008
J. Reed Anderson
So am I to understand then, that cricket is not a Special Olympics event, thinking as I have it is a game for the physically and mentally retarded?

4 Jan 2008
Norman Berdichevsky
For all those who love cricket- The prejudices I reported against cricket are part of the many stereotyped images of British life as seen by Americans. Readers in the U.K./Commonwealth are welcome to report the mirror-image views about American baseball - "cricket for baboons" perhaps. In spite of these views, I trust readers will also appreciate my conclusion that the two games share much in common and are appreciated for the pleasure they give to millions.

10 Jan 2008
Esmerelda Weatherwax

Those who disparage baseball tend to compare it with rounders rather than cricket. Rounders is  a bat and ball game played in British schools by girls and very young children.
Baseball bears more resemblance to rounders superficially because of the shape of the bat and the circular run.

 

12 Jan 2008
David Palmer

 

Norman,

Unfortunately no baseball fans checked the comments - so my efforts to stir them up were in vain.

Enjoy/appreciate your writing Esmeralda.

I have just done an assessment of "A Common Word" issued by 138 Muslim scholars/leaders to the Pope et al and responses to it that will be published in the Feb edition of Australian Presbyterian. For your interest, the link is here: http://candn.pcvic.org.au/media/pdf/MuslimsandChristianstoshareaCommonFaith.pdf

The 2nd cricket test between Australia and India turned out to be almost a disaster - the umpires made some very bad decisions mostly against the Indians, the Australians won the game and by rights shouldn't and were bad sports, the Indians got petulant and were all set to pack their bags and return to India before sanity returned. Apart from that it was 5 days of riveting cricket.

15 Jan 2008
Barrie
Many good points, Norman.  As someone who has played both games and loved and watched baseball in the US [35 years ago] may I add a few myself?
Australians have played cricket on country dust bowls for 160 years, as well as English-style greens, so it is not surprising that our attitude to the game is regarded as much 'harder'.  'Nice guys come last' is also an Aussie view, though the idea has caught on with many nations these days, who use our coaches freely [including England].
For instance, we are well-known for taking 'quick singles', which is very like the bunt single in baseball.  The shorter versions of the game, 50 over and the new 20/20, are far better comparisons with baseball, and are copying some of its marketing methods for the fans, like music and especially very colourful uniforms [introduced 30 years ago actually].
Surprisingly, any new 20/20 game is more action-packed than all but 5% of baseball games.  Sixes [over the fence hits] can amount to 20 or so in a few hours of play, far more than ever happens in a baseball game. The purists are appalled at this simplification of a very subtle game.
The greatest of all players, Bradman, almost never hit sixes on principle, so as not to give any catches!
Americans who think batting with pads and bowling is 'sissy' should try to face a 90 mph ball directed at their legs or bounced at their heads legally, not just at a small square area.  Batsmen accept bruises daily as part of their job, unlike a baseball batter.
Catching is far more skilful in cricket, and just as athletic as baseball because of the lack of a glove.  Since a batsman only has one chance often in a game, or at the most two, that is quite a fair balance.  Throwing is now approaching baseball skills too.  We have a baseball fielding coach!
Your comments on the reflection of the Anglo-Saxon character of these games are very true, but they obviously are popular with many cultures now..

21 Jan 2008
Brandon
I'd like to point out that Baseball has *not* fallen behind Basketball or Hockey in the US.  Baseball is the second most popular sport behind American Football, followed by Basketball, with Hockey a VERY distant 4th.

21 Jan 2008
Carl Moore

This is a fascinating article by Mr. Berdichevsky. He must know that we cricket-loving people are equally confused about baseball.

He should also know that cricket is no longer all white flannels; the rainbow is now fully represented on fields from Lords to Melbourne to Kensington Oval in Barbados, where I live.

Also, Mr. Berdichevsky might be surprised to learn that the first official cricket match was played, not in England, but in the United States, the home of baseball!

And by the way, nothing looks more ugly and sissy-ish to cricketing folk than to see the baseball batter dropping his bat and taking off and sometimes slamming into a player from the opposite site. Apart from all that saliva on the grass, there must be quite a few dislocated knees!

A brilliant piece, by Mr. Berdichevsky. I will forward it to many friends.

Carl Moore

Barbados

27 Jun 2008
Neil Bostock
As an Englishman in NY, I grew up a cricket lover, and have become a baseball fanatic, and love both games.  I appreciate the insights of your article, and they reflect the frustrations I have felt over the years trying to explain both games to the unconverted.  Both games have their strengths and weaknesses.   Cricket batting is more about technique, while baseball is more about power.  I think what baseball may lack in subtlety as compared to cricket it makes up for by the fact that late comebacks are almost always possible, whereas in cricket a game can be "dead" long before the end.  I'm just happy to have the opportunity to enjoy two magnificent sports

26 Nov 2008
Lori

Hense the immortal words of Yoga Berra  "It ain't over til it's over". 

Speaking as an American, I unfortunately have not had the chance to see the game of cricket played on a pro or amateur level.  Cricket lovers seem to have the same passion for their sport as I  and MANY others have for our beloved baseball.  One of my favorite line from a  movie called Bull Durham sums baseball up for me...

Baseball ain't no game, it's a religion

18 May 2010
Roger

 It should be noted that the round arm action of the cricket bowler was developed to give the batter sight of the ball since it can be pitched directly at him/her. It is legal in cricket to hit the batter while bowling (several times in fact) while in baseball the batter gets a "walk" is hit i.e. he/she benefits from being hit. The Discovery channel did a good documentary on the most dangerous ball in sports concluding that it is a cricket ball for the reason above. (including speed, ball weight, adjustment off the ground etc.).  I would much prefer (as in have much less fear) facing a 95mph pitcher than a 95 mph cricket bowler. 

It should also be noted that American-ophobic Anglophiles also compare baseball to the young girls games known as "rounders"., so this cuts both ways.

Relating to the use of fielding gloves, baseball does not have as close-in to the bat positions which would require use of left or right hands to catch in an instant. The placing of a glove in one hand in baseball can occur because there is usually enough time (distance form the batter) to dive across the body for a one hand catch (e.g. glove in left  hand dives across to the right to catch). Close in positions in cricket do not allow the time to do this especially since cricket does not have foul areas (hence the use of slips-requiring very fasting catching actions (again limiting "across the body" catching) .

Batting in cricket requires adjustment for sun direction, wind etc since the batter plays from either of the two wickets (bases) during a game. Running between wickets in cricket is a negotiated action between two players. The double-play in baseball is a singular example of it's uniqueness. 

More careful comparisons of the game would recognize the uniqueness of each. It becomes easy to ground an observation relative to sport one actually knows.  Beyond a bat to ball they are actually not that similar.  

13 Sep 2010
Jon Anders

While this is a much fairer overview than a lot of the one-sided comparisons that litter the web, I must take umbrage with the notion that the cricket batsman can use his bat "as a 'shotgun' instead of a marksman's rifle".

The opposite is surely the case.  A baseball batter is wielding a toothpick, and has done well just to get the ball in play - he doesn't care where it goes as long as it goes high and far.  Cricket batsmen, on the other hand, learn a wide array of strokes, each for placing the ball in a different area of the field, according to the delivery of the ball and the placement of the fielders.  This degree of accuracy and finesse is only possible because of the wider bat.

So, really, it is cricket's batsmen who are the marksmen.