h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

An American at a baseball game might overhear a coach say, "Our leadoff batter is Randy and he's having trouble staying in the batter's box." The American would just shrug, but his British friend would break out laughting, and probably say, "It's the BATSMAN's box, and just tell him to calm down."

Two nations divided by a common language.

I know it's picky, but there isn't a batsman's box in cricket.

Oh yes there is, but you don't stand in it

what with all these boxes and creases.... it does sound all very strange

/wave
QuickDuck

I recall a cricket writeup from the London Times on the Web that I posted on another conversation here at H2G2. For an American like me, it might as well have been written in Martian. I don't recall the details, but things like "pitch turning", "tea time" plus all kinds of strange "scores" (I guess). Even one of the Brits complained about hearing "results" on the radio, and wondering "Who won?!?!" I'm sure baseball is just as confusing to those who haven't heard the lingo for decades - "infield fly rule", "ground rule double", "designated hitter", etc.

Comedian Bob Newhart did a very funny bit years ago - he was a game company executive talking on the phone to Abner Doubleday, inventor of baseball. Abner was trying to sell his game, and explaining the "rules". "OK, Abner, so if the pitch is NOT above the knees and below the shoulders, it's not a 'strike'. It's a what? It's a ball?!?"

But you have to bring in the names of rules to confuse us, whereas basic cricket terminology is confusing to outsiders with silly mid-offs, long hops and trying to bowl a maiden over. By the way, tea time isn't really to do with the play, it's when the players go off for a cup of tea, with maybe some cucumber sandwiches on the side. I'll grant that the fact a bad ball is called a "ball" and a good ball that's not struck is a "strike" is reasonably opaque, though.

I tried to explain cricket to an Italian and after a few hours of him swinging wildly and being out at every other ball, I used the following to try and teach him some defence:

Imagine that the Bails are your testicles. The bails are placed on top of three pieces of wood which are stuck into the ground. The man with the ball at the other end of the field will throw the very hard ball towards them trying to knock them over…. Your task is to use the bat to try and stop this from happening. – You should see his face the next time the ball hit the wickets…

... reminds me of the first several posts in this conversation, about the "box", which baseballers stand in, and cricketers ... don't.

I think I would like to amend my comment in post four and state that there might have been one or two 'stands' in cricket boxes