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

The country is somewhat "bowled over" by having beaten Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup. Cricket is a serious minority sport in Ireland: Cork, where I live, has just one cricket ground for a population of ~250,000 people. The Irish Cricket Union has just 1,200 members for the whole island. (Ireland has about 6 million people, north and south).

Contrast this to Pakistan, which has 166 million people. Pakistan didn't win a single medal in the last Olympic Games and its soccer team has never featured in any World Cup tournament. I'm guessing that cricket is really the only game of significance in the country. According to "hrrumphapedia", they were World Cup winners in 1992 and have a very impressive record in the Australasia Cup.

To a Pakistani, Ireland beating their national team must be a bit like San Marino beating Brazil in soccer. Our national soccer coach was nearly flayed alive by soccer pundits for nearly drawing against San Marino a few months ago, so I can only imagine what the depth of feeling was in Pakistan when the result came through. That said, our soccer team manager is still alive.. The death of Bob Woolmer in some way underlies the personal emotional turmoil involved when a good team struggles at the top grade.

For Ireland, to have such a success in such an unexpected sport can only be a good thing. It's quite likely we have a wealth of cricketing talent in the country, as one of our more popular games - hurling - demands very similar skills to cricket. Also, we are beginning to see an easing of the unwritten laws that divided many sports into "Protestant" and "Catholic" games. Such a de-politicisation of sport is very welcome.

'To a Pakistani, Ireland beating their national team must be a bit like San Marino beating Brazil in soccer.'

Well, it passed me by, Woodpigeon - although I must admit hearing about it is funny.

Dear Woodpigeon,

Last week on my fortnightly visit to the dentist we went andnhad lunch at Covent Garden. Sitting at the same table as us was a couple who came from Cork Ireland, and they were going to the Caribbean. I immediately asked them if they were going to watch the cricket, and it turned out that they were. It also appeared that they were carazy on cricket and had also been to to the last World Cup which. if I remember correctly, was held in south Africa.

We wished them well, and they told us they were going to play against Pakistan on the Saturday. I must admit I thought that poor ireland would be welll and truly beaten.

How wrong I was!! They also won their first game against Zimbabwe, And I feel sure that I saw the lady whom we met in Covent Garden sitting in the crowd.

Well, now you will have to attend the matches regularly. Ireland certainly did very well - but there were quite a few Australians in the team!!. And a lot of Commonwealth citizens in the Canadian side.

Well done for the Commonwealth!!/ And Ireland came second in the six Nations Rugby Tournament. Tjhey are rea;;u dpomg we;;/

Kind regards

Christiane AR1 <schooloffish?

I never expected this to be a male journal poster.

How wrong can you be?

In the 19th century, Ireland was a major cricketing country, but during the Land War of the 1870's the game took a turn for the worst, being associated with the despised land-lord classes. By the 1880's, the Gaelic Athletic Association was formed and the sports of Hurling and Gaelic Football quickly became the biggest games in the country. Ireland is kind of unique in terms of ex-British ruled countries in that cricket disappeared as a game of any consequence. (Indeed, we're not even part of the Commonwealth, so that might be a factor too).

Most Irish people (and I must hold my hand up as being one of them) wouldn't have a clue about the game. Wickets and Overs and Runs are like a foreign language to us.

Mind you, my dad played a bit of cricket when he was in his 40's. And he was quite good at it, too. His playing prowess was mentioned in a short speech at his funeral.

Actually - I have a correction to make: there are 3 cricket clubs in Cork City. See? I'm clueless!

I thought it was hilarious to discover that the Irish team's best player, Botha, is a South African. You're closer to the English than you'd like to believe

I wonder why you considered it hilarious Skankyrich!
I am sure thaat we all respect and understand your great love of the outdoors and your very interesting exeriences along the coastal walks of your lovely county and your work on the moors.

The finest most prolific batsman in the English Side is Kevin Pietersen a South African. As for Andre(?) Botha, in the Irish team there were three other South Africans in that team. Let us not forget that every summer a great many Australian cricketers come over and play for various counties in England.

The UK is very generous in sharing both it's heritage and it's expertise with other countries who show an interest in this great and noble game.

From a cricketing fan and mother of three ex-cricketers, sister of two ex-cricketers and wife of three ex-cricketers (not all at once!!)

Also Ran1

An ex-sportswoman who was chosen in 1946 to train for three years for representation in the South African Olympic Games team in the 1948 Olympic Games to be held in London (Unfortunately the powers that be did not send a womens team)

This was the BIG,HUGE, DISAPPOINTMENT OF MY LIFE I MIGHT ADD!!.

I was also a very keen tennis player and played team hockey.

I have developed and now also love snooker, and am beginning to be understand soccer.

Dear Galaxie Babe,

I have always had the greatest respect for your kindness, understanding, friendliness and other charming characteristics.

Your remark about this website not being able to tolerate a sport which it would seem you are not interested in, has been a great sadness to me.

The most wonderful attribute of this website, given by it's founder Douglas Adams, is it's gift of inclusion of all who are interested in all aspects of human life and hope. I might add that there is also the great attribute of choice. If something does not particularly interest one one is free to switch to another thread, reseacher ,or subject, in which one is more intrested.

Very sincerely,


Christiane Also Ran1

I got a great kick out of GB's quite humorous comment! It's true though - Ireland's performance has come as quite a shock to us - there's something of an awakening happening here as people start to ask questions about this strange game.

AR - I'm sorry to hear about you not getting sent to the games. In some way, without the struggles that you and many women had to go through at that time, things would not be the same today.

I'm sure I remember Ireland beating the West Indies at Downpatrick a lot of years ago. It does happen occasionally, although I think the pitch was playing as an extra man on that occasion.

Hi Woodpigeon,

Whilst I was writing it I thought to myself.

"Gosh, if that happened today I could have found an "alternative" country to swim for"

The thought had never occurred to me nor my family who sadly were, in many instances as focussed on the male genders of the family as society was Yet neither of my parents ever stopped my training nor my enthusiasm, nor ever encouraged it. In fact, I know that although I swam in three Currie Cup National Champuinships during my career, never once did my parents ever attend one national championship.

Like Sinatra I can say "I did it my way!!

I suppose that I would have been a suffragette had I born some years earlier.

I think, however, that my upbringing and training has made me hugely aware of the inequities, and injustices and that is probably the only thing that really motivates me now. I hope and do not think that I am bitter about it. I really do believe that difficulties do hone one, and hopefully make one a better more understanding person. Although I am sure that lots of people would not agree with that!!

and yet, this morning, whilst writing this posting, I did think that I could, I suppose, have swum for France !!

Certainly in terms of nationality my very xenophobic Grandpere had registered the four eldest grandchildren as French citizens at the time of our birth - in far away South Africa.

The only point ever registering with our family was that it made my brothers eligible for French Military Service. Needless to say they never went near France during the critical period.

Oh dear!!. No wonder I love France so much.!!

Christiane.

I was laughing at the fact that that we've both imported South Africans to considerably improve the chances of our national teams, Christine. The English in particular have a great pedigree in creaming off talent from other countries for our national side, and if you look at many of the counties there are plenty of South Africans, Zimbabweans and Aussies who have come to play not just as overseas players, but as fully-integrated players under the Kolpak ruling.

I'm quite a fan myself, you know; my current bedtime reading is the rather hefty Widen 1978-2006 Anthology (Cricket's Age of Revolution), and I'm a GL6 qualified umpire - not to mention 's resident cricket correspondent

Oh my dear Christiane,

I think you may have got the wrong end of the stick with AGB - she was just being humorous.

I could get very cross about your not being sent to the Olympic Games, though! Same thinking that said I couldn't be a pilot! Still, it's water under the bridge now. You didn't get any support from your parents? Boo!!

Hi Skanks! - it's *Christiane* (she's French) ... good credentials you have too!

I often do that - I'm also a great one for getting Researchers' genders wrong, even when they've said things like 'my wife...' or 'when I was in labour...'

I'm often mistaken for a bloke. People make assumptions - easily done. I do it mayself.

I do apologise, ChristianeI forgot to post a



It's a good job you're not lurking the banter currently being exchanged between myself and a certain prolific Australian writer whom I appear to be his personal sub-ed



Woodpigeon, I was wondering if you had read my Queen Victoria project in PR - if not it's a mighty-coincidence - considering I mentioned cricket and the first test match and someone asked me a question and I had to drag Skankyrich into the thread to answer (he hates Royal entries) but the offer of wasa too hard for him to resist...

cue music!

Oh, I don't hate Royal Entries, GB. I hate the Royals themselves and all they stand for, but the Entries themselves make fairly interesting footnotes to history

You can ask me *anything* about cricket, in any context, and I'll spend ages replying if you'll let me!

Only if you let me talk about my Royal entries, and minor celebrities