We’ve spent a whole lot of time at this here publication discussing some bigger names in sports: basketball, baseball … the other balls. Now it’s time to put some lesser-known sports under the microscope, starting with cricket (not to be confused with the wireless company).
Cricket is featured on every continent except Antarctica, although according to Britannica Kids, it mostly occurs in “tropical areas and other warm parts of the world.” Its global spread makes it a fairly popular and frequently encountered sport.
The system of cricket includes the head, the thorax and the abdomen. It features two antennae and wings, but “though [it] has two pairs of wings, most [crickets] cannot fly.” This explains why the game sometimes has a hard time taking off.
Cricket typically takes place at night, and it’s known for the distinctive chirping sounds that often emanate from the games. Similarly to soccer, the chirping often turns into a type of song that varies depending on what plays are being made.
The rules of cricket make it fairly intense, as the goal is survival. Cricket players are subjected to a constant chase from their opponents with very little rest time, and the game is not designed for players to take an effective break.
The rigorous training and high standards of cricket mean that the game often lasts about eight to 10 weeks, which is a time span many other sports are not designed to maintain.
Some popular cricket opponents include bats, spiders and rodents. Humans are also known to be formidable cricket opponents and often beat players at their own game. Sometimes inadvertently, as they are liable to crush cricket players when walking near them.
Several notable cricket players include Jiminy, Crik-ee (who is known for a cameo in the Disney film “Mulan”), Kricketot of Pokemon fame and, of course, the one who typically resides outside my window, where games are commonly played.
Jiminy is remembered for his famous quote: “A conscience is that still small voice people won’t listen to.” The quote was documented after Jiminy was kneecapped in a cricket game featuring a wooden puppet as the opponent, in a more experimental version of the game. Sports analysts have drawn parallels between his experience and skater Nancy Kerrigan’s 1994 attack.
Cricket at UCCS typically takes place recreationally on Rattlesnake hill, although it can be found all over campus if you know where to look. Anyone who wants to catch a cricket game can wait until night falls and check the bushes, the trees and, often, the dorms.
UCCS does not currently offer a cricket program, but rumor has it that Bug Club has ventured away from the realm of entomology and into the world of sports as they try to get a new cricket team established on campus. More information is available here.
Editor’s Note: Scribble is the satirical section of the Scribe.
Photo by CFPhotosin Photography on Unsplash.