I read with some dismay before,
Dispersions about our national sport,
I didn't anger me in the slightest,
I'm happy to report.
For, I looked at it from the outside,
And cricket must seem bizarre,
To the uninitiated eye, that is,
In countries that are far.
For the game is one of patiencel,
Of concentration and skill,
Those who do not possess these,
Shall amount to nil.
I'm not saying the cricket is the only one,
To have this type of ideal,
Every sport has different emphases,
That is clear and real.

Cricket can take from a full day,
Or in a test, it's five,
You need to concentrate for hours,
You really know you're alive.
Batting is a test of stamina,
Concentrating for hours on end,
Determination should be your cornerstone,
And diligence your friend.
Being able to hit a spinning ball,
That not only curves in the air,
It hits the pitch and turns again,
Sometime's it's just not fair!
Facing bowlers who thunder in,
Their running adding power,
These people deliver balls that,
Travel 120 miles an hour.
You stand a mere 22 yards away,
Facing this varied onslaught,
You remember those years of practice,
And the strategies you've been taught.
Fitness also enters here,
You must run to score,
22 yards for every run,
Try scoring 100 or more!
Then there'e fielding the ball,
Sometimes your nerve unravels,
You stop the ball without a glove,
And that ball really travels!
Bowling is also another skill,
The wickets you try to hit,
But you also intimidate the batsman,
Scare him first - that's it!
Once the batsman's overly tentative,
You move in for the kill,
You beguile him with a slight of hand,
And your years of skill.

Cricket is a wonderful game,
Played by lots of nations,
You play it competitively,
Or with your many relations.
Countries play against one another,
It makes me warm inside,
If your country beats another,
You almost burst with pride.
My point here is quite simply,
No-one should reject out of hand,
A sport that they are not familiar with,
One they don't understand.
As a person from Oz I try,
To follow other sports,
I watch them on our cable,
I listen to the reports.
I love watching U.S. baseball,
I am a Yankees fan,
I love to watch the NFL,
Whilst drinking from a can.
But it took effort on my part,
To learn each new game,
I only ask that others try,
To do the very same.

Cricket is a great game. Don't believe me? I don't care .....
Just don't rag on something you don't understand.

Cheers from the Land of Oz