Cricket Catalyst?

Whoever would have thought….the stuffy old ball game that Britain bequeathed to its empire as a catalyst for the Australian republic. Nothing is more contested, promoting national pride and interest in both hemispheres than any cricket series between England and Australia. On this day, there was an “unfair” decision (largely depending on which side you were on) dismissing an England batter from the contest. It was quite complicated – as unwritten rules are meant to be, as well as open to interpretation –  carefully explained in the article on the link below. Similar to the UK Constitution also unwritten but the British don’t seem to be much bothered by this fact or an unelected upper house of parliament, membership by either inheritance or government nomination. The arguments about this cricket incident will go on for years among the blokes. It’s the way they do things, of course, with a solid British overlay of despising one’s inferiors when the crass colonials, known for law bending themselves, beat the deserving home team. Much of this stems from privilege and a mindset that is a hangover of conquest. No one seems to remember how “bodyline” in the 1930s almost ruptured relations between the UK and Australia or that Australian crowds can give visiting English teams and players a very rough time of it. However, WfaAR comments: the sooner Australia severs its constitutional ties to the UK and its class system, so foreign to us, the better. [“In the very best cricket tradition, Bairstow v Carey turned on a man saying ‘over'” by Barney Ronay, The Guardian online 2 July 2023]. We also, of course, have an excellent women’s national cricket team that seems to win without controversy – no wonder women like cricket!

More info >