Cricket

There are quite a few things I think of when I hear the word "cricket". Disney's famous Jiminey. The chirping insects that kept me awake all summer as a farm girl in Ontario. And, my favourite, the Cricket doll. (Seriously, the Cricket doll was so cool and I wanted one so much!)

So when my friend and coworker told me he plays cricket, I was shocked. Cricket?! Who plays cricket?

Those who migrate to Victoria, where I live, all seem to come with a nostalgia for another place. With loads of South African and Indian immigrants, it shouldn't be surprising. And because sports are so important to our childhood (and often what connect us as a culture), it makes sense that cricket has found its way here with new Canadians... even if it's not ready to rival the current Stanley Cup finals in popularity.

June will be a month of cricket.

I'm excited because I know basically nothing about the game. Here are some things I did know:

• Traditional cricket is played in all white clothing (of course; stereotypical woman knows about the fashion rules of the game!)
• There is a bat (shaped more like a paddle than the bat I used at tee-ball)
• There is a ball
• There is something called a wicket (which in Victoria I know only from a little pub restaurant called "The Sticky Wicket")
• It's popular in Britain, South Africa, and India

According to stickiewicket.com, "It is commonly accepted that the game originated from a very old leisure activity indulged by shepherds. The shepherds used crook and other farm equipments to hit a ball like device which used to be made up of wool or stone."

Seriously, shepherds? This might be my game, given I grew up on a sheep farm.

Try it yourself. 
Here is a link to Cricket Canada and the USA Cricket Association.