Words for
Wednesday
Delores
from ‘The Feathered Nest’ offers six words as a writing prompt – virtuous,
flannel, donuts, cartoons, inching, frayed.
Why not visit her and see what other writing
has been inspired?
During
the season commonly called Summer the sun-starved Englishman is
sustained by cricket commentaries on television or radio. Often he will watch
the television with the sound turned down and listen to the radio commentary.
Frequently
he hears ‘Rain stopped play’. In previous times, a natural break might furnish
an opportunity for cartoons to be played. Today’s
commentators discuss cricketers of yore, choosing their candidates for a
hypothetical all-time greatest team. They talk also of each other’s exploits on
the cricket field, when dressed in white flannels,
they kept wicket or stood at silly mid-off or backward short leg and tried to
prevent the opposing team inching towards
victory. They note the comings and goings of aircraft, pigeons and clouds and
comment on their colleagues’ predilections for wine or salmon-coloured trousers.
The
Faithful Fans send in cakes to the team in the commentary box, which are gratefully
received and enjoyed during the long hours of a cricket match. I don’t think
any donuts (doughnuts) have ever been offered,
but I may be wrong.
Sometimes
tempers are frayed, both on the pitch and off it;
for example, an Australian batsman may miss the Ashes test series next month
after hitting an English player in a bar in the early hours of Sunday morning. The
victim, not badly hurt, indeed, not hurt at all, virtuously
accepted his attacker’s apology. Undoubtedly they will meet again on the cricket field
some time in the future and battle will be joined according to the strict and
baffling laws of the game.
Nice use of all the words into our quintessential English game of cricket. I still giggle at 'silly mid-off or backward short leg.'
ReplyDeleteFunny description of the time-fillers used by announcers during sports events.
ReplyDeleteI only hear this by accident. I'd rather read a book than watch any kind of sports.
Great use of the words...cricket eh? The commentary sounds about as exciting as that of a golf game..much like watching ice melt.
ReplyDeleteNice job utilizing an eclectic collection of words!
ReplyDeleteThis is very clever! You brought me back many years to when I was a young teen still living in England ... Sunday afternoons watching the boys in white, serving teas at the cricket pavillion ...
ReplyDeleteI don't understand the cricket terms, but this is a good story. I'm not a sports fan, like Janie, I'd rather read a book.
ReplyDeleteHi Janice .. I love cricket - just cross when they took it off the Beeb - as I only do the main channels - I guess perhaps by next year I'll have caught up!
ReplyDeleteWonderful description .. and the Aussies aren't faring too well in their sport just now ..
Me - I'm into tennis .. but not posting it this year .. as I'm in E/b I'm going with a SAn friend to the tennis for three days - hard seats and a howling gale, just hope it doesn't rain??!!
Summer is well and truly here .. enjoy those dog walks and some sun perhaps! Hilary
Very good ! The only thing I know about cricket are the nice white costumes on the green fields. That looks romantic !
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I once read the rules to Cricket are so complex that no one could ever learn them all! I would like to hear the commentators stories of when they played cricket. It would be interesting.
ReplyDelete