On March 17th, we attended the World Cup Cricket match between Ireland and Pakistan. Since it was St. Patrick's Day, we expected that the luck of the Irish would prevail, despite the facts that this was the first time Ireland has ever competed in the World Cup, that cricket is the 29th most popular sport in Ireland, and that Pakistan is a traditional cricket powerhouse and was ranked 4th in the world coming into the match. Well, the Irish won, meaning Pakistan could not advance to the second round of the tournament.
There was much fun to be had at Sabina Park. First, we actually figured out how the sport of cricket was played. Having to sit through every bowl, over, wicket, maiden, and six, plus a few rain delays, gave us plenty of time to absorb the nuances of the sport. And there were smart cricket watchers nearby to help us if something was mysterious, like the DLPar (Basically a formula that determines how many runs a team would be awarded if day light ran out). Our seats were right on the field, too. There were drunk Irish fans, a Jamaican marching band sponsored by Pepsi, and a guy running on the field (that might have been a drunk Irish fan as well, on second thought). They bring Red Stripe right to your seat, and there was Guinness on tap, supposedly delivered straight from Ireland. We also planned ahead and brought in lots of snacks like trail mix, peanut butter and jelly, juice boxes, and cookies. That way we could spend all our money on beers and souvenirs (the hat Shane is wearing in the picture).
Cricket is kind of like baseball, in that there are long periods when nothing much is happening, and the games last a long time. However, baseball has more exciting things and is much shorter compared to a game of cricket. The games start around 9 AM and last until 5 PM. But this gives you plenty of time to talk, drink, and hang out, which are the most fun parts of a baseball game as well. Maybe it could have an audience in the US?
-Shane
