It's just not cricket.

Got to find a way to change this.....

I went yesterday to a cricket match between two schools. It was a hopelessly one-sided affair.
It was a twenty over match in which one team scored 216 runs. Even had their best player act as umpire and retired some of their batsmen. The other team was bowled out for 17 runs.

To an outside observer it would seam that the beaten team should hang their heads in shame. That they would have left the game depressed and contemplate never playing again. But they did not. To their credit this team of young men were full of stories about their own courage, efforts and attempts. They were smiling and laughing and talking about "next time I will......"

For me the most upsetting thing about the day was not the scores, or the dropped catches, or the number of extras. No way

The most upsetting thing about the day was the sledging done by the better side. I watched them mocking the lack of uniform or cricket clothes of the weaker team. I watched them mock the bravado of the weaker team who chose to take off their batting helmets. I wanted to shout at them and say...

I wanted to say things like

• Do you know that the boys whose shoes you are mocking has lost both his mother and father. Do you know that he may not be able to afford cricket shoes.
• Do you know we are playing this game at your home field (as all our games are away games) because we don't have a field of our own.
• Do you know we were not transported here in a school bus, but in a taxi.
• Do you know the helmets are cracked and cut into the boys heads - so better risk it.
• Do you know that we do not have enough boys for age group teams - we have one team, grade 8-11 that's it.
• Do you know that our number 10 batsman is blind in the eye that is facing the bowler, yet he has the courage to face even your fastest bowler.
• Do you know that we only have two protective boxes. Its is either swap on the field or go without.
• Do you know that we have only the two bats you see (they belong to two of the boys) and one is cracked.
• Do you know that the young men you are mocking have been through so much and have faced so much, and that your mocking hurts.

I wanted to say that there is almost no chance you can lose this game so why mock the bravery and sportsmanship of a team who face bigger obstacles that your bowling and yet still turn out to enjoy the challenge of sharing an afternoon of (not quite) competitive sport with you.

To the young men I was with. Your courage, attitude and enjoyment was an inspiration. I give you this promise, that if I can find a way, I will try to get sponsorship so that the opposition can forget about the lack of equipment you have and rather focus their eyes on the heart and passion you put into your cricket and your lives. I promise you that is you carry on with this heart and determination your play will improve and one day soon you will find yourselves winning a game.

I know then, that the lessons you have learned will enable you to treat your opponents with dignity and sportsmanship.