It’s Just Not Cricket. Or is it?

Elvis craves some action

Nuns, Monks, Cockerels, Willy Wonker, Mr Invincible, Superman, Lifeguards, Pamela Anderson and Elvis Presley were all in attendance at Headingley on day 3 of the international test match between England and South Africa, but not too many eyes were directed towards the field.

As a cordial, yet skillful South Africa asserted their dominance over England in a slow non eventful affair, the West Terrace did a sterling job entertaining the masses with games of lob the chicken, balloon racing, Mexican waves and record breaking beer snakes, much to the frustration of the staid stewards.

As one close member in the Wintershed Upper observed, “this is classic English” – albeit with some irony as the comment was made during one of the many Mexican waves.

However, the comment was delivered with aplomb; it’s an accepted certainty that the English have many flaws, but a quality they possess in abundance is the ability to see the lighter side of dire circumstances; on this occasion those dire circumstances happened to be a cricket match in the north of England in unfavorable whether conditions with thinly spread moments of interest occurring on the field.

Off the field though, Pamela Anderson in Baywatch attire created merriment by simulating slow motion bouncers between the aisles, tossed rubber chickens bought excitable oohs and arrhs and the ebullition generated by the building of snake like shapes out of part-empty plastic pint glasses occupied cricket devotees from the Kirkstall Lane End and in the East Stand with this alternative form of cricket.

Just like the famous song, the English do try to All Ways Look on the Bright Side of Life and even though on this day, the circumstances wasn’t exactly finding laughter through tears, the theory of Python’s concept was most definitely applied; for though the game was uneventful, the experience was memorable.

Seeing the funny side of life