AIBU to ask what people actually enjoy about watching cricket?

[Dovesono]

Someone took me to watch a cricket match the other day and I was bored senseless. Didn't have a clue what was going on, although most of the time it seemed to be nothing very much at all.

Please can someone explain the appeal? And why are the rules so bloody complicated?

It was county level in case that makes a difference.

There are the human interest stories, like the player who isn't a recognised batsman coming in at a critical point in the game and making a big score, or the bowler who's been out of form taking five wickets and saving the game. And you watch that story developing over a day or longer.

Sydney.

Cricket does throw up some incredible human interest stories that you just don't see in other sports. Some of my favourites are

*Eddo Brandes, the Zimbabwean chicken farmer with a penchant for a beer and somewhat unlikely fast bowler who single-handedly beat England in the 1992 World Cup in what any reasonable person would have seen as a hopelessly lost cause;

Sultan Zarawani, the only actual Emirati in the UAE team at the 1996 World Cup who had learned a bit of cricket at boarding school, and went out to face Allan Donald of South Africa - the fastest bowler in the world - in a sunhat and got felled by a first-ball bouncer. Donald later confessed he feared he'd killed him;

John Davison, a fringe player for Victoria and then South Australia who couldn't hold a place in an Australian state side. Primarily a spin (slow) bowler, he happened to have been born in Vancouver and played for Canada in the 2003 World Cup where he opened the batting against the West Indies and scored what was then the fastest-ever World Cup century;

Malachi Jones, the 17 year old schoolboy from Bermuda who opened the bowling in the 2007 World Cup match against India and his first ball got an edge off Robin Uthappa. The ball flew to the right of the 20 stone prison van driver Dwayne Leverock at first slip, who flung himself into the air and caught it with his weaker right hand.

*Eddo Brandes also had one of the best known comebacks to the Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath's sledging and the only player who ever left him speechless.

McGrath - "Why are you so fucking fat?"
Brandes - "Because every time I fuck your wife she gives me a biscuit."

Back to say that my phone's ringtone is Soul Limbo, the BBC's test match theme. I was once out and it went off, so I apologised, saying, "oh, that's mine", only for a man behind me to reply, "no, it's mine" as he answered his phone!

Just saw this quote:
Glenn McGrath out for 2, 98 runs short of his century. 😂

I play,, which is fun. Watching is mostly quite dull unless it involves a member of my own family, or Ben Stokes when he's pseed off about something.

Cricket goes on so long they had to make the shorter version to try and keep it alive because no one under 50 was interested

I mean, that is clearly just not true. Of course, not many people U50 are available to watch county games being played midweek, when they are at work, but there is HUGE interest in the Test matches, and the grounds are full of adults of all ages.

Lots of cricket players are overweight as well so I’m not sure how much movement is really involved

Once again, completely untrue at professional level. I'm sure it is true the lower down the leagues you go, just as it is if you watch parks football, or 3rd team of club rugby. It is great to see people of all shapes and sizes choosing to come out and play sports at their own levels. However, I have marvelled at the athleticism of the fielding teams, more and more so over the last 2 or 3 years.

Lots of cricket players are overweight as well so I’m not sure how much movement is really involved

Do a perfunctory google search for 'Dwayne Leverock catch', then tell me fat men can't fly. It was a World Cup game.