A New Obsession

I have found myself becoming more and more obsessed with the sport of cricket over the last few months.  From reading cricket books to following matches online, I have found myself becoming more and more enamored with the game.  As we speak I am watching a replay of a ODI (One Day International) between New Zealand and South Africa.  I am not sure when the match took place but I am enjoying it nonetheless.
There are many forms of cricket, from the 3 to 5 day long Test matches to the gaudy spectacle the is the league T20 cricket. I am not sure which is my favorite.  You have the slow, steady pace of Test cricket, the leisurely pace of ODI and the smash and grab that is T20 cricket.  I can sure see the appeal of the game.  You would think that countries such as India and Pakistan that chafed under the rule of the British would have found a sport to replace that of their Colonial rulers but they seem to have taken up the mantle of beating the former Raj.
I am finding it difficult in getting many books on cricket.  Much of the books I have found focus mainly on the game in India.  The game has also taken hold in the West Indies, Australia, South Africa and Sri Lanka.  One excellent book I have been reading is a novel of Sri Lankan cricket, The Legend of Pradeep Matthew.  I would rate it up there with any novel out there.  It is the story of an aging sportswriters quest to find the one great Sri Lankan cricketer who disappeared from the game before his prime, with an unfulfilled promise.  It is quickly becoming one of my favorite books.
With two days until the first Spring Training match up, the great game of cricket has been able to fill a part of the void that occurs every November thru February.  Rogers Hornsby once said, "People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring."  For me, I have been able to stare at cricket from warmer climates.  Nuff ced.

Finally!!!

For me there are only two seasons, baseball and not.  We have now reached the time when baseball has returned.  Today is the first day of spring.  I don't follow the meteorological definition of spring.  The first day is that day when the first batch of pitchers and catchers report to camp.  We have hit that day today as the Red Sox, Cubs, Indians, and Rockies all opened their doors today.  We are just a little over a week from the opening of the Cactus and Grapefruit League schedules and a few weeks away from the first round of the World Baseball Classic.  One of the benefits of a season with the Classic is that teams open their camps early to get things going. Hallelujah, spring is finally here.