You’ll never believe it but Afghanistan fielded a team this year
and actually beat Ireland
Funny I had no idea cricket was played there
We tend to think of it as a ‘colonial game’
played in countries that were part of the British Colonies
They were the countries coloured pink on the maps of old
where the Brits went so did cricket
When the British marched into Afghanistan in 1838, they brought polo mallets, fox hounds and cigars. They brought imperial hubris, bone china and cases of port. But the players of the Great Game also brought a great game: cricket.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article5547441.ece
http://www.cover-point.com/post/Timeline-and-Brief-History-of-Afghan-Cricket.aspx
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Afghanistan_national_cricket_team#History
Mind you it appears that that isn’t the reason for them being a dab hand with the bat
but the troubles in their country
However the game is also played in USA and the Netherlands
so anything has been possible in Barbados
Even tho they didn’t progress far in the tournament
it seems they were far from humiliated
and according to some did quite well considering
the conditions at home
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/cricket/article7110937.ece
The new ‘not oval shaped’ very expensive sports stadium
with a game of Rugby League
Fortunately for Melbourne we had some rain
Unfortunately for the Rugby fans there were problems with the new roof
and they got wet
http://www.theage.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/sports-landscape-in-good-shape-with-parks-debut-20100507-ujqh.html
http://news.brisbanetimes.com.au/breaking-news-sport/aami-park-the-shape-of-things-to-come-20100508-uk0u.html
Anyway the game was a rather special one
The Anzac Rugby League Test
between traditional opponents
Australia and New Zealand
Kangaroos beat the Kiwis by 4 points
but according to this report
the Kiwis didn’t do too badly
And to balance all that up feeling theres always a down one
Somehow things are still not going too well for a special AFL team
and there are also others in the family with heavy hearts
Those who barrack for Hawthorn are very down
and wonder when this run of losses will end
Still Waters 