Cricket
As evidence of eccentricity I submit to you that Whistlestop Bookshop’s website has a page dedicated to cricket, a worldwide bat-and-ball sport that is generally and comprehensively NOT understood in the United States. As with most interests, I came upon it in literature, which is why I include fiction titles here. I also became intrigued by the excellent cricket reporting in The Times and the Sunday Times of London. To a comical extent I can be mystified by the details, but the writing is superb — imagine being able to appreciate poetry while having only a brush of understanding of the language. Cricket, no surprise, is also a manifestation of history, both English and the British Empire, and of culture (the spinning creativity of countries affected by such history). It is rich and powerful in metaphors, which lends itself to literature — and thus we have returned to my continuing education. And I hope, perhaps, to yours. I am always on the alert for more good books on cricket — a bit challenging in the US but worth the effort.
The Times Cricket Quiz Book: 2000 Questions on English and International Cricket
The Times Cricket Quiz Book: 2000 Questions on English and International Cricket
The definitive cricket quiz book with 2000 quality questions on all aspects of the game.
Since England won the Ashes in 2005 cricket has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity. This book will appeal to quiz goers but also to cricket enthusiasts to enjoy as an informative read.
Some of the facts and brainteasers will amuse and entertain as well.
Questions allude to all facets of the game including the laws of cricket, the politics, the history, the venues, the teams, the players, the results and the winners and the losers. The major tournaments are covered - the Test Matches, One Day Internationals, The World Cup, Twenty 20, County Cricket and Ashes contests.
Each quiz deals with a single category such as a county, a venue or a player but there are also some quirkier sections such as 'Cricket's Bad Boys', 'The Big Hitters', 'Players nicknames and middle names'. The questions vary in their level of difficulty and follow the formats listed here:
• straightforward question and answer
• true or false
• who am I?
• anagrams e.g. which player's name is an anagram of 'Fanned off twirl'
• who said?
• brainteaser e.g. which England player's name end in the letter i?