Slow Down and Enjoy the "Gentleman's Game"
By Rekke Editorial
"Howzaaat!"
No longer a game for only Gentlemen, the prevalence of women's teams and competitions has grown to the extent that there are separate World Cups in the T20 format of this beautiful game. This is a sport for all. That said, the "Gentleman's Game", is not really about gender roles it is about the spirit of the game, the manner in which it is played, with the traditional thinking around "Gentlemanly Conduct" - applauding your opponents accomplishments, owning up to errors, being honest. Although commercialism has degraded some of this in the highest levels of professional sport, this is still a key tenet of the grass-roots levels of the game.
Cricket is an institution across much of the English-speaking world, and in quite a few other places besides. It is a game in which nothing is hurried—play stops for poor light, rain, cold, and even hunger as a matter of course. Matches begin at a reasonable hour, end at a reasonable hour, and the frequent breaks for meals invite you to enjoy the time without stress. Give it a whole day, eat and drink to your heart’s content, and simply relax while watching a spectacle as fast-paced as fighting sloths—yet far more enjoyable than you might imagine.
Barbados has an immense passion for cricket and a deep history with the sport, producing numerous legendary players, and serving as home to one of the Caribbean’s most famous stadiums, Kensington Oval. It is ingrained in Barbadian culture, visible in daily life, and reflected in teams such as the Barbados Pride in domestic competition, and the Barbados Royals in the Caribbean Premier League. The island’s rich cricket legacy is also highlighted at the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum.
Should you come across a game in progress during your travels around the island, stop, sit and watch, meet the locals, and learn a little more about the game and those who play it. The local cricket scene is very active, and the people who play very welcoming.
Famous Barbadian cricketers include the legendary trio known as the “Three Ws” (Everton Weekes, Frank Worrell, and Clyde Walcott), the all-rounder Sir Garfield Sobers, fast bowlers Malcolm Marshall and Joel Garner, and the prolific opening pair Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge. The island has a rich cricket history, producing many of the world’s greatest players who have taken the field for the West Indies team.
“Five days for no result? That’s just insane.” Yes, it is possible for a game of cricket to last five days and produce no result. These matches are known as Test matches. Typically played between teams from two countries, each side is entitled to two innings with the entire team batting, with exceptions too complex for this narrative. While one team is batting, the other is in the field and bowling.
Other forms of the game include One Day matches, in which each team is allocated 50 sets of six-ball “overs,” and T20, a similar format lasting about three hours, with only 20 overs per team. With this variation, it is easy to see how T20 becomes a virtual slugfest — hit as much and as hard as possible because time is limited. Test matches, by contrast, are slow, considered, tactical games of patience: go too hard and you risk losing control, go too slowly and you may never reach the target. One Day cricket sits between the two formats, balancing aggression with restraint.
Back to the beginning: “Howzaaat!” The unmistakable cry from the field when players are absolutely convinced a batsman is “out.” “How is that?” is far too much effort. Instead, it becomes a joyful bellow aimed at the umpire, asking them to decide whether the batsman has fallen afoul of one of the myriad of ways their turn can come to an end.
Cricket is a mellow, enjoyable game, best savored with a cool drink and a bite to eat while soaking up the sun and following the slow-moving spectacle on the field. If you don’t feel like watching a match—or there isn’t one on—visit the Cricket Legends of Barbados Museum in Bridgetown to explore the history, character, and cultural significance of this beloved game.
The Grandstand
