I promise not to mention the Black Caps…*
January 14, 2013
Scorecard
Genius comes in many forms: scientist
to poet, astrophysicist or scribe,
and from its milky way we imbibe
a celestial drink. We’re often pissed
on the fluffy ducks of cleverness,
garnished cocktails of the everafter.
But if you would engender laughter
and gales of glee quite effortless,
suggest that genius might reside
in knitting, crotchet or a recipe
for jam, or scones, or fricasee.
They’ll call you mad, in accents snide.
Quite different from the game of cricket
where it takes a Shane to take a wicket.
P.S. Cottier
Not another one?
Yes, it’s summer, and a young (or autumnal) woman’s fancy turns to cricket. And in keeping my poetry on its toes, at least as alert as a New Zealand batsman. (*I lied….)
In that spirit of relaxed experimentation, please find above a wee sonnet on a gender and cricket theme.
PS Cottier 
Or an Ellyse, I say! Or an Ellyse! (Thereby, I must admit, roundly missing the point.)
You can’t have her for the Black Caps.
Seriously, putting petty nationalism aside, is there a real reason why women (a few) couldn’t play cricket at the highest level
alongside men? Yes, women can’t bowl or run as fast, but they can do most everything else as well. Though I wouldn’t like to face a male fast bowler, there are women players who would not be intimidated. Am I being a hopeless idealist here? Perhaps the extra strength and speed which is emphasised at the highest level of the game is too significant a difference, as opposed to what occurs in the average social game. But it’s at least an idea that can be considered for an instant, whereas mixed rugby (unmodified) would not make any sense at all. Or mixed mixed martial arts…
Of course, at the same time, you wouldn’t want women’s cricket teams swamped by men.
The appalling non-payment (or comparatively low payment) of women in many sports does allow for someone like the wonderful Ellyse Perry who you mention, Tim, to emerge. She has played for Australia in both football (soccer) and cricket, and fights for her right to continue with both games at the club level. Now that’s an all-rounder for you! If she was a male player, full professionalism would have made her choose one sport or the other quite quickly.
I still think women’s sport is treated so badly in many ways, though, not least in the way ‘Australia’ means the men’s team in most international sports. I’m afraid I’m a little guilty of this too. But I’ll blame the media.
And to get back to the guts of the poem, I hate all the ‘feminine’ domestic arts, except for mixing gin and tonic.
One can tell by the volubility of my comment that I was practising my domestic art last night.