Lily’s Blog, Dragon Absconded!
Baking Until I Drop

I decided long and hard (well a couple minutes) whether to title this post Cricket Woes or Cricket World Cup Woes. But West Indian cricket woes aren’t just in the world cup.

Sure, we’ve lost three matches straight. And if we don’t qualify well that’s what we deserve. But we haven’t only been having problems in world cup. I mean, come on, we barely made a total past 200 in either, I don’t think. What is wrong with us? Do we not want to win? Do we not want to try?

I used to be really into cricket. Not, that I could quote you scores and history and such. But, I watched and knew the players du jour. Some of the players I knew are still around but they’re retiring…you get the idea. All the young ones just kind of blend together.

Then, I went away to school. And I’m not the kind of person who reads her news online and stays up-to-date. I needed to watch it. Well, that’s kind of hard and expensive in Massachusetts. There were groups of students who would chip in together and rent service for special competitions or tours. But I wasn’t one of them. Meaning, I wasn’t part of that group of students and thus couldn’t/didn’t know how to be part of their cricket watching sub-groups. I mean, if these aren’t people you lime with, or are just politely friendly, how do you go up to them and say, “Hey, can I contribute to the cricket watching fund?” when you just don’t belong and any trace of your assertive nature has just totally gone down the toilet. Furthermore, it was just more TV. Sometimes it is almost easy to drop TV. Sometimes it felt like such a lonely time. Sometimes it still feels that way.

So you come back home after three years. You know Lara broke a record again. You know things but you don’t know names. You hear that we’re losing matches more often and aren’t the powerhouse we once were. Operative word is “hear”. I was very divorced from all this.

A couple years later you hear that Cricket World Cup is coming to West Indies. I remember when the outcome of the bids for packages in the different islands came out…I didn’t really have a clue what it meant. My brother and sisters were very angry and upset at the package we got, even more enraged when we found it we got that *because* that’s what our country bid for!!! So what the expense…so what! There was talk of boycott. I was like…meh? Well, I think that was in 2004/2005. I wasn’t really caring about much then. I did wonder if I would ever get a paycheque but aside from that…no paycheque meant less stress about getting a bank account and a credit card and cheques etc.

So, my prediction was that I wouldn’t get involved…not really. I’d find out the winners as I usually do. Be slightly unsure if we lost the last match we played. Oh, wait, you mean we actually WON a match??? I’m sure I did this to my dad many times in the last couple years.

But in the end…Cricket World Cup in my backyard? How could I resist the temptation to watch it. Not only to watch it, but to CARE? And pay attention. And actually fill up my poor boring blog with all of my rantings and ravings about it. Why did I bother? Why?? I am also scheduled to go to a match. Do you know that’s the ultimate torture for me?? Chennette says the facilities in Guyana are very nice. I hope they are such in Barbados. I worry about this a lot. My pills do lovely things to me. Furthermore, I’m not good at cricket matches. I like watching it live on TV but in person? No. I am so uncomfortable. I spent most of the time in the morning cranky, trying to sleep or trying to stay awake. It’s going to be horrible. But because of Chennette and her “you mean you’re not going to go to any matches?? historic??” peer-pressure and my love for West Indies, I decided to indulge and take a chance. I better not be disappointed. BETTER NOT BE!

Look, West Indies. GUYANA was packed. JUST FOR YOU. WE LOVE YOU. We don’t storm your houses or threaten you. We’re not really that violent (crime notwithstanding). We would like you to at least try to win. For us, if not for you. For the game?

(Yes, I pray to God for this too.)

Don’t let me down. I came out of depressed fandom for this. I started to care about this. Do you know what it is to make me care about something??? HMPH.

Can you believe my niece’s first cricket match was our side LOSING? Have you no shame?

But it is also all Chennette’s fault.
It must be.
Bigger sisters must always take the blame.

Maybe I should just go support Trinidad and Tobago in our regional competitions.
*sigh*