The world of cricket is a quiet one. The viewer embarks on an arduous journey, sometimes lasting five days. In the worst case, one without a winner. The exact opposite is now happening in Spain. Records are tumbling in the game between the hosts and the Isle of Man.
Even after the biggest defeat in history, there was no mood of doom. Spain inflict the heaviest defeat ever on the Isle of Man cricket team, the small island in the Irish Sea, and yet there really are no losers. Because the cricket world is far too small below the top of the world. The players from the Iberian Peninsula only needed three shots before the game was over. The debacle had already been hinted at beforehand. The men from the tax haven between England and Ireland only scored ten points.
cricket These are miserably long games, tea breaks, waiting times. cricket This is not for people who want a quick decision. However, that does not change the fact that sport is particularly important in the Commonwealth countries. The game with the wickets and bats, the wooden sticks and bats, enjoys great popularity there and is again a highlight in the Ashes series between England and Australia this year.
In five Tests over five days, teams from both countries will compete over an urn said to contain the remains of an item cremated after England's first home defeat in 1882. So far so bizarre. And: How boring for the eye used to speed. A nightmare for those who no longer trust anyone to spend more than 30 seconds on something.
But it's not that far yet: the Ashes series is being broadcast with all sorts of fanfare, the stadiums are packed, viewers are allowed to bring their food, stretch out in the stands and enjoy the excitement on the field. The sport, which is somewhat reminiscent of US baseball, has long since arrived in the modern age. There are TV contracts worth at least three-digit millions, video evidence and all sorts of data gimmicks. There are dedicated podcasts, blogs, and hard-hitting experts who devour every mistake players make. In epic breadth, because the game with eleven players on both sides lasts forever.
In the five-day test matches, both teams compete twice to defend their wicket, the small wooden stick, and collect enough points. The other team, meanwhile, is attempting to clear the wicket or provoke the opponent's batsmen into making other mistakes. There is no limit to the over, the smallest unit of the game, consisting of six consecutive, lawful throws by a bowler, a pitcher. An innings ends when ten batsmen are out or enough points have been scored that the batting side is better off without more. Because otherwise it can also happen that a game that was believed to be won ends in a draw after five days because the four innings were not completed. Points are awarded for runs and for shots that come off the field. Four if the ball first hits the ground and six if it just flies out.
But because hardly anyone has that much time, nobody can concentrate on anything anyway and the sport of cricket had to open up to modern times, all sorts of new formats have been introduced in recent years to speed up the game. To make the game more attractive in other countries as well. The smaller nations are also involved there, and there has been a historic moment these days. The Isle of Man squad was officially named the worst team ever and then headed to the pub to wash down their frustration. The tea break turned into a beer night. The first tour since the summer of 2022 went terribly wrong. The two teams wanted to play a total of six games in three days. Due to the lack of space, there were five. All won by the Spaniards, who were positioned just three spots above the Isle of Man at 36th in the world rankings.
"We don't usually drink when we're on tour," Greig Weight, the manager of the small island cricket team between England and Ireland, told the Telegraph, "but this time I thought the best medicine was served in beer glasses becomes." What happened? In T20 cricket, both teams play only one innings each over a maximum of 20 overs. Whoever has the most points at the end wins the game, which now only lasts about three hours instead of five days. Or much shorter if you play for the Isle of Man against Spain. Then it's over after a few minutes.
First, the team's ten batsmen only collected ten points in total, by far the worst result ever in a documented T20 game, and then after two throws by the Isle of Man bowler, the game was over again. The Spaniards hit their two shots perfectly. "We had the momentum. Everything we did worked. We were in the flow. We got the wickets. And suddenly there was a record," says Brit John Howden in an interview with ntv.de. Howden came to Spain from the US about 20 years ago, saw an advertisement for a cricket team in a local newspaper and was immersed in the small world of Spanish cricket. Now CEO of Cricket España, he talks about the record and then another. He says: "Only one of our players, Awais Ahmed, scored all the points. That's probably a world record too."
One doused by the Isle of Man in the pub and taken away by the Spanish. After a friendly farewell to the rivals from La Manga, the venue, they made their way to their hometowns. "A lot of our players don't drink for religious reasons and they still had trains and flights to catch," says Howden. Because on Monday they had to appear at work again. Nobody in Spain can make a living from cricket for a long time. The team with players from different cultural backgrounds is of course not a professional team, but it has one goal: the top 32 in the world rankings.
The top 32 is like the jackpot in international cricket. Those who stand there in autumn can take part in "50 Over Cricket" and measure themselves against the big nations. "We're taking a leap forward now," says Howden. "Of course we want to go up there. By the way, Germany is in a similar position." The selection of the new national coach Atiq-Uz-Zaman is still just ahead of Spain, but just outside the top 32.
The Isle of Man, on the other hand, can tick off the dream of a top 32. But they never had anyway. Last week, however, they snagged the world record and put the Isle of Man on the cricket map. John Howden will not forget the game.
