It's The Pits

By Big Perce
March 15 2010

It's time for the fourth and final part of Big Perce's Winter Quiz. There's a prize and the honour for the whole "Tour de Wath Main" up for grabs, but also a shot at a miniscule prize for the winner of this part. good luck everyone and once again, many thanks to Big Perce for his big effort on the quiz

13. Oh no! Its the Laws. What we should all know, but usually don't ( see in particular section 15 below).

a.You are the umpire. What is your decision?

  i. The batsman hits the ball low to a fielder, who dives forward and appears to catch the ball. The batsman 'walks', but there has been no appeal, nor has the batsman been given out. The fielder throws the ball to the keeper, who removes the bails. There is an appeal for a run out. The batsman is out of his ground. What is your decision?

  ii. The ball is struck over and beyond the sightscreen which is within the marked boundary. Before the ball touches the ground it is caught cleanly by a fielder who is obscured by the sightscreen from your vision -  but visible to the square leg umpire -  and is within the marked boundary. There is an appeal for a catch. What is your decision?

  iii. The last man is batting with a good batsman. From the first ball of the over, the no. 11 gets a lucky edge down towards the boundary. The batsmen complete a single, giving the good batsman the strike.  As the ball stops before reaching the boundary, a fielder kicks it over the boundary line. Do you, as umpire, have a decision to make? If you do, what is it?

    iv. You are home for a well deserved spot of leave in 1916 and agree to umpire a local club match. You are at the bowler's end and the batsman, wearing batting gloves that cover his wrist, is struck on the wrist by the ball, which is caught by the wicket keeper. There is an appeal for 'caught'. What is your decision?

 v. At a Pro40 match between Middlesex and Lancashire televised by Sky Sports, the toss is about to take place at the prescribed time, but only the Middlesex captain is present, together with Sky commentator Nasser Hussain, who is 'hosting' the toss and who claims that he has been asked by Lancashire to hand over their teamsheet and to undertake the toss for them as the non playing representative of their captain at the toss. The Lancashire players are all inside watching racing on TV. The Middlesex captain tosses the coin, after registering a protest at what he regards as a breach of the Laws, and Hussain calls correctly and decides to insert Middlesex in attrocious batting conditions. Middlesex then query the propriety of what has happened. What is your decision?

b. Gilbert Jessop, one of he biggest hitters of all time, hit very few sixes in his career. Why was that?

c. Who holds the copyright of the Laws of Cricket?

14. Clubs.

a. Who founded The Arabs CC?

b. In which museum can you find the I Zingari collection?

c. Which team played The Gentlemen of Middlesex and included in its team Twopenny, Red Cap, Mosquito and Bullocky?

d. With which organisation is the Quidnuncs CC connected?

e. For which Lancashire League club did Wes Hall play?

f. Who was Saltaire's great professional for eight seasons?

15. .....and no reference to cricket would be complete without a section devoted to...... the Sky Commentators.

a. Which Sky commentator has a geography degree?

b. How many times has David Boomble Lloyd been married (as at 21.9.09)?

c. Released by his county, this Sky commentator worked as a cleaner at Heathrow airport, before returning to county cricket with the same county.

d. Reporting for the BBC from the Lebanon which (now) Sky commentator advised listeners that six people had, '...been killed by lesbian gunfire...', quickly amending his statement to, 'I'm sorry, that should have been lesbianese gunfire'?

e. Which Sky commentator changed his name by adding 'Dylan' as a third Christian name, as a tribute to a favourite singer?

f. Which Sky commentator is at home on the 'air' and why?

g. This Sky commentator's first cricket club was Clayhall CC.

h. Which regular Sky commentator attended Felsted School?

16. Odds and ends.

a. Which cricketer and cricketing personalty is burried in the the same churchyard as a member of the Cambridge Spy Ring?

b. What was unusual about Phil Robinson's innings against Kent at Canterbury in 1988?

c. Which cricketer captained England in his only test match?

d. Who captained the opposition in the match in which Graeme Hick passed 8000 first class runs?

e. Who wrote a book entitled "46 not out"?

f. Which England test player represented his country at the League of Nations?

g. His finger is bent, his name is Brent. Who is he?

h. Whose Christian names are John Sidney Ernest?

i. This Cambridge University and Derbyshire batsman played in 25 first class matches.  This Cambridge University and Sussex all-rounder played in 44 first class matches. Each batted at number three for his country in an international match against each other. Who were the players and which countries did they represent?

j. What do these years have in common? 1903, 1920, 1921, 1947, 1976, 1980, 1982, 1985, 1990 and 1993.