Do you know there’s a sport called French cricket?
The season of test cricket is back as today India faces Australia in the long-anticipated Border-Gavaskar Trophy. First played in 1996-97, this ICC tournament is in its 15th edition at the moment. For those unaware, the trophy is a tribute to two legendary cricketers, Allan Border of Australia and Sunil Gavaskar of India. Interestingly, India has lifted the trophy 9 times, while Sachin Tendulkar has been the most successful batsman with 3235 runs. In contrast, Anil Kumble has been the most esteemed bowler with 111 wickets to his name.
Cricket, as we know and love today, is majorly a British game, although it has turned global since a long time now. But there’s a similar kind of game called the French cricket unknown to most people. Curious to know more about it? Keep your reading glasses on!
A children’s game
French cricket is a kind of cricket that was created especially for children, to keep them entertained and engaged during picnics and parties, so that the adults could make arrangements. It has a single batter whose only goal is to stay undismissed by the bowlers or the fielders (standing in a circle), just like in cricket. However, unlike cricket that has many forms of dismissal, French cricket only allows being caught or leg before wicket (LBW). Why? Because, there are no stumps in the game. Okay, but how is LBW ascertained then? Well, it happens only when the ball hits the batter’s leg typically below the knees.
The person who dismisses takes the place of the batter
What’s more interesting about this game is that there are as such no teams. Wondering then how it all works? As it turns out, whoever takes the catch, or the bowler involved in the LBW replaces the batter and the game restarts.
However, what’s most fascinating is that, if the batsman hits the ball, he can shift his position as per his own choice. In case he misses, he is not allowed to move. Wait, that’s not all either. Whoever retrieves the ball becomes the next bowler, that includes the spectators as well. In fact, there’s a rule which says that if any of the fieldsman wishes to be the next batter, he can appoint (by shouting the name) any of the audience to catch the ball on his behalf. Sounds complicated for a kids’ game, isn’t it? Well, we thought so too!
The origin story
Just like French fries, French toast, and French dressing aren’t French in origin, French cricket too isn’t. In fact, it originated in Australia in the late 19th century when both the British and the French were fighting to colonise the continent. Just like they did in India, the British introduced their favourite pastime cricket in Australia too. But the native Australians didn’t appreciate it and wanted to make their own version of the game. So, they made it such that not just adults but kids too could play it. They also changed several of the rules such as no teams, no stumps, no pitch and no fixed venue. Moreover, there’s also no fixed number of fieldsmen.
Why French?
It seemed like an Australian way to let the British know that they favoured the French over them. Not only that, it also proved that the colonised people dared to move beyond the British version of the game and make it their own. Experts however believe that since the batting motion in French cricket is similar to that of croquet (a French game of hitting the ball with a wooden stick), it was given the name. There are also others who believe that the name was given by the British to mock the French. It was their way of showing that while their form of cricket needed no introduction, this game of Australians needed that same due to lack of popularity. Interestingly, the game is also called “catch catch” in certain places.