TOPIC:

It's odd how Great Britain compete as "one nation" at the Olympics.

Northern Irish have the choice to represent the Republic of Ireland or Great Britain.

In cricket Northern Ireland and The Republic combine to form the Ireland side whereas Wales join with England to form the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Apart from Ireland; Isle of Man, Guernsey, Jersey and Scotland all have their own cricket teams.

And however unlikely it probably is that an Olympic standard athlete would be found in Saint Helena or The Falklands/Las Malvinas, those sportspeople would represent GBR also. Both of those have their own national cricket teams as well. Although obviously they are ranked outside the top 100 cricket nations.

LH: good post; in general I would prefer to see them compete as the UK, eschewing all this nationalist stuff that has been about for decades. South Wales is Anglophile so it not suprising they follow the tccb as I still refer to it. It is good that the Irish play together in cricket, producing as they have one or two players of late, Morgan and Joyce. As you know Morgan captain's England in the one day internationals and KFC cricket.

Sadly, you would never see the working-class of NI playing together: your either British or Irish.

In regards Argentina, the MCC used to send sides out there on a fairly regular basis, I would say at least until the Second World War. How is cricket going there now?

ArkRoyal wrote: LH: good post; in general I would prefer to see them compete as the UK, eschewing all this nationalist stuff that has been about for decades. South Wales is Anglophile so it not suprising they follow the tccb as I still refer to it. It is good that the Irish play together in cricket, producing as they have one or two players of late, Morgan and Joyce. As you know Morgan captain's England in the one day internationals and KFC cricket.

Sadly, you would never see the working-class of NI playing together: your either British or Irish.

In regards Argentina, the MCC used to send sides out there on a fairly regular basis, I would say at least until the Second World War. How is cricket going there now?

To be honest, cricket is introuble in Argentina. The ICC full members are doing everything possible to stunt the growth of the game outside the old guard sadly. That aside, unlike in rugby, hockey, polo and tennis where the traditional Anglo-Argentines (There are about 1 million Argentines who have British/Irish heritage) welcomed the Italian and Spanish majority into the fold, in cricket they did not....not until it was too late.

It's a strange cricket environment. The big private schools play it and have done for over 100 years and if you live in "a particular suburb" cricket is part of the culture. Two miles away and not a soul has heard of the sport.

Amazingly, for the small numbers they have, they are able to produce some damn good players. Guys that would be stars in WACA first grade and push for state selection. The guys that caught my eye when I lived there were Matias Paterlini - class batsman, who has scored a List A century (50 over level of First Class cricket), Pablo Ryan - 140kph bowler, Lucas Paterlini - scored 138 in a T20 WCQ v Bahamas. My young friend Lautaro Musiani, who has a cricket scholarship in England and bowls leg spin and bats top six and I guess Esteban MacDermott, the captain, who is a very cunning off-spinner.

So yeah its not in great shape but it survives.

Clubs - Lomas de Zamora, San Albano, Hurlingham, Bedes, St Georges, Belgrano, Buenos Aires Cricket y Rugby Club, Rosario, plus a couple of new youth clubs - Caacupe, Escobar. 3 turf pitches only. The other 7 are artificial.

Often I'd see kids in the nets after matches. Very very competitive - fast bowlers off the Jeff Thomson or for them the Diego Lord long run in - and not adverse to the occasional Castellano swear word.

How I wish people could see the potential. Eventually the big nations will understand how much they need to grow the game as the money runs out and India get more and more demonstrative.

Here is a sample of one of the grounds
2.bp.blogspot.com/-FoRJOF5kaPA/TnQCXVbSc...2Bcricket%2Bclub.jpg

LH: thanks for that; I know you would like things to be better, but I am glad it is still played to the degree it is in Argentina; it is a credit to the passion for the game possessed by the locals. I agree that India has far too much influence in cricket, mostly bad, especially concerning the lesser ICC countries. They have favourites, such as, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, as we know. In terms of the Afghans, the country does have a cricket culture, as the Pashtans live both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border. But Zimbabwe? Please. The country has about 40,000 white left, and as for the Africans, either they are not interestted enough in the sport, or given the current political environment in Harare, actually too poor to play cricket.

1 million Anglos, plus some Spanish and Italians in Argentina has a lot more potential than a declining colonial population in the old Southern Rhodesia.

A good win by the Lions today.

ArkRoyal wrote: LH: thanks for that; I know you would like things to be better, but I am glad it is still played to the degree it is in Argentina; it is a credit to the passion for the game possessed by the locals. I agree that India has far too much influence in cricket, mostly bad, especially concerning the lesser ICC countries. They have favourites, such as, Zimbabwe and Afghanistan, as we know. In terms of the Afghans, the country does have a cricket culture, as the Pashtans live both sides of the Afghan-Pakistan border. But Zimbabwe? Please. The country has about 40,000 white left, and as for the Africans, either they are not interestted enough in the sport, or given the current political environment in Harare, actually too poor to play cricket.

1 million Anglos, plus some Spanish and Italians in Argentina has a lot more potential than a declining colonial population in the old Southern Rhodesia.

A good win by the Lions today.

Yeah Zim just votes for whatever India tell them to and are well rewarded for doing so.

Yeah, we can see how the Argies have mastered all the other anglo sports. Hockey (Pronounced "okay" is much bigger there than here. It's a very different environment.

I'll try and find a vid of their "okay" chicas and the national anthem. It's weird at first but you get used to it. You have to understand that all Argentines know that their once top 10 economy/living standard is in an unstoppable downward spiral. A once "Australia" like nation gone to shit. And for that, they love their country even more...or weep for it even more.

Remember this is a ladies hockey match ... unbelievable scenes for those not familiar with Argentina.

Lh that gives the Poms a run for there money.The English in the crowd allways sing along to God Save The Queen.

gtrxuone wrote: Lh that gives the Poms a run for there money.The English in the crowd allways sing along to God Save The Queen.

Strangely enough, it was the poms that game Argentina sport. The commissioned railway workers, the youngens seeking a fortune, the cattle farmers, the ones just looking to settle in the new world.

You can even play lawn bowls at some clues atleticos in Buenos Aires. There aren't "rugby" or "cricket" or "okay" clubs in Argentina but combined "Clubs Atleticos" where you pay a fee and use the facilities of rugby, swimming, cricket, tennis, lawn bowls and at the really big clubs - polo tambien. (also)

Did I mention that there are quite a lot of cute girls in Buenos Aires? Ok, I've had my reminisce ....

But yeah, what idiot wouldn't want that hockey passion in cricket...best ask India and England...money matters

LH that is true about the very close relations between Argentina and the UK from the founding of the country until about the 1930s. The locals and the British built the country's infra-structure and London was their biggest export market. It was this combination which made the country rich in 1900, as you pointted out with aplomb. After the war, things changed, Britain adoptted imperial preference in its trade policy -- which helpped Australia -- but devestatted the farm sector in Argentina.

Without putting to finer point on it, the whole world plays British sport, even the yanks play soccer, especially as kids. It is good that there are people in Argentina whom appreciate the other British sports, such as, cricket rugby and hockey.

Gee whiz....Don't know how many times I've heard the commentators say how the Brits have found their form to perfection just in time for the Olympics.

They're giving us a bit of a touch up.

Poor old Canada. What's happened to them over the years. Not as much funding these days?

Sadly, our swimmers have done the opposite so it would seem