The game of

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

has inspired much poetry, most of which romanticises the sport and its culture.

Poems

Cricket: An Heroic Poem

:Hail, cricket, Glorious, manly, British Game! ::First of all Sports! be first alike in Fame. The poem by James Love is too long to quote in full; above are its opening two lines. It describes a match in 1744 between Kent and England. It is written in rhyming couplets. According to

H.S. Altham Harry Surtees Altham (30 November 1888 – 11 March 1965) was an English cricketer who became an important figure in the game as an administrator, historian and coach. His ''Wisden'' obituary described him as "among the best known personalities ...

, it "should be in every cricket lover's library" and "his description of the game goes with a rare swing". The poem is the first substantial piece of literature about cricket.

At Lord's

Poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral or writte ...

Francis Thompson Francis Joseph Thompson (16 December 1859 – 13 November 1907) was an English poet and Catholic mystic. At the behest of his father, a doctor, he entered medical school at the age of 18, but at 26 left home to pursue his talent as a writer a ...

: It is little I repair to the matches of the Southron folk, :: Though my own red roses there may blow; : It is little I repair to the matches of the Southron folk, :: Though the red roses crest the caps, I know. : For the field is full of shades as I near a shadowy coast, : And a ghostly batsman plays to the bowling of a ghost, : And I look through my tears on a soundless-clapping host :: As the run stealers flicker to and fro, ::: To and fro: :: O my

Hornby Hornby may refer to: Places In England * Hornby, Lancashire * Hornby, Hambleton, village in North Yorkshire * Hornby, Richmondshire, village in North Yorkshire Elsewhere * Hornby, Ontario, community in the town of Halton Hills, Ontario, Canad ...

and my Barlow long ago! : It's Glo'ster coming North, the irresistible, :: The Shire of the

Graces In Greek mythology, the Charites ( ), singular ''Charis'', or Graces, were three or more goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity, goodwill, and fertility. Hesiod names three – Aglaea ("Shining"), Euphrosyne ("Joy"), and Thali ...

, long ago! : It's Gloucestershire up North, the irresistible, :: And new-risen

Lancashire Lancashire ( , ; abbreviated Lancs) is the name of a historic county, ceremonial county, and non-metropolitan county in North West England. The boundaries of these three areas differ significantly. The non-metropolitan county of Lancashi ...

the foe! : A Shire so young that has scarce impressed its traces, : Ah, how shall it stand before all-resistless Graces ? : O, little red rose, their bats are as maces :: To beat thee down, this summer long ago! : This day of seventy-eight they are come up north against thee :: This day of seventy-eight long ago! : The champion of the centuries, he cometh up against thee, :: With his brethren, every one a famous foe! : The long-whiskered Doctor, that laugheth the rules to scorn, : While the bowler, pitched against him, bans the day he was born; : And G.F. with his science makes the fairest length forlorn; :: They are come from the West to work thee woe! : It is little I repair to the matches of the Southron folk, :: Though my own red roses there may blow; : It is little I repair to the matches of the Southron folk, :: Though the red roses crest the caps, I know. : For the field is full of shades as I near a shadowy coast, : And a ghostly batsman plays to the bowling of a ghost, : And I look through my tears on a soundless-clapping host :: As the run stealers flicker to and fro, ::: To and fro: :: O my Hornby and my Barlow long ago! Not long before his death and long after he had watched Hornby and Barlow bat at

Old Trafford Old Trafford () is a football stadium in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, England, and the home of Manchester United. With a capacity of 74,310 it is the largest club football stadium (and second-largest football stadium overall after Wemb ...

Thompson Thompson may refer to: People * Thompson (surname) * Thompson M. Scoon (1888–1953), New York politician Places Australia *Thompson Beach, South Australia, a locality Bulgaria * Thompson, Bulgaria, a village in Sofia Province Canada * ...

was invited to watch

play

Middlesex Middlesex (; abbreviation: Middx) is a Historic counties of England, historic county in South East England, southeast England. Its area is almost entirely within the wider urbanised area of London and mostly within the Ceremonial counties of ...

Lord's Lord's Cricket Ground, commonly known as Lord's, is a cricket venue in St John's Wood, London. Named after its founder, Thomas Lord, it is owned by Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) and is the home of Middlesex County Cricket Club, the England and ...

. As the day of the match grew closer,

became increasingly nostalgic. At the end, he did not go for the match, but sat at home and wrote

At Lord's The game of cricket has inspired much poetry, most of which romanticises the sport and its culture. Poems Cricket: An Heroic Poem :Hail, cricket, Glorious, manly, British Game! ::First of all Sports! be first alike in Fame. The poem by James L ...

. The original match in 1878 ended in a draw, with

Gloucestershire Gloucestershire ( abbreviated Glos) is a county in South West England. The county comprises part of the Cotswold Hills, part of the flat fertile valley of the River Severn and the entire Forest of Dean. The county town is the city of Gl ...

needing 111 to win with five wickets in hand, Grace 58*. The first stanza of the poem has contributed the titles of at least three books on cricket: * G. D. Martineau's ''The field is full of shades'' *

Eric Midwinter Eric Clare Midwinter OBE, (born February 1932) is an English author, broadcaster and academic. He is a consumer advocate, a social policy analyst, a historian of the sport of cricket and an expert on British comedy. Life and career Eric Midw ...

's history of Lancashire cricket ''Red roses crest the caps'' * R. H. Young's ''Field Full of Shades''. A personal history of Claverham (

Yatton Yatton is a village and civil parish within the unitary authority of North Somerset, which falls within the ceremonial county of Somerset, England. It is located south-west of Bristol. Its population in 2011 was 7,552. The parish includes Clav ...

) Cricket Club. The first stanza is also quoted in full by Count Bronowsky in Paul Scott's Raj Quartet novel ''

The Day of the Scorpion ''The Day of the Scorpion'' is a 1968 novel by Paul Scott, the second in his ''Raj Quartet''. It is set in India during World War II as the influence of the British erodes. The novel focuses on old Raj family, the Laytons, the aftermath of the ...

''.

''Punch'' on William Scotton

The satirical magazine ''Punch'' printed the following poem following a particularly slow and boring innings by

William Scotton William Henry Scotton (15 January 1856 – 9 July 1893) was a cricketer who played for Nottinghamshire County Cricket Club and England. Scotton played his first match at Lord's for Sixteen Colts of England against the Marylebone Cricket Club on ...

. It mimicked

Tennyson Alfred Tennyson, 1st Baron Tennyson (6 August 1809 – 6 October 1892) was an English poet. He was the Poet Laureate during much of Queen Victoria's reign. In 1829, Tennyson was awarded the Chancellor's Gold Medal at Cambridge for one of his ...

's "Break, break, break". :Block, block, block ::At the foot of thy wicket, O Scotton! :And I would that my tongue would utter ::My boredom. You ''won't'' put the pot on! :Oh, nice for the bowler, my boy, ::That each ball like a barndoor you play! :Oh, nice for yourself, I suppose, ::That you stick at the wicket all day! :And the clock's slow hands go on, ::And you still keep up your sticks; :But oh! for the lift of a smiting hand, ::And the sound of a swipe for six! :Block, block, block, ::At the foot of thy wicket, ah do! :But one hour of

Grace Grace may refer to: Places United States * Grace, Idaho, a city * Grace (CTA station), Chicago Transit Authority's Howard Line, Illinois * Little Goose Creek (Kentucky), location of Grace post office * Grace, Carroll County, Missouri, an uninco ...

Walter Read Walter William Read (born 23 November 1855 in Reigate, Surrey, died 6 January 1907 in Addiscombe Park, Surrey) was an English cricketer. A fluent right hand bat, he was also an occasional bowler of lobs who sometimes switched to quick overa ...

::Were worth a week of you!

Alfred Mynn

When Alfred Mynn died in 1861,

William Jeffrey Prowse William Jeffrey Prowse, often known as Jeff Prowse (6 May 1839 – 17 April 1870) was an English journalist, poet, humorist and lyricist. Family An only child born in Torquay, Devon, he resided with his uncle, the shipbroker John Sparke Prowse i ...

penned a poem in his memory. The first six stanzas compare Mynn with his contemporaries and the poem closes with these lines: :With his tall and stately presence, with his nobly moulded form, :His broad hand was ever open, his brave heart was ever warm; :All were proud of him, all loved him. As the changing seasons pass, :As our champion lies a-sleeping underneath the Kentish grass, :Proudly, sadly will we name him – to forget him were a sin. :Lightly lie the turf upon thee, kind and manly Alfred Mynn!

Les Murray

The Australian poet Les Murray wrote "The Aboriginal Cricketer''": :Good-looking young man :in your

Crimea Crimea, crh, Къырым, Qırım, grc, Κιμμερία / Ταυρική, translit=Kimmería / Taurikḗ ( ) is a peninsula in Ukraine, on the northern coast of the Black Sea, that has been occupied by Russia since 2014. It has a pop ...

n shirt :with your willow shield :up, as if to face spears, :you're inside their men's Law, :one church they do obey; :they'll remember you were here. :Keep fending off their casts. :Don't come out of character. :Like you they suspect :idiosyncrasy of witchcraft. :Above all, don't get out :too easily, and have to leave here :where all missiles are just leather :and come from one direction. :Keep it noble. Keep it light.

Others

One of the most famous pieces of nostalgic rose-tinted poems is Vitaï Lampada by Sir

Henry Newbolt Sir Henry John Newbolt, CH (6 June 1862 – 19 April 1938) was an English poet, novelist and historian. He also had a role as a government adviser with regard to the study of English in England. He is perhaps best remembered for his poems "Vit ...

. :There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night— :Ten to make and the match to win— :A bumping pitch and a blinding light, :An hour to play and the last man in. :And it's not for the sake of the ribboned coat, :Or the selfish hope of a season's fame, :But his Captain's hand on his shoulder smote :"Play up! play up! and play the game!" :The sand of the Desert is sodden red,— :Red with the wreck of a square that broke— :The Gatling's jammed and the colonel dead, :And the regiment blind with dust and smoke. :The river of death has brimmed its banks, :And England's far, and Honour a name, :But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks, :"Play up! play up! and play the game!" :This is the word that year by year :While in her place the school is set :Every one of her sons must hear, :And none that hears it dare forget. :This they all with a joyful mind :Bear through life like a torch in flame, :And falling fling to the host behind— :"Play up! play up! and play the game!" The very short "A Cricket Poem" by

Harold Pinter Harold Pinter (; 10 October 1930 – 24 December 2008) was a British playwright, screenwriter, director and actor. A Nobel Prize winner, Pinter was one of the most influential modern British dramatists with a writing career that spanne ...

encapsulates the mood and nostalgia common to lovers of cricket: :I saw

Len Hutton Sir Leonard Hutton (23 June 1916 – 6 September 1990) was an English cricketer. He played as an opening batsman for Yorkshire County Cricket Club from 1934 to 1955 and for England in 79 Test matches between 1937 and 1955. ''Wisden Cricketer ...

in his prime, :Another time, :another time.

Andrew Lang Andrew Lang (31 March 1844 – 20 July 1912) was a Scottish poet, novelist, literary critic, and contributor to the field of anthropology. He is best known as a collector of folk and fairy tales. The Andrew Lang lectures at the University ...

's cricketing parody of

Ralph Waldo Emerson Ralph Waldo Emerson (May 25, 1803April 27, 1882), who went by his middle name Waldo, was an American essayist, lecturer, philosopher, abolitionist, and poet who led the transcendentalist movement of the mid-19th century. He was seen as a champ ...

's "

Brahma Brahma ( sa, ब्रह्मा, Brahmā) is a Hindu god, referred to as "the Creator" within the Trimurti, the trinity of supreme divinity that includes Vishnu, and Shiva.Jan Gonda (1969)The Hindu Trinity Anthropos, Bd 63/64, H 1/2, pp. 21 ...

" is memorable: :If the wild bowler thinks he bowls, :Or if the batsman thinks he's bowled, :They know not, poor misguided souls, :They too shall perish unconsoled. :I am the batsman and the bat, :I am the bowler and the ball, :The umpire, the pavilion cat, :The roller, pitch, and stumps, and all. Roy Harper's song "

When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease "When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease" is a track on the Roy Harper album '' HQ'', a prominent example of cricket poetry. Released as a single twice, in 1975 and 1978, it is possibly Harper's best-known song. The song captures the atmosphere o ...

" (1975) is perhaps the best-known cricket lyric in contemporary popular music: :When an old cricketer leaves the crease, you never know whether he's gone, :If sometimes you're catching a fleeting glimpse, of a twelfth man at silly mid-on. :And it could be Geoff, and it could be

John John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Secon ...

, :With a new ball sting in his tail. :And it could be me, and it could be thee, :And it could be the sting in the ale... sting in the ale. :(partial) Roy Harper also penned a poem for English cricketer Graeme Fowler's benefit event, " Three Hundred Words": :I remember Pat Tetley, :and romping in grass :- that was tall – :at the back of the

cricket field A cricket field is a large grass field on which the game of cricket is played. Although generally oval in shape, there is a wide variety within this: some are almost perfect circles, some elongated ovals and some entirely irregular shapes with l ...

, :trying to catch glimpses :of

knickers Panties (in American English; also called pants, undies, or knickers in British English) are a form of women's underwear. Panties can be form-fitting or loose. Typical components include an elastic Waistline (clothing), waistband, a crotch pan ...

and ass, :whilst over the fence :the crowd yelled, ooh-ed and roared, :as Ramadhin, Weekes and

Frank Worrell Sir Frank Mortimer Maglinne Worrell (1 August 1924 – 13 March 1967), sometimes referred to by his nickname of Tae, was a West Indies cricketer and Jamaican senator. A stylish right-handed batsman and useful left-arm seam bowler, he became fam ...

all scored... : :(partial) > Australian poet Damian Balassone often employs cricket themes, such as in the poem "Strange Dismissal", which appears in '' Quadrant'' magazine: :It sounds silly :but it’s harsh :to be caught Lillee :bowled Marsh, ::but that’s what happened to me ::the over prior to tea.

Miscellaneous verses and songs

"The Surrey Poet" on Jack Hobbs

Albert Craig, better known as "The Surrey Poet", was a popular figure at

The Oval The Oval, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the Kia Oval, is an international cricket ground in Kennington, located in the borough of Lambeth, in south London. The Oval has been the home ground of Surrey County Cricket Club since ...

at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century, hawking his rapidly improvised verses to the crowd. Of

Jack Hobbs Sir John Berry Hobbs (16 December 1882– 21 December 1963), always known as Jack Hobbs, was an English professional cricketer who played for Surrey from 1905 to 1934 and for England in 61 Test matches between 1908 and 1930. Known as "The Mast ...

County Championship The County Championship (referred to as the LV= Insurance County Championship for sponsorship reasons) is the domestic first-class cricket competition in England and Wales and is organised by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB). It bec ...

debut he wrote: :Joy reigned in the Pavilion, :And gladness 'mongst his clan :While thousands breathed good wishes round the ring; :Admirers dubbed the youngster :As Surrey's coming man; :In Jack Hobbs' play they saw the genuine ring. :'Twas well worth going to see :Illustrious Hayward's smile, :While

Razor Smith William Charles "Razor" Smith (4 October 1877 – 15 July 1946) was a Surrey slow bowler. Nicknamed "Razor" because of his extreme thinness, Smith was a frail man and prone to serious injury; he could rarely get through a full season's cricke ...

and Walter Lees :Cheered with the rank and file.

Victory Calypso

At Lord's in 1950, West Indies defeated England in England for the first time. Egbert Moore, who sang under the pseudonym Lord Beginner, popularized the most famous of cricketing calypsos to celebrate the occasion. He was accompanied by Calypso Rhythm Kings, "supervision" by Denis Preston. It was recorded on the

Melodisc Melodisc Records was a record label founded by Emil E. Shalit in the late 1940s. It was one of the first independent record labels in the UK and the parent company of the Blue Beat label. History Melodisc records was founded by Austrian-born A ...

(1133) label (MEL 20). The song was originally composed by Lord Kitchener. "The Victory Calypso" also immortalised the spin bowling pair of

Sonny Ramadhin Sonny Ramadhin, Chaconia Medal, CM (1 May 1929 – 27 February 2022) was a West Indian cricket team, West Indian cricketer, and was a dominant bowler of the 1950s. He was the first of many West Indian cricketers of Indo-Trinidadian, Indian orig ...

and

Alf Valentine Alfred Louis Valentine (28 April 1930 – 11 May 2004) was a West Indies cricket team, West Indian cricketer in the 1950s and 1960s. He is most famous for his performance in the West Indies' 1950 tour of England cricket team, England, which was ...

. The calypso begins thus: :Cricket lovely Cricket, :At Lord's where I saw it; :Cricket lovely Cricket, :At Lord's where I saw it; :Yardley tried his best :But Goddard won the Test. :They gave the crowd plenty fun; :Second Test and West Indies won. Chorus: With those two little pals of mine ::Ramadhin and Valentine.

The Ashes ( Australia vs MCC 1954–55)

Tyson taught them a lesson that can't be forgotten,
Tyson taught them a lesson that can't be forgotten,
We began quietly, but we came back with victory,
Good captaincy from

, but the honours must go to Typhoon Tyson. Australia's tragedy, it began at Sydney,
Magnificent Tyson, had their batsmen beaten,
He went on to give us, a victory for Christmas,
Good captaincy from Len Hutton, but the honours must go to Typhoon Tyson. More shocks for Australia, the Melbourne disaster,
As Favell got going, his wicket went tumbling,
We got them out cheaply, and score second victory,
Good captaincy from Len Hutton, but the honours must go to Typhoon Tyson. The bowling was so good, it remind them of Larwood,
Magnificent Tyson finished with seven for twenty-seven,
They had no excuses, we regained

the Ashes The Ashes is a Test cricket series played between England and Australia. The term originated in a satirical obituary published in a British newspaper, ''The Sporting Times'', immediately after Australia's 1882 victory at The Oval, its first Te ...

,
Good captaincy from Len Hutton, but the honours must go to Typhoon Tyson.

Gavaskar Calypso

Lord Relator (born Willard Harris) wrote the "Gavaskar Calypso" to celebrate Gavaskar's first Test series, in West Indies in 1970–71. This was voted at No. 68 at a "Calypso of the Century" poll (although "Victory Calypso" did not feature in the list). The most famous part of the "Gavaskar Calypso" is the one that describes how he batted "like a wall": :It was Gavaskar :The real master :Just like a wall :We couldn't out Gavaskar at all :Not at all :You know the West Indies couldn't out Gavaskar at all.

A. E. Housman

Cricket features, albeit briefly, in late-Victorian poet

A. E. Housman Alfred Edward Housman (; 26 March 1859 – 30 April 1936) was an English classical scholar and poet. After an initially poor performance while at university, he took employment as a clerk in London and established his academic reputation by pub ...

's most famous collection of somewhat gloomy poems '' A Shropshire Lad'', published in 1896 and never out-of-print since then. Poem XVII reads: :Twice a week the winter thorough :Here stood I to keep the goal: :Football then was fighting sorrow :For the young man’s soul. :Now in Maytime to the wicket :Out I march with bat and pad: :See the son of grief at cricket :Trying to be glad. :Try I will; no harm in trying: :Wonder 'tis how little mirth :Keeps the bones of man from lying :On the bed of earth.

10cc Dreadlock Holiday

Dreadlock Holiday "Dreadlock Holiday" is a reggae song by 10cc. Written by Eric Stewart and Graham Gouldman, it was the lead single from the band's 1978 album, '' Bloody Tourists''. Composition The song was based on real events Eric Stewart and Moody Blues voca ...

" is probably the most well-known pop song to mention cricket.

10cc 10cc are an English rock band formed in Stockport in 1972. The group initially consisted of four musicians – Graham Gouldman, Eric Stewart, Kevin Godley and Lol Creme – who had written and recorded together since 1968. The group featured t ...

's hit single reached number 1 in the UK in 1978. However, the song has only a tenuous connection with cricket, mentioning it in the chorus: "I don't like cricket, oh no, I love it".

Duckworth Lewis Method

The group

The Duckworth Lewis Method The Duckworth Lewis Method are an Irish pop group formed by Neil Hannon of The Divine Comedy and Thomas Walsh of Pugwash. The Duckworth Lewis Method is also the title of the group's first album, which was released on 3 July 2009, a few days b ...

have released two

concept album A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Som ...

s about cricket, entitled ''The Duckworth Lewis Method'' and ''Sticky Wickets''.

Poetry books

* ''Moments and Thoughts'', by

John Snow (cricketer) John Augustine Snow (born 13 October 1941) is a retired English cricketer. He played for Sussex and England in the 1960s and 1970s. Snow was England's most formidable fast bowler between Fred Trueman and Bob Willisp231, Swanton, 1986. and played ...

(Kaye & Ward Ltd., 1973) * ''A Breathless Hush: The MCC Anthology of Cricket Verse'', by Hubert Doggart and

David Rayvern Allen David Leonard Rayvern Allen (5 February 1938 – 9 October 2014)Michael Dow"David Rayvern Allen obituary" ''The Guardian'', 26 October 2014 was a cricket writer and historian, as well as a radio producer and presenter, a speaker and a musician. Hi ...

(2004) *''Come Shane'', by Victoria Coverdale (Make Jam Press, 2006) . A poetic tribute to

Shane Warne Shane Keith Warne (13 September 1969 – 4 March 2022) was an Australian international cricketer, whose career ran from 1991 to 2007. Warne played as a right-arm leg spin bowler and a right-handed batsman for Victoria, Hampshire and Australia ...

from a female admirer and how her world changed when "that" ball was delivered. * ''A Tingling Catch: A Century of New Zealand Cricket Poems 1864–2009'', edited by

Mark Pirie Mark Pirie (born 30 April 1974) is a New Zealand poet, writer, literary critic, anthologist, publisher, and editor. He is best known for his Generation X New Zealand anthology ''The NeXt Wave'', which included an 8,000-word introduction (1998), t ...

(Wellington, N.Z.: HeadworX Publishers). . First anthology of New Zealand cricket poems. * ''Cautionary Tales from the Pavilion: A Short Collection of Verse'', by Giscard Drew (2014) * ''Hows Its'', by Nick Whittock (Inken Publish, 2014). * ''Leg Avant: The New Poetry of Cricket'', edited by Richard Parker (Crater Press, 2016) * ''Less Cautionary Tales from the Pavilion: A Slightly Longer Collection of Verse'', by Gas Card Drew (2020)

References

Bibliography

*''They Made Cricket'' by G. D. Martineau (1956), Museum Press *''The Penguin Cricketer's Companion'' ed. Alan Ross (1981)

External links

Complete text of "Vitai Lampada"Frindall column referring to "Victory Calypso"Audio of famous cricket calypsos
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cricket Poetry Cricket poems Cricket culture