The best simple way to explain test cricket is two nations, such as England and Australia. The batter keeps batting and the bowler keeps bowling until he is out (being caught out, bowler knocks bales off the wicket behind the batter, batter doesn’t cross the opposite line (crease) in runs back and forth. But the big differences is that a really good batter can be at it for a full day or longer. What's more, the batter can hit the ball in a 360-degree direction--even behind him! And if you build up 100 runs (by various methods), that is a century and you are a god on the day. Conversely, if you bowl a batter out on the first bowl, that is a golden duck and you are god on the day. But it keeps going for every batter (10 bat). They all get a chance at showing just how good they can be on the day. And this goes on for 4 or 5 days for every batter to go his full distance. The point is that you have to be very good to keep batting AND incredible endurance and concentration in the heat to bat for one or more days before collapsing into an out. Meanwhile, the fans sit in the stands or on the greens drinking beer and ripping off shirts to burn in the all-day sun. (See the “Barmy Army”–England’s world-travelling weird and hardcore fans.) All this while wearing their cricket whites through the noon-day sun. But the way, if you think cricket is a soft game, consider that you aren’t allowed to wear mitts with a ball coming directly at you that as hard as a baseball. Many a broken finger. And yes too, the game breaks for tea because the game goes on for all day, for 4 or 5 days.
To which, I add the following lengthy description.
It is a game of mind-numbing statistics and revered-commentators. I don't know that cricket could hold the attention of North Americans with their interest in fast-paced sports such as baseball, basketball, and grid iron. Cricket requires concentration for several days in summer heat. But attention spans have lessoned for Commonwealth nations as well with an additional version starting a few decades ago called the one dayer that lasts for only one day. You aren't allowed to wear whites and instead wear colours. Most cricket fans got used to that and there is currently a cricket world cup based on that Cricket world cup in India, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh.
Now, in the past few years has developed 20/20 which is about the length of a baseball game. Its controversial and for those who are time poor and with short attention spans. I don't follow it.
In the most broad terms, many (if not most) nations outside North American play international sports--not just for the Olympics but every year as part of their routine season. Returning to cricket and Steven Davies, it is a hard schedule with devout, sometimes eccentric fans. So think of Davies as the equivalent as England's Olympic squad on world tour and every year--the best of the best with only 11 that play. Americans, think of the 11 best baseball players and put them into a team; that team would then include Steven Davies.
The family version is beach cricket or backyard cricket with tennis ball and improvised wicket and bales for the bowler to aim at and knock off to cause an out. Imagine families, mates, etc. playing cricket on the beach sand with zinc oxide as their only defence. The photo was taken at a Perth's Cottesloe beach (coincidentally, the site of Heath Ledger's memorial).
I follow both rugby and cricket for different reasons. Cricket because it is historic (a few hundred years), international, endurance, devotional fan base, and like rugby, the players are exposed to the brunt of the ball with very little protective gear. While cricket is being played, there is order in the world.
Other cricket followers can correct or add to this. If you followed all that, you have a longer attention span than I gave you credit for.
