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[suraj]

Ever since coming to US I often felt out of place at drinking parties where everyone else had scnadalous stories to tell as ppl went around answering questions like "What is the weirdest place that you had sex at?" since I didn't have any interesting ones to report.

Maybe I can counter with- What is the weirdest place that you played cricket at???

This one should count for one:

Cricket has been played in some odd places - the north pole, on frozen lakes, even on the stage of a London theatre - but few odder (and less advisable) than a sandbank in Scotland's Moray Firth that has not been above water since freak tidal conditions in 1920.

Four brave/mad souls decided to recreate a match that legend has it was played on that occasion and rowed out to the spot. When the sodden clump surfaced, they set up a makeshift wicket, with a teddy bear for a wicketkeeper, and began playing. "The pitch was waterlogged and, unfortunately, as the wicket had been covered for 80 years, it didn't take spin very well," said 19-year-old Olivia Robinson. "But we bowled a few balls and mum was out for a duck." Unfortunately, their enthusiastic celebrations were mistaken by a member of public on the shore more than a mile away as signals for help and the coastguard were summoned. "We had received a report that there were people in trouble on the sand-bar," said a coastguard spokesman. "Cricket was not an explanation that immediately sprang to mind."


(from cricinfo)

[jaat69]

well....I played cricket in knee deep sea-water during low tides on the beach during my stay in the Andaman islands. I was there for an year as a student while my father was posted there.
Again during the same tenure, I visited an island with predominantly Nicobarese crowd, while representing a local Port Blair club. The match was held in what I thought was a jungle. We were given a welcome-lemon tea.
I was rather awe-struck by the general jungly ambience, along with my other team members.
By and by, as my eye settled in, I noticed a few hutments parched above the trees, and they were all around the ground. We were actually playing in a community park, it seemed, encircled by tree-cottages.
The Nicobari team was very atheletic, hard hitting and business-like. I knew, what the early Indian teams must have felt like, while playing in West Indies!
It was very similar. We lost the match, due mainly to our uncomfortably eerie feeling. I remember I took a great catch, which drew a lot of cheering and applause from the surrounding tree-houses, and I knew then, that there were people who were watching us play!

[suraj]

well....I played cricket in knee deep sea-water during low tides on the beach during my stay in the Andaman islands. I was there for an year as a student while my father was posted there.
Again during the same tenure, I visited an island with predominantly Nicobarese crowd, while representing a local Port Blair club. The match was held in what I thought was a jungle. We were given a welcome-lemon tea.
I was rather awe-struck by the general jungly ambience, along with my other team members.
By and by, as my eye settled in, I noticed a few hutments parched above the trees, and they were all around the ground. We were actually playing in a community park, it seemed, encircled by tree-cottages.
The Nicobari team was very atheletic, hard hitting and business-like. I knew, what the early Indian teams must have felt like, while playing in West Indies!
It was very similar. We lost the match, due mainly to our uncomfortably eerie feeling. I remember I took a great catch, which drew a lot of cheering and applause from the surrounding tree-houses, and I knew then, that there were people who were watching us play!

That is very interesting indeed !!!- Match in Andaman and Nicobar; never though abt that

[toney]

Nice post, jaat. How did the team from Nicobar catch on to cricket? I thought they wouldnt have a lot of exposure to intl cricket or even good coverage on Tv.

[gouravk]

Wow, that must be fun. Do A&N have a Ranji team ?

[MockTurtle]

there are not weird venues but the pictures are really nice....

http://www.cricket.mailliw.com/tag/cricket_photos+india

[jaat69]

A & N do not have a Ranji team, I think.
But I wondered at that time, how come these Nicobaries do not play in the State or National level.
They can be groomed better, I believe.
I asked my father, who at that time played for the A & N league, about these Nicobaries. He said that these guys don't perform satisfactorily in the local league matches, which take place in Port Blair. They represented a team called Jadwet Trading Co in the local league. But it seems their performance drops, when they play in unfamiliar conditions.
But at home in the jungles, they are fearsome. I remember, I was scared to face their fast bowler( I was only in class-11 then), may be the only time ever in my cricket-playing life!

btw...many of these bolwers may be dismissed as chuckers by the uptight ones like Darrel Hair....had they played under his hallowed umpire-ship!

[gouravk]

Oh they should have a Ranji team. Id be very interested to see how they go, pure natural unrefined talent.