White woman's cricket

My first time playing this British version of baseball and being the only white person in the room. But did I have the time of my life? Of course!

It was a spontaneous decision, but my experience wouldn´t be complete without trying cricket out. I saw some pictures on Google and thought it looked pretty simple. I played T-ball, a simpler version of baseball, many times, so I was confident to come to a university cricket session.

When I entered, I quickly realised I would be in a white woman minority. Indians are always in the majority of our university sports sessions, but it never happened to me I would be the only white person there. I found only one other female attendant, so I decided to stick by her side. Unfortunately, she had no idea how to play, so I had to confront a group of Indian guys.

To be clear, it´s not like I mind Indians attending the session or being the only white person there. Not at all! It´s only that, as a European, it hasn´t happened to me before, and to be honest, it was a life-changing experience. I don´t think you can imagine what it feels like until it happens to you personally. I think it is something everybody should experience because it gives you more understanding of minorities. How different and distant you feel from everyone. The feeling everybody must be looking at you, thinking how you don´t fit in at all.

I knew one of the guys from volleyball sessions, and he was glad to help me. My confidence in comparing cricket to baseball vanished when I saw they have two bats, not one. Since English is not my first language, trying to understand the rules with his Indian accent was a challenge indeed, but I managed.

I can´t explain how nice it felt playing with them. They were friendly, cheered for me, and clapped loudly whenever I scored. Any time I was confused or messed up, I was reassured.

Cricket is a fun game. It´s basically like baseball, but instead of running to three bases, you must reach a wicket 20 m ahead of you. Plus, your teammate is doing the same, and both of you have to reach the wicket on the other side to score.

To sum it up, I love how wrong I was proven to be about their assumptions about my race. I laughed hard during the session, and the hour was over in the blink of an eye.

May this be a sign you should step out of your comfort zone because you might be greeted with unforgettable experiences and new acquaintances.

Love,

Book and Tea Girl