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{{wikipediainfo}}
{{Infobox Object
{{Infobox Object
|image=Cricket.jpg
|image   = Cricket at Cranleigh.jpg
|type=Sport
|type   = [[Sport]]
|first=The Chase (TV story)
|first mention cs = The Chase (TV story)
|made by=Humans
|first cs = The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)
|used by=mainly humans, but also others
|made by = [[Human]]s
|name=Cricket
|used by = [[Human]]s
}}
|clip    = The Doctor Plays Cricket - Black Orchid - Doctor Who - BBC
'''Cricket''' was a bat and ball game. Though primarily associated with [[Britain]] and her former colonies, ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Roof of the World (audio story)|The Roof of the World]]'') cricket became an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] sport by at least [[2060]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Nekromanteia]]'')
|bts    = Doctor Who The Doctors Revisited - Peter Davison's Classic Look
}}{{you may|Krikkit|not cricket}}
The [[Fifth Doctor]] called '''cricket''' "the greatest game in the universe". ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Phantasmagoria (audio story)}}) Though primarily associated with [[Britain]] and her former colonies, ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Roof of the World (audio story)}}) cricket became an [[Olympic Games|Olympic]] sport by [[2060]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Nekromanteia (audio story)}})
 
Some people thought that cricket was the key to defining the spirit of [[Britain]], and perhaps even [[democracy]] itself. Upon making a trip to [[Cuba]], for instance, [[the Brigadier]] thought that if that island nation "had rain and cricket to concentrate on ... [[Fidel Castro|Castro]] wouldn't have had a look in." ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Last of the Gaderene (novel)}})
 
In reality, however, cricket was a [[race memory]] of the gruesome [[Krikkit Wars]] launched by the [[Krikkita]]s in an attempt to [[genocide|wipe out all other life]] in the [[universe]]. Their soldiers, the [[Krikkitmen]], appeared similar to the cricket uniforms worn by humans. Other races such as the [[Time Lord]]s were disgusted that humans saw a war as a [[sport]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (novelisation)}})


[[The Doctor]] had a long relationship with the game. Although, in his [[First Doctor|first incarnation]], he claimed not to know the sport at all when he landed the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] in the middle of an [[Australia]]/[[England]] match, ([[TV]]: ''[[Volcano (episode)|Volcano]]'') in later incarnations, he seemed to know the game well. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Ribos Operation]]'', ''[[The Horns of Nimon]]'', ''[[Black Orchid (TV story)|Black Orchid]]'', ''[[Human Nature (TV story)|Human Nature]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Human Nature (novel)|Human Nature]]'', ''[[Happy Endings]]'', [[COMIC]]: ''[[The Tides of Time (comic story)|The Tides of Time]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]'') Indeed, the Doctor's [[Fifth Doctor|fifth self]] was particularly keen on the sport, sometimes playing it for months on end. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Happy Endings]]'')  In that life, he was even heard to call it "the greatest game in the universe". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Phantasmagoria (audio story)|Phantasmagoria]]'')  
On at least two occasions, the Doctor's TARDIS materialised in the midst of a cricket match. Once at the [[Lord's]] [[cricket ground|Cricket Ground]] ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)}}) and once in [[Egypt]] in [[1880]]. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|Egyptian Escapade (comic story)}})


== Description ==
== Description ==
Cricket was played using a [[cricket bat|flat-faced bat]] and specially designed [[cricket ball]]s on a [[cricket pitch|pitch]] — itself situated on a larger [[field (cricket)|playing field]] delimited by a [[boundary line]]. The offensive object of the game was for the [[batsman|batsmen]] to score as many [[run (cricket)|runs]] as possible. The defensive object was to get the batsmen out, either by successful [[bowling (cricket)|bowling]] or by [[run out|running the batsmen out]]. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Happy Endings]]'', [[TV]]: ''[[Black Orchid (TV story)|Black Orchid]]'')
Cricket was played using a [[cricket bat|flat-faced bat]] and specially designed [[cricket ball]]s on a [[cricket pitch|pitch]] — itself situated on a larger [[cricket ground|"ground" or "field"]] delimited by a [[boundary line]]. The offensive object of the game was for the [[batsman|batsmen]] to score as many [[run (cricket)|runs]] as possible. The defensive object was to get the batsmen out, either by successful [[bowling (cricket)|bowling]] or by [[run out|running the batsmen out]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Happy Endings (novel)}}, [[TV]]: {{cs|Black Orchid (TV story)}})
 
It was played at a number of levels. Nations battled in the most prestigious events, like [[the Ashes]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Graham Dilley Saves the World (short story)}}) But inter-county or inter-village adult leagues were common throughout Britain at least. Villages like [[Stockbridge]] and counties such as the one in which [[Greyfrith]] was situated had long traditions of some form of league play. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Autumn (audio story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Father Time (novel)}}) Other regular competitions were held at more of an inter-organisational level, such as between individual [[constabulary|constabularies]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Devil Goblins from Neptune (novel)}}) Still other matches were very much one-off events, as happened at the wedding of [[Bernice Summerfield]] and [[Jason Kane]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Happy Endings (novel)}}) Finally, there was also a strong tradition of academic competition for minors and young adults, with schools having their own league system. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Human Nature (novel)}})


== The Doctor and cricket ==
== The Doctor and cricket ==
[[The Doctor]] appreciated the game in many of his incarnations, but it was his [[Fifth Doctor|fifth self]] that seemed the keenest on the game. Not only did the Fifth Doctor regularly wear an outfit that approximated [[cricket whites]], but he took every opportunity to play it, ([[TV]]: ''[[Black Orchid (TV story)|Black Orchid]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Goth Opera]]'') teach his [[companion]]s its rules ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Phantasmagoria]]'') and attend famous matches, usually called "tests". ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Roof of the World (audio story)|The Roof of the World]]'', ''[[Nekromanteia]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[Graham Dilley Saves the World]]'')
[[The Doctor]] had a long relationship with the game.
 
The [[First Doctor]] claimed not to know the sport at all when he landed [[the TARDIS]] in the middle of [[Lord's]] [[cricket ground|Cricket Ground]] during an [[Australia (cricket side)|Australia]]/[[England (cricket side)|England]] match, ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|namedep=Volcano (8)}}) but in later incarnations, he seemed to know the game well.
 
Indeed, by his [[second Doctor|second incarnation]] he had already taken to carrying around a [[cricket ball]] on his person, ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Invasion of the Cat-People (novel)}}) something that would continue in later lives.
 
The [[Third Doctor]] at least once lamented the fact that he had preferred motor sports over cricket. He thought that if he had [[regenerated]] into a younger body he would have quite certainly taken up the sport. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Island of Death (novel)}})


The Doctor sometimes spent long periods of time playing the game. The Fifth Doctor, for instance, spent one whole summer with the local team at [[Cheldon Bonniface]] ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Happy Endings]]'') and at least one full season with the [[Stockbridge Cricket Club]]. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]'') He had probably also intended to spend a similarly long period playing cricket in the [[Eye of Orion]], but [[Borusa]]'s plan to pluck the Doctor's past selves from the time stream intervened. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Five Doctors (TV story)|The Five Doctors]]'', [[PROSE]]: ''[[The Eight Doctors]]'')
The [[Fourth Doctor]] sometimes claimed knowledge of the finer points of [[bowling (cricket)|bowling]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Ribos Operation (TV story)}}, {{cs|The Horns of Nimon (TV story)}}) However, he also seemed to dislike the game's relationship with the [[Krikkit Wars]]. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (novelisation)}})


The Doctor's ability to play the game varied depending upon incarnation. While his fifth incarnation was evidently an excellent player who was an asset to every side he joined, ([[TV]]: ''[[Black Orchid (TV story)|Black Orchid]]'', [[AUDIO]]: ''[[Autumn (audio story)|Autumn]]'') his [[seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]] once flatly claimed that he needed to learn the game because he was no longer the same man. Nevertheless, he seemed to retain a knowledge of the strategy behind the game, as he once cunningly called for a batsman on [[Doctor's Invitation Eleven|his team]] to deliberately throw a [[full toss]] in order to bring the match to a dramatic conclusion. ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Happy Endings]]'')
His [[sixth Doctor|sixth]] and [[seventh incarnation]]s were not so keen on the sport, but they still exhibited a knowledgeable appreciation of it. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Fourth Wall (audio story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Human Nature (novel)}}, {{cs|Happy Endings (novel)}})


The [[First Doctor]] momentarily materialised the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] on the pitch at Lord's Cricket Ground during the middle of a match between England and Australia in the mid-1960s. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)|The Daleks' Master Plan]]'')
The [[Tenth Doctor]], even when [[chameleon arch]]ed into the human [[John Smith (Tenth Doctor)|John Smith]], seemed to possess "muscle memory" of how to [[bowling (cricket)|bowl]] exceptionally well. ([[TV]]: {{cs|Human Nature (TV story)}})


The Fifth Doctor materialised the [[The Doctor's TARDIS|TARDIS]] in [[Calcutta]], [[India|British India]] on [[31 December]] [[1926]] with the intention of taking his companions [[Nyssa]], [[Tegan Jovanka]] and [[Vislor Turlough|Turlough]] to the second Unofficial Test match between All India and Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), which was played in the city on that day. The MCC won the match by four wickets. The Doctor considered it to be one of the best cricket matches of all time. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[The Emerald Tiger (audio story)|The Emerald Tiger]]'')
Clearly, though, it was his [[Fifth Doctor|fifth incarnation]] that seemed the keenest on the game. Not only did the Fifth Doctor regularly wear an outfit that approximated [[cricket whites]], but he took every opportunity to play it, ([[TV]]: {{cs|Black Orchid (TV story)}}; [[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Autumn (audio story)}}; [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Goth Opera (novel)}}) teach his [[companion]]s its rules ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Phantasmagoria (audio story)}}) and attend famous matches. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Roof of the World (audio story)}}, {{cs|Nekromanteia (audio story)}}, {{cs|The Emerald Tiger (audio story)}}; [[PROSE]]: {{cs|Graham Dilley Saves the World (short story)}})


Regardless of the Seventh Doctor's protestations, there was some evidence that the Doctor retained some instinctual ability to play across incarnations. Even though he had used the [[Chameleon Arch]] to turn himself into a [[human]], the [[Tenth Doctor]], as [[John Smith (Tenth Doctor)|John Smith]], expertly bowled a cricket ball in a complicated way that saved the life of a baby and its mother. ([[TV]]: ''[[Human Nature (TV story)|Human Nature]]'')
The Doctor sometimes spent long periods of time playing the game. He embedded an entire summer with the local team at [[Cheldon Bonniface]] ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Happy Endings (novel)}}) and at least one full season with the [[Stockbridge Cricket Club]]. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Autumn (audio story)}}) He had probably also intended to spend a similarly long period playing cricket in the [[Eye of Orion]], but [[Borusa]]'s plan to pluck the Doctor's past selves from the time stream intervened. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Five Doctors (TV story)}}, [[PROSE]]: {{cs|The Eight Doctors (novel)}})
 
The Doctor's ability to play the game varied depending upon incarnation. While his fifth incarnation was evidently an excellent player who was an asset to every side he joined, ([[TV]]: {{cs|Black Orchid (TV story)}}, [[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Autumn (audio story)}} his [[seventh Doctor|seventh incarnation]] once flatly claimed that he needed to learn the game because he was no longer the same man. Nevertheless, he seemed to retain a knowledge of the strategy behind the game, as he once cunningly called for a batsman on [[Doctor's Invitation Eleven|his team]] to deliberately throw a [[full toss]] in order to bring the match to a dramatic conclusion. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Happy Endings (novel)}}) The [[Eleventh Doctor]] once confused cricket with football. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Lodger (TV story)}})


== Companions and cricket ==
== Companions and cricket ==
The Doctor's companions were almost universally unimpressed with the game and resisted the Doctor's attempts at proselytisation. ([[AUDIO]]: ''[[Phantasmagoria]]'', ''[[The Roof of the World (audio story)|The Roof of the World]]'') Indeed, when [[Roz Forrester|Roz]] innocently asked the [[Seventh Doctor]] the question, "What's cricket?", [[Bernice Summerfield]] immediately interjected, "I think that's in the top ten of the most dangerous questions in the universe, right up there with 'Excuse me, Mr [[Dalek]], what does that [[Gunstick|stick]] do?'" ([[PROSE]]: ''[[Happy Endings]]'')
The Doctor's companions were almost universally unimpressed with the game and resisted the Doctor's attempts at proselytisation. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|Phantasmagoria (audio story)}}, {{cs|The Roof of the World (audio story)}}) Indeed, when [[Roz Forrester]] innocently asked the [[Seventh Doctor]] the question, "What's cricket?", [[Bernice Summerfield]] immediately interjected, "I think that's in the top ten of the most dangerous questions in the universe, right up there with 'Excuse me, Mr [[Dalek]], what does that [[Gunstick|stick]] do?'" ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Happy Endings (novel)}})
 
The game had rubbed off enough on [[Vislor Turlough|Turlough]] that he once felt the need to explain to [[Tegan Jovanka]] what the term "[[hit for six]]" meant. Annoyed by his assumption that she was cricket-ignorant, she pointedly reminded him that she was [[Australia]]n, and therefore well versed in the game. She went on to note that Australia beat [[England]] every time the two sides met. ([[COMIC]]: {{cs|The Forgotten (comic story)}})
 
Nevertheless, at least one companion, [[Ian Chesterton]], was a fan. He listed being able to take in a cricket match as one of the reasons he wanted to take a gamble with the [[Dalek time machine]] and try to return to [[1960s]] [[London]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Chase (TV story)|namedep=The Planet of Decision (6)}}) A second, [[Harry Sullivan]], may have possessed genuine skill as a [[bowling (cricket)|bowler]], since he seemed confident in his abilities to use a [[cricket ball]] to deactivate a defensive [[Auto guard|robot]] on [[Space Station Nerva]]. ([[TV]]: {{cs|The Ark in Space (TV story)}}) Another time [[Alistair Gordon Lethbridge-Stewart|The Brigadier]] mentioned he had been a fast bowler in school. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Grey Man of the Mountain (audio story)}})


The game had rubbed off enough on [[Turlough]] that he once felt the need to explain to [[Tegan]] what the term "[[hit for six]]" meant. Annoyed by his assumption that she was cricket-ignorant, she pointedly reminded him that she was [[Australia]]n, and therefore well versed in the game.  She went on to note that Australia beat [[England]] every time the two sides met. ([[COMIC]]: ''[[The Forgotten (comic story)|The Forgotten]]'')
The Fifth Doctor told [[Abby]] all about cricket. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Fog (audio story)}})


Nevertheless, at least one companion — [[Ian Chesterton]] — was a positive fan. He listed being able to take in a cricket match as one of the reasons he wanted to take a gamble with the [[Dalek time machine]] and try to return to [[1960s]] [[London]]. ([[TV]]: "[[The Planet of Decision]]")
[[Romana II|Romana]] saw cricket as an obscenity and was shocked humans played it. ([[PROSE]]: {{cs|Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (novelisation)}})


[[Amy Pond]] hit the [[Eleventh Doctor]] with a cricket bat and knocked him unconscious in their second encounter. ([[TV]]: ''[[The Eleventh Hour]]'')
[[Flip Jackson]] was a fan of cricket. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Fourth Wall (audio story)}})
 
== Others and cricket ==
[[Sebastian Vaughan]] played cricket when he was younger. ([[AUDIO]]: {{cs|The Vigil (audio story)}})


== Behind the scenes ==
== Behind the scenes ==
Cricket was partially responsible for the first broadcasting delay in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' history. "[[Hidden Danger]]", the third episode of ''[[The Sensorites]]'', was bumped from the [[4 July]] [[1964]] schedule because of an overrunning [[Australia]] / [[England]] test at {{w|Headingley Stadium|Headingley}} and a long [[tennis]] match at {{w|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}}.
* Cricket was partially responsible for the first broadcasting delay in ''[[Doctor Who]]'' history. "Hidden Danger", the third episode of ''[[The Sensorites (TV story)|The Sensorites]]'', was bumped from the [[4 July (releases)|4 July]] [[1964 (releases)|1964]] schedule because of an overrunning [[Australia (cricket side)|Australia]] / [[England (cricket side)|England]] [[test (cricket)|test]] at {{w|Headingley Stadium|Headingley}} and a long [[tennis]] match at {{w|The Championships, Wimbledon|Wimbledon}}.
* The Yorkshire -v- Lancashire cricket match scheduled for Monday 27 May 1974 had its coverage disrupted by industrial action, and so was replaced with a repeat screening of the 90-minute compilation version of ''[[The Sea Devils (TV story)|The Sea Devils]]'' (originally transmitted Wednesday 27 December 1972).
* Although cricket has only featured at length in one televised story — ''[[Black Orchid (TV story)|Black Orchid]]'' — it has been given much greater coverage in prose, audio and comic stories. Most, though not all, have featured the [[Fifth Doctor]], and many, though not all, have been written by [[Paul Cornell]].


{{wikipediainfo}}
[[Category:Cricket| ]]
[[Category:Cricket| ]]
[[Category:Olympic sports]]

Latest revision as of 18:58, 3 November 2024

Cricket
You may be looking for Krikkit or not cricket.

The Fifth Doctor called cricket "the greatest game in the universe". (AUDIO: Phantasmagoria [+]Loading...["Phantasmagoria (audio story)"]) Though primarily associated with Britain and her former colonies, (AUDIO: The Roof of the World [+]Loading...["The Roof of the World (audio story)"]) cricket became an Olympic sport by 2060. (AUDIO: Nekromanteia [+]Loading...["Nekromanteia (audio story)"])

Some people thought that cricket was the key to defining the spirit of Britain, and perhaps even democracy itself. Upon making a trip to Cuba, for instance, the Brigadier thought that if that island nation "had rain and cricket to concentrate on ... Castro wouldn't have had a look in." (PROSE: Last of the Gaderene [+]Loading...["Last of the Gaderene (novel)"])

In reality, however, cricket was a race memory of the gruesome Krikkit Wars launched by the Krikkitas in an attempt to wipe out all other life in the universe. Their soldiers, the Krikkitmen, appeared similar to the cricket uniforms worn by humans. Other races such as the Time Lords were disgusted that humans saw a war as a sport. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (novelisation)"])

On at least two occasions, the Doctor's TARDIS materialised in the midst of a cricket match. Once at the Lord's Cricket Ground (TV: The Daleks' Master Plan [+]Loading...["The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)"]) and once in Egypt in 1880. (COMIC: Egyptian Escapade [+]Loading...["Egyptian Escapade (comic story)"])

Description[[edit] | [edit source]]

Cricket was played using a flat-faced bat and specially designed cricket balls on a pitch — itself situated on a larger "ground" or "field" delimited by a boundary line. The offensive object of the game was for the batsmen to score as many runs as possible. The defensive object was to get the batsmen out, either by successful bowling or by running the batsmen out. (PROSE: Happy Endings [+]Loading...["Happy Endings (novel)"], TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"])

It was played at a number of levels. Nations battled in the most prestigious events, like the Ashes. (PROSE: Graham Dilley Saves the World [+]Loading...["Graham Dilley Saves the World (short story)"]) But inter-county or inter-village adult leagues were common throughout Britain at least. Villages like Stockbridge and counties such as the one in which Greyfrith was situated had long traditions of some form of league play. (AUDIO: Autumn [+]Loading...["Autumn (audio story)"], PROSE: Father Time [+]Loading...["Father Time (novel)"]) Other regular competitions were held at more of an inter-organisational level, such as between individual constabularies. (PROSE: The Devil Goblins from Neptune [+]Loading...["The Devil Goblins from Neptune (novel)"]) Still other matches were very much one-off events, as happened at the wedding of Bernice Summerfield and Jason Kane. (PROSE: Happy Endings [+]Loading...["Happy Endings (novel)"]) Finally, there was also a strong tradition of academic competition for minors and young adults, with schools having their own league system. (PROSE: Human Nature [+]Loading...["Human Nature (novel)"])

The Doctor and cricket[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor had a long relationship with the game.

The First Doctor claimed not to know the sport at all when he landed the TARDIS in the middle of Lord's Cricket Ground during an Australia/England match, (TV: "Volcano" [+]Part of The Daleks' Master Plan, Loading...{"namedep":"Volcano (8)","1":"The Daleks' Master Plan (TV story)"}) but in later incarnations, he seemed to know the game well.

Indeed, by his second incarnation he had already taken to carrying around a cricket ball on his person, (PROSE: Invasion of the Cat-People [+]Loading...["Invasion of the Cat-People (novel)"]) something that would continue in later lives.

The Third Doctor at least once lamented the fact that he had preferred motor sports over cricket. He thought that if he had regenerated into a younger body he would have quite certainly taken up the sport. (PROSE: Island of Death [+]Loading...["Island of Death (novel)"])

The Fourth Doctor sometimes claimed knowledge of the finer points of bowling. (TV: The Ribos Operation [+]Loading...["The Ribos Operation (TV story)"], The Horns of Nimon [+]Loading...["The Horns of Nimon (TV story)"]) However, he also seemed to dislike the game's relationship with the Krikkit Wars. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (novelisation)"])

His sixth and seventh incarnations were not so keen on the sport, but they still exhibited a knowledgeable appreciation of it. (AUDIO: The Fourth Wall [+]Loading...["The Fourth Wall (audio story)"], PROSE: Human Nature [+]Loading...["Human Nature (novel)"], Happy Endings [+]Loading...["Happy Endings (novel)"])

The Tenth Doctor, even when chameleon arched into the human John Smith, seemed to possess "muscle memory" of how to bowl exceptionally well. (TV: Human Nature [+]Loading...["Human Nature (TV story)"])

Clearly, though, it was his fifth incarnation that seemed the keenest on the game. Not only did the Fifth Doctor regularly wear an outfit that approximated cricket whites, but he took every opportunity to play it, (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"]; AUDIO: Autumn [+]Loading...["Autumn (audio story)"]; PROSE: Goth Opera [+]Loading...["Goth Opera (novel)"]) teach his companions its rules (AUDIO: Phantasmagoria [+]Loading...["Phantasmagoria (audio story)"]) and attend famous matches. (AUDIO: The Roof of the World [+]Loading...["The Roof of the World (audio story)"], Nekromanteia [+]Loading...["Nekromanteia (audio story)"], The Emerald Tiger [+]Loading...["The Emerald Tiger (audio story)"]; PROSE: Graham Dilley Saves the World [+]Loading...["Graham Dilley Saves the World (short story)"])

The Doctor sometimes spent long periods of time playing the game. He embedded an entire summer with the local team at Cheldon Bonniface (PROSE: Happy Endings [+]Loading...["Happy Endings (novel)"]) and at least one full season with the Stockbridge Cricket Club. (AUDIO: Autumn [+]Loading...["Autumn (audio story)"]) He had probably also intended to spend a similarly long period playing cricket in the Eye of Orion, but Borusa's plan to pluck the Doctor's past selves from the time stream intervened. (TV: The Five Doctors [+]Loading...["The Five Doctors (TV story)"], PROSE: The Eight Doctors [+]Loading...["The Eight Doctors (novel)"])

The Doctor's ability to play the game varied depending upon incarnation. While his fifth incarnation was evidently an excellent player who was an asset to every side he joined, (TV: Black Orchid [+]Loading...["Black Orchid (TV story)"], AUDIO: Autumn [+]Loading...["Autumn (audio story)"] his seventh incarnation once flatly claimed that he needed to learn the game because he was no longer the same man. Nevertheless, he seemed to retain a knowledge of the strategy behind the game, as he once cunningly called for a batsman on his team to deliberately throw a full toss in order to bring the match to a dramatic conclusion. (PROSE: Happy Endings [+]Loading...["Happy Endings (novel)"]) The Eleventh Doctor once confused cricket with football. (TV: The Lodger [+]Loading...["The Lodger (TV story)"])

Companions and cricket[[edit] | [edit source]]

The Doctor's companions were almost universally unimpressed with the game and resisted the Doctor's attempts at proselytisation. (AUDIO: Phantasmagoria [+]Loading...["Phantasmagoria (audio story)"], The Roof of the World [+]Loading...["The Roof of the World (audio story)"]) Indeed, when Roz Forrester innocently asked the Seventh Doctor the question, "What's cricket?", Bernice Summerfield immediately interjected, "I think that's in the top ten of the most dangerous questions in the universe, right up there with 'Excuse me, Mr Dalek, what does that stick do?'" (PROSE: Happy Endings [+]Loading...["Happy Endings (novel)"])

The game had rubbed off enough on Turlough that he once felt the need to explain to Tegan Jovanka what the term "hit for six" meant. Annoyed by his assumption that she was cricket-ignorant, she pointedly reminded him that she was Australian, and therefore well versed in the game. She went on to note that Australia beat England every time the two sides met. (COMIC: The Forgotten [+]Loading...["The Forgotten (comic story)"])

Nevertheless, at least one companion, Ian Chesterton, was a fan. He listed being able to take in a cricket match as one of the reasons he wanted to take a gamble with the Dalek time machine and try to return to 1960s London. (TV: "The Planet of Decision" [+]Part of The Chase, Loading...{"namedep":"The Planet of Decision (6)","1":"The Chase (TV story)"}) A second, Harry Sullivan, may have possessed genuine skill as a bowler, since he seemed confident in his abilities to use a cricket ball to deactivate a defensive robot on Space Station Nerva. (TV: The Ark in Space [+]Loading...["The Ark in Space (TV story)"]) Another time The Brigadier mentioned he had been a fast bowler in school. (AUDIO: The Grey Man of the Mountain [+]Loading...["The Grey Man of the Mountain (audio story)"])

The Fifth Doctor told Abby all about cricket. (AUDIO: The Fog [+]Loading...["The Fog (audio story)"])

Romana saw cricket as an obscenity and was shocked humans played it. (PROSE: Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen [+]Loading...["Doctor Who and the Krikkitmen (novelisation)"])

Flip Jackson was a fan of cricket. (AUDIO: The Fourth Wall [+]Loading...["The Fourth Wall (audio story)"])

Others and cricket[[edit] | [edit source]]

Sebastian Vaughan played cricket when he was younger. (AUDIO: The Vigil [+]Loading...["The Vigil (audio story)"])

Behind the scenes[[edit] | [edit source]]

  • Cricket was partially responsible for the first broadcasting delay in Doctor Who history. "Hidden Danger", the third episode of The Sensorites, was bumped from the 4 July 1964 schedule because of an overrunning Australia / England test at Headingley and a long tennis match at Wimbledon.
  • The Yorkshire -v- Lancashire cricket match scheduled for Monday 27 May 1974 had its coverage disrupted by industrial action, and so was replaced with a repeat screening of the 90-minute compilation version of The Sea Devils (originally transmitted Wednesday 27 December 1972).
  • Although cricket has only featured at length in one televised story — Black Orchid — it has been given much greater coverage in prose, audio and comic stories. Most, though not all, have featured the Fifth Doctor, and many, though not all, have been written by Paul Cornell.
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