A good read here. The Paul referred to is relatively well-known at Beige Brigade HQ. He completely disagrees with the cynical sentiments expressed, but it’s a bloody good piece of writing nevertheless…

There is a good man in Wellington who pays a lot of money to watch a lot of cricket. To call him a fan would be inadequate so let’s just call him Paul.

A text conversation between us on Friday went along these lines…

DC: “I hate it whenever this ridiculous ‘spirit of cricket’ gets used to condemn something.”

Paul: “That is sacrilege. It is all we have to remind the players of their duty to the game.”

What made me feel momentarily guilty was the fact this man, a genuine disciple of the sport, truly meant it. So what is this seemingly amorphous entity that people like Paul cling to?