A Quick Note On Cricket and Crisps

Thursday 6th May - 5:45pm

CRICKET

The World Twenty20 Cricket Championships are happening right now and I'm not going to bore you with my opinions on the different formats on the game. I am a cricket fan, and could talk for hours. The one thing that I did notice upon watching the Ireland-England game two nights ago is how the ICC regulations allow cricketers to behave in such a fickle matter to their country.

England were batting. Eoin Morgan was in bat. Eoin Morgan was born in Dublin and represented Ireland at the same tournament two years ago. Bowling at him for the Ireland team was the Johannesburg-born Andre Botha. As an England fan, I am not really complaining because Morgan is a very good one day batsman. BUT. This baffles me. Not because the players do it, because money talks. It's the fact that the ICC allow it. It just interested me. Sorry to waste your time.

Pic A: Eoin Morgan in 2008

CRISPS

At the risk of making this post too sports-related and therefore alienating those who can't bloody stand it, I will mention here that there is a football World Cup approaching fast (I KNOW! They kept that quiet...) and that Walker's have decided to commemorate this by doing "new" flavours that are related to such famous footballing nations such as the USA and Japan. OK, and Brazil, Spain, England, and the rest of the usual suspects.

I have to confess that The Barlights have spent most of this week trying some of these knowing full well that this is a marketing gimmick designed to sell more crisps that are, despite subtle differences, essentially just processed potato with a handful of "flavouring" chucked at them.

Well, guess what? It worked. It bloody worked. "Look! Shiny new packets! OOh, exotic flavours! Gary Buggering Linekar!!"

So we have now tried 9 of the 15 flavours. Yes, we are this sad. Special mention needs to go to Dutch Edam Cheese (somehow it manages not just to be cheese, but has a hint of a babybell....a poor man's edam) and the ingenious American Cheeseburger flavour which manages to taste almost exactly the same as a McDonald's cheeseburger. I'm aware that anything that tastes like a McDonald's cheeseburger is not a particularly good thing, but full marks for trying.

One more note on the cricket: England are currently close to beating Pakistan. South African born Kevin Pieterson is currently on 64 not out.

However, to really test his allegiances, maybe we should get him to choose between South African Sweet Chutney Flavour and English Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding crisps...

tBl's. X