James Nixon - Finding seams on apples: debates, discussions and disputes from cricket tragics worldwide

In the early days of the Internet there were chat rooms; forbidding and mysterious for some, but for others, a place to go to exchange gossip, tittle-tattle and rumour! Some folk spent hours in them, and the tabloids uttered dire warnings about addiction and the demise of normal human interaction as we knew it. It was a natural progression for the sites concerned to create separate areas for different subjects, and once that started to happen, the development of forums places for like-minded souls to gather was just a matter of time.

Today, it seems as if anyone with an interest in anything can find a community somewhere in cyberspace where they can feel at home and among friends. There are forums dealing with subjects as diverse as ironing, the game of monopoly or which biscuit to have with your afternoon tea. The notion of spending an evening in the pub discussing whether a malted milk is the best dunker is a fairly ridiculous idea; but shift that debate on to whether or not the laws of cricket should allow a bowler to get an lbw decision from a delivery that pitches outside the leg stump, and you can line up enough enthusiasts to keep discussions going all night. So it can be no surprise that a forum dedicated to the greatest sport of them all has been such a success.

Cricketweb.net took its first faltering steps back in October 2001. There were just a handful of enthusiasts in the beginning, most of them in New Zealand, but the site quickly found its feet and has never looked back. Cricket is not yet a truly global sport, and it may never become one, but such is the grip that it exerts on those who fall under its spell, that the diaspora from its spiritual homes ensure that cricketweb.nets members do come from all over the world. That degree of diversity inevitably leads to a bewildering and fascinating range of perspectives.

People come to cricketweb.net for a variety of reasons; some stumbled across the site when trying to find something cricket related, others couldnt help but notice threads challenging Gary Sobers and Don Bradmans pre-eminence as respectively the greatest all-rounder and batsman of all-time. Well cricket fanatics cant let such things pass, and likewise, heated discussions on Bodyline, Underarm Bowling and the like ensured many were drawn into the fray.

Within the covers of this book you will find some of the more interesting, important and entertaining discussions from the forum. One of crickets main attractions, for those who love to talk, is its (uniquely amongst sporting endeavours) rich and varied history, much of which remains relevant to this day. There are many chats on cricketweb.net about the games past and its all-time greats (some very imaginative), but there are also the classics of the genre, such as If Bradman played in todays era? and, for a slightly tenuous example of why the past is still important, Pick one former player to add to your current Test team.

Cricketers who changed the way the game was played also makes mention of some great players of the past, but highlights some lesser ones, too, in some cases with pretty obscure, but interesting, roles in the development of the game. Some subjects come up time and again, and the respective merits and demerits of all-round cricketers of the not too distant past is certainly one of them. The greatest all-rounder of all time is something on which most cricket fans have a view, and as there are at least half a dozen worthy candidates, the rivalries can be a little on the intense side.

Like all-rounders, the site has also had various discussions about the greatest leg spinner the game has seen, although the better thread, perhaps understandably in view of the age demographics of the forum, is Who is the second greatest leg spinner ever? But cricketweb. net isnt just about historical highlights and arguments about the respective merits of any given combination of all-time greats. Some posters have a good working knowledge of the minutiae of the game, and most have picked up some obscure trivia along the way, so sometimes set out to educate, entertain or show off their knowledge (or sometimes lack of it); the wide-ranging discussion in Players who you thought wouldnt make it takes a look at this sort of debate.

And finally, as the best entertainers always say, the lighter side of cricket brings up the rear. Some people are just born comedians, and amuse almost every time they post. Others make us laugh inadvertently, often through good old-fashioned ignorance, although sometimes through naivety or (more rarely) charm. We have, therefore, in this collection, You know you are obsessed with cricket when, Whats the worst way to be dismissed? and, at times the very silly, Your weirdest backyard rule? The lighter side is always a good way to judge the strength of an online community, because the core values of all of the many members invariably coincide, although if you believe that you might be well-advised to go back to the ironing.

There are, of course, many more thousands of threads on cricketweb. net, and we do talk about a myriad of subjects other than cricket. Indeed, if you really do want a bit of help with that laundry, your choice of teatime snack, or the tactical nuances of board games, then you could try our Off Topic forum, although it might be as well to prepare yourself for disappointment. But, if like the rest of us, cricket is simply a big part of life, you enjoy talking about the game and want to have a global platform on which to share your thoughts with those who have contributed to what you are about to read, then come and join us.

www.cricketweb.net