Watching gully cricket
gully cricket, a quintessential local version of this global sport, is a joyous experience that embodies the raw spirit of cricket in its purest form. It brings people together, and even those who are not terribly interested get sucked into the charged atmosphere.
What makes gully cricket special is its informality and spontaneity. There are no fancy jerseys with names and numbers of players on them, meticulously maintained grounds, or even, for that matter, decent terrain or floodlights.
Players and spectators make do with whatever is available in the area. Every match is a test of improvisation and resourcefulness, with players using whatever objects are at hand — be it bricks for wickets or a discarded tyre for a boundary marker.
But beyond the thrill of competition, gully cricket is about the simple joys of enjoying the game you love with friends and neighbours. It's about the laughter shared over a missed catch or a close run-out, or the arguments over fours and sixes, the camaraderie forged in the heat of battle, and the sense of belonging that comes from being part of a team.
