Rudyard Kipling called cricketers 'flannelled fools'. Groucho Marx asked halfway through a cricket match when it would begin. But despite the game's slow pace, strange language, eccentric umpires and frequent scandals – or perhaps because of them – cricket is one of the world's most loved sports. Indians, Australians, West Indians, Pakistanis, Sri Lankans, Zimbabweans, Bangladeshis and South Africans all claim it as their national game. In New Zealand, watching a match stirs strong emotions – so when cricket-obsessed writer Harry Ricketts and his Australian friend Tony take themselves to a test against the West Indies, things are bound to get lively.