Penguins Stopped Play: Eleven Village Cricketers Take on the World

This book is hilariously funny; people stared at me on the train because I was laughing so hard. It's a shame that the comic/courageous tone is marred by prolonged griping and what seem to be exercises in score-settling with individuals and institutions.

The late Harry Thompson was captain of the Captain Scott's Invtiation XI cricket team, which he founded at Oxford in the late 1970s with fellow student Marcus Berkmann.

A team for those whose enthusiasm outstripped their talent, the Scotties, boasting players such as Hugh Grant and Ian Hislop among their ranks, spent their summer weekends being soundly beaten by various village sides in their early years. As time goes on and the team improves, it starts to tour abroad on occasion. The second half of the book is largely devoted to a round the world trip Thompson organises where the team plays in every continent.

This is very much a humourous sports book rather than a travel book, in the mould of those eccentric challenge books from which show more Tony Hawks makes a living. In fact, Thompson's account of his experiences with British Airways would make one reconsider ever leaving these shores by air.

The cricket matches are described in detail, where they take place often less so, although Thompson portrays himself as the only one in the party who takes more interest in his surroundings than the hi jinks often associated with amateur sporting tours. The focus on the sport might make the book a little off putting to those who aren't aficianados of the game, but those that are will find much to savour.

Thompson makes an engaging narrator, although one wonders if all his team mates would still be talking to him were he still alive, as there are a few quite unflattering portraits of them within these pages. Equally, he rather glosses over the schism that results in the so-called "layabouts", led by Berkmann, leaving the team to form the Rain Men, about whom the latter has written a fine book. It sounds like there was no love lost here.

Inevitably, Thompson's failing health (he died of lung cancer in his mid-40s, having never smoked in his life) and the death of another team mate cast a shadow over the last few pages of what is otherwise a book which, whilst it might play fast and loose with some of the events, is an easy and enjoyable read for flannelled fools and their followers. show less

A fantastically funny and intriguing book about what can happy if you decide to take cricket around the world. I enjoyed this book, even though I'm not a cricket fan. Suitable for everyone who enjoys a good laugh, but I'm sure a little knowledge of cricket terminalogy would make the reader appreciate the humour even more.

Anyone who has ever been in an amateur team in any sport, but especially cricket will recognise so much of this, well told and poignant in the end I hugely enjoyed this book

Supposed to be very funny. I haven't laughed yet. I did see someone smile once while they were reading this on a tube train at Edgware Road. How many books on village cricket can the market sustain? Any?

Amusing but repetitive.

Captain Scott's Invitation XI. An amateur (very) cricket club on tour. After a few short tours they decide to play cricket on a world tour... playing on every continent.