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There is more cricket fiction than is probably thought to exist. Screeds of it, in fact, with a curious abundance of thrillers and murder mysteries stretching from Dorothy Sayers Oxford Blue amateur sleuth Lord Peter Wimsey to Ted Dexters Testkill.As is often the case with artistry, novelists tackle cricket in a manner one might not otherwise think up. How different would English summers be without slip fielders? Jennie Walkers 24 for 3 contemplates. Arthur Conan Doyles Spedegues Dropper has a schoolteacher bowling 50 feet upward for the ball to fall vertically onto the stumps. Anthologies of crickets gilded writings tend toward literary pedigree, such as All-Muggletons jolly trouncing of Dingley Dell in Charles Dickens Pickwick Papers. Evergreen in the game, too, is celebrating an England of green fields surely more emerald than ever was the case in life. Upstanding here is the nostalgic village-cricket schmaltz of Hugh de Selincourts The Cricket Match.Cricket fiction is not only the stuff of odd recesses and antique periods, though. There has been a recent spate of highly literate, fun, international and engaging novels concentrated upon the sport. A bright place to start when discussing cricket fiction is the most convivial of these, Shehan Karunatilakas Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew.Chinaman is a novel of talent not realised. Its the story of potentially the greatest cricketer who ever lived proving not to be. Think to those cricketers you have known and willed on who never followed through at the elite level. From recent figures such as Rory Hamilton-Brown, and others doleful, like Richard Danny Germs Austin, to those of more parochial standing. Of the latter, Sridharan Jeganathan, Roshan Guneratne, and Anura Ranasinghe, fringe Sri Lankan spinners from the 1980s who all died young and forlorn, are likely unfamiliar. Chinaman amalgamates their obscure fates and a swathe of other half-true stories from Sri Lankan cricket into the story of a left-arm unorthodox and his resolute biographer. Tailing a course of murky sporting oblivion, it has explanations and diagrams of cricketing points (wicket, follow-on, Duckworth Lewis), some factual and some discursive. Its full of lists, discussions of statistics and style, and features endless references to Sri Lankas 1996 World Cup victory. And theres a little person in a bunker under a pitch who records the ambient audio of matches on reel-to-reel.Perhaps unexpectedly, this is all quite readable and, like Harry Potter, a page-turner. Indeed, following publication in 2010, Chinaman was a literary success with wide appeal. It won awards, avid fans, was raved about in prestigious publications, and released in the United States under a downplayed name. Many claimed, somewhat unimaginatively, that it was the Great Sri Lankan Novel. Such highbrow feting is perhaps a trifle surprising to cricket fans, whose love for the game is usually looked down upon by literary sorts, for the novel is ensconced in the sport and its lore in the same way meat is in a steak.Being a large book, its about much else besides. Its narrator - an alcoholic retired sportswriter consumed with his own failings and indulgences - leads the reader from middle-class suburban life in Mount Lavinia round about Colombo and eventually onto a backpacker bus through New Zealands North Island with a conceited musician. There is something of the cricket mystery genre as dubious titbits of information are trailed in bumbling detective fashion (although their theme is a forgotten cricket career rather than murder most foul). In a genial, rambling style, the eponymous chinamans more fantastic proportions - as an ambidextrous bowler capable of pace and spin and mimicry of others styles, with an arsenal of mystery spin balls that might bounce twice or fly 20 feet into the air (just like Spedegues Dropper) - are diverting rather than absurd.Along with Chinamans merits as a novel and in making cricket palatable to the great unwashed, the author is to be commended for his research. Karunatilaka is, by his own admission, a casual cricket fan. The sort to watch bits of a World Cup, perhaps the odd Test. Thinking of the games potential as a vehicle for fiction, he gave himself over to it for a few years. Kept odd hours for telecasts and watched every Sri Lankan match from 1982 to 1999. Read any piece of writing he could on the subject. Spoke to old drunks in bars. (Perhaps sounds like your workaday life.)The result is fairly impeccable. Chinamans detailing of cricket through the 1980s and early 1990s - with some figures fused and others altered in name - is accomplished. Australians are boorish, Boycott is needling, all are condescending to Sri Lanka, and sinister forces lurk at the games edges. Moreover, cricket is not only balls bowled or shots played and runs scored, but what happens when these things occur - a sport of entireties and ancillaries. The depiction of the games ardency is particularly superb; the habits of those who populate the novel are much the same as of those who read this publication.Faultless and intricate in construction, Chinaman nonetheless misses an ineffable something of the game. Without being able to point to definite error, the depiction of cricket, like a reproduction made from a masters canvas, feels a little off. It seems a pastiche at times, a mimicry of those who love the game, with the detailing exact and the effect meaningless. Perhaps here is the distinction between cricket fiction where a novelist puts the game to use, and a devotee - an obsessive, fanatic, tragic - using the novel as a vehicle for cricket.What to do, though, with a novelist hijacking cricket for his own ends, one not worshipping at the games altar with his art? Well, read him for a start. Whatever quibbles about Chinaman as a book of cricket, its a cavorting read. Nicholas Hogg, writing for ESPNcricinfo, suggests writing a cricket book yourself. Sensible notion, unlikely to be done. How about moving onto another book? Grand. Lets leave Testkill (not to mention Ted Dexters golf murder mystery, Deadly Putter) until it turns up at a jumble sale. Theres plenty of others for the meantime.ExtractSpinners or Plumbers?The Great Lankan Opening Batsman once claimed that just because he could hit a ball with a bat it didnt make him better than anyone else. Was he being falsely modest or genuinely humble? Like many of our local umpires and selectors over the years, I will give him the benefit of the doubt.But there is some truth to what he says. Does Sri Lanka need more schoolteachers, more soldiers, or more wicketkeepers? Whats more useful to society? A middle order batsman or a bank manager? A specialist gully fieldsman or a civil engineer? A left-arm spinner or a plumber?I have been told by members of my own family that there is no use or value in sports. I only agree with the first part.I may be drunk, but I am not stupid. Of course there is little point to sports. But, at the risk of depressing you, let me add two more cents. There is little point to anything. In a thousand years, grass will have grown over all our cities. Nothing of anything will matter.Left-arm spinners cannot unclog your drains, teach your children or cure you of disease. But once in a while, the very best of them will bowl a ball that will bring an entire nation to its feet. And while there may be no practical use in that, there is most certainly value.Chinaman: The Legend of Pradeep Mathew By Shehan Karunatilaka Grossiste Chaussures . Vaives lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims the former 50-goal man wasnt provided with a copy of the claim beforehand and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made against the NHL had he been asked to review its contents. Grossiste Chaussures Chinois .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. https://www.grossistechaussurepascher.fr/ . Its sharpness matched my mind. This was no night to go to sleep. Air Max 270 France Pas Cher . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. Chaussures Pas Cher Soldes . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. KNOXVILLE, Tenn. -- Tennessee doesnt believe Florida holds any sort of mental edge whenever these two teams stage their annual matchup.Recent history suggests otherwise.No. 19 Florida (3-0, 1-0 SEC) has beaten No. 14 Tennessee (3-0, 0-0) each of the last 11 years. Three times in the last four years, Tennessee was favored in the days leading up to the game but still found a way to lose. Tennessee is favored again in Saturdays meeting at Neyland Stadium, though the spread has dropped from 10 points to 6 +.Weve got a bunch of confident guys on our team, Tennessee defensive tackle Kendal Vickers said. I dont think theres any mental edge anywhere.Each of the last two seasons, Florida has come from behind in the fourth quarter to beat Tennessee by a single point. The Gators won 10-9 in 2014 and 28-27 last year .To end the streak, Tennessee must find a way to move the ball against a Florida team that leads the nation in total defense and scoring defense.Gators cornerback Quincy Wilson boldly predicted a Florida victory by saying that nobody has ever seen a duck pull a truck. Florida Gators are going to win, simple as that.Its just something that we have instilled in us here at Florida that we just dont lose to Tennessee, Florida running back Jordan Scarlett said.Tennessee has reason to believe it could end the streak this year.Florida must turn to backup quarterback Austin Appleby for Saturdays game after usual starter Luke Del Rio injured his left kn ee last week in a 32-0 victory over North Texas. Tennessee has its own injury issues with cornerback Cam Sutton and linebacker Darrin Kirkland Jr. sidelined by ankle injuries.Tennessee has won nine straight games over the last two years. Tennessee coach Butch Jones believes his team gained strength in coming from behind to beat Appalachian State and Virginia Tech and by withstanding injuries to defeat Ohio .Our team is very confident, Tennessee coach Butch Jones said. You dont win nine games in a row by not having confidence. Weve suffered some adversity. A lot of the adversity, some of it we created for ourselves. But I think thats healthy because our football team could have quit under some adverse situations, and theyve never blinked.---Some thinggs to watch when Tennessee hosts Florida.ddddddddddddWELCOME BACK: Florida should have its leading receiver back for this game, as Antonio Callaway has returned to practice after missing the North Texas game with a deep thigh bruise. Tennessee offensive tackle Chance Hall likely will make his first appearance of the season Saturday after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery last month.FLORIDA PASS RUSH: Florida has 16 sacks to lead all Football Bowl Subdivision teams. Five different Gators have recorded at least two sacks each. Tennessee gave up three sacks against Ohio last week and has struggled to come up with the right combination of five linemen to have on the field.CONTAINING DOBBS: Tennessee quarterback Joshua Dobbs only threw for 87 yards against Florida last season, but he also rushed for 136 yards and had a 58-yard touchdown catch. We know how much of a threat he is and how much he can hurt you if you allow him to, Florida linebacker Jarrad Davis said. Last year he put a hurting on us pretty bad.ANOTHER BACKUP QB: Appleby, a graduate transfer from Purdue, will try to continue a recent tradition in this rivalry. Two of the last three years, a backup quarterback has helped Florida beat Tennessee. Tyler Murphy replaced an injured Jeff Driskel and led Florida to a 31-17 triumph in 2013 . Treon Harris took over for an ineffective Driskel and rallied the Gators in 2014.FAMILY CONNECTIONS: Tennessee defensive coordinator Bob Shoop is the brother of John Shoop, who worked with Appleby as Purdues offensive coordinator in 2013-15. Shoop acknowledged he had spoken to his brother this week and heard the former Purdue assistants impressions of the 6-foot-4 Appleby. My brother gave him a tremendous compliment, he compared (Appleby) to Ben Roethlisberger in the pocket, Shoop said. He said (Applebys) a big, strong kid. Were very well aware of that. You get him in the pocket, hes got people hanging on his body and can throw the ball.---AP Sports Writer Mark Long in Gainesville, Florida contributed to this report.---AP college football website: www.collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '