With the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic having wiped out the start of the English cricket season, and no return professionally or recreationally in sight, it’s all too easy to get caught up in how much we miss our favourite pastime.

Sometimes the yearning can become too much altogether, and at times like these, it’s worth reminding ourselves that cricket isn’t always all it’s cracked up to be.

To that end, we asked our followers what they missed least about cricket. Here are the best of the responses:

For many, what they miss least is those things frustrating them as fans, whether that’s the constant tweaking of the county schedule by the ECB…

The haphazard timing of county championship fixtures. Make them al Friday to Monday every week, get it on terrestrial telly and get people watching.

— Andy Mather (@andymather1) April 18, 2020

…the omnipresence of a certain Indian domestic tournament…

IPL

— Dean du Plessis ? ?? u. (@dean_plessis) April 18, 2020

…or, as English fans will no doubt be familiar with, the sight of a certain someone batting for hours on end.

Steve smith knocking singles into the leg side for 2 and a half days straight… ??

— jess (@jc122345) April 18, 2020

But for even more its aspects of playing the game they could do without, with plenty sharing a love-hate relationship with the activity that usually takes up most of their Summer weekends. For some it’s the rain, and having to safeguard against its effects…

Pulling covers on and off repeatedly on a showery day!

— Andrew Wallis (@andrewpwallis) April 18, 2020

…for others it’s the ‘banter’ from teammates that is tough to handle…

@CarseBrydon dressing room chat.

— Nathan Rimmington (@nrimmo11) April 18, 2020

…while the experience of leaving the field during an away game to a ‘spread’ of stale sandwiches and weak squash is one no one would envy.

Crap away teas, no excuse for it.

— ?England and Wales Transplant Cricket? (@ETransplantC) April 18, 2020

Getting out is never fun…

The slow trudge back to the boundary after missing a straight one.

— Craig Thurston (@CraigThurston) April 18, 2020

…and nor is having to pack your bags after doing so…

Packing your kit

— Gerhard Erasmus (at ?) (@gerharderasmus) April 18, 2020

…or then having to go and watch your teammates bat, somehow incurring wrath for every umpiring decision you make, no matter who it favours.

Umpiring for 20-30 overs after getting out for a duck in the first over…

— Chris Beck (@cbeck88) April 18, 2020

Some of the complaints were oddly specific, and surely eminently avoidable.

But while the responses are too numerous to include all of, the most common reply of all was that, despite all of the above, you didn’t not miss anything about cricket at all.

Nothing, I miss it all

— Emma Sheldon (@EmmaShe06213818) April 18, 2020

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