Batting on the Bosphorus : A Liquor-Fueled Cricket Tour Through Eastern Europe

Introduction; 1 When a Psychic Tells You You're Going to Do Something . . .; 2 Batting in the Baltic; 3 The Batsman Who Would Be King; 4 It Was Like a Stephen King Novel; 5 Fielders Without Fingers; 6 The Village That Beat Poland; 7 The Worst Coaches in the World; 8 The Lost Tribe of Mezica; 9 Sex on the Wicket; 10 On the Trail of Torvill and Dean; 11 The Spy Who Left Cricket Cold; 12 The Cricket and Kickboxing Club of Bulgaria; 13 Midnight Express; 14 A Man on My Chest; 15 Transylvanian Toothache; 16 Trotsky Was a Ukrainian Cricketer (of Sorts); 17 Inspector Morski.;Angus Bell is innocently working in the Montreal magazine industry when, taking advantage of a psychic's vision, he sets off to discover the secret cricketing world of Eastern Europe. From tournaments on ice in Estonia to university leagues in the crumbling Crimea, and from a Croatian military island to communist Belarus, Bell learns how Slavs play the Englishman's game. Encounters with fingerless Tamil Tigers in Prague, a bomb-plotter in the Austrian Alps, a Guatemalan anarchist, and an MI6 agent making out lineup cards reveal the shadowy side of Slavic cricket. But nothing can stop Bell from. Angus Bell is innocently working in the Montreal magazine industry when, taking advantage of a psychic’s vision, he sets off to discover the secret cricketing world of Eastern Europe. From tournaments on ice in Estonia to university leagues in the crumbling Crimea, and from a Croatian military island to communist Belarus, Bell learns how Slavs play the Englishman’s game. Encounters with fingerless Tamil Tigers in Prague, a bomb-plotter in the Austrian Alps, a Guatemalan anarchist, and an MI6 agent making out lineup cards reveal the shadowy side of Slavic cricket. But nothing can stop Bell from playing the game or even becoming the captain of an international team. Between matches, he’s pursued by the KGB, becomes embroiled in a drug bust on the Midnight Express, and needs emergency treatment from a Romanian dentist. This boisterous traveler’s tale redefines the spirit of cricket, converting even sworn enemies of the game into avid fans. TRV009040 Introduction 1 When a Psychic Tells You You're Going to Do Something . . . 2 Batting in the Baltic 3 The Batsman Who Would Be King 4 It Was Like a Stephen King Novel 5 Fielders Without Fingers 6 The Village That Beat Poland 7 The Worst Coaches in the World 8 The Lost Tribe of Mezica 9 Sex on the Wicket 10 On the Trail of Torvill and Dean 11 The Spy Who Left Cricket Cold 12 The Cricket and Kickboxing Club of Bulgaria 13 Midnight Express 14 A Man on My Chest 15 Transylvanian Toothache 16 Trotsky Was a Ukrainian Cricketer (of Sorts) 17 Inspector Morski. 18 Pummeling the Poles19 Psychic Revisited Scorecards Glossary Acknowledgments About the Author. Traces the author's boisterous cricket-playing tour of Eastern Europe, during which he played in ice tournaments in Estonia, with university leagues in Crimea, with Croatians on a military island, and more, in an adventure during which he had skirmishes with the KGB and required emergency treatment from a Romanian dentist. Original.