Penguins Stopped Play by Harry Thompson
Photo by Cornelius Ventures on Unsplash
Do you know that cringe section of your CV where you describe a bit about yourself? You want to sound interesting but also wondering if watching Netflix counts as a hobby? Well, there’s one sentence of my ‘About Me’ that has never been edited, and it reads like this: “I can’t think of a better place to be than sitting in the sun, Test Match Special on the radio whilst I’m reading a good book.”
When I find a good book about cricket I’m usually very happy, but Harry Thompson’s "Penguins Stopped Play" exceeds even that, because it throws in another one of my favourite things to do: travel. This memoir follows an amateur cricket team as they attempt to play cricket on all seven continents - oh, and it is hilarious.
I’ll start by saying I don’t think you need to be a huge cricket fan to enjoy this book, but it definitely helps. If you’ve played cricket or been around village clubs, you’ll recognise all the characters of the Captain Scott Invitation XI. The team’s name honours the British explorer and second man to reach the South Pole, or, as Thompson calls him, “the most splendid runner-up.” That’s the thing about Thompson and his team - they were all a bit useless at cricket, but they still adored it. From their first matches in Oxford, they took humiliating defeat with good humour because they got to play the game they loved.
But being crowned the worst team in Oxfordshire just wasn’t enough for them. As anyone who has been part of a sports team will know, teammates become best mates on tour. And this book charts the hilarious and often absurd adventures of the team as they embark upon perhaps the most ambitious tour that any club has attempted.
The book recounts their experiences playing cricket in exotic locations, from Kuala Lumpur to Cape Town, Barbados to Buenos Aires. It’s safe to say some adjust better to their new surroundings than others! And of course, it leads them to Antarctica. Thompson makes the fourteen-thousand-mile journey to complete the quest by opening the batting for The Rest of the World team vs New Zealand. They endure extreme weather conditions, hostile terrain, and unpredictable wildlife to play a game of cricket in the middle of nowhere. Thompson's vivid descriptions of the rugged beauty of South Georgia, its eerie silence, and the awe-inspiring wildlife - including thousands of penguins - provide a fascinating backdrop to the team's cricketing exploits.
What I love most about Penguins Stopped Play is, cricket and travel aside, it’s a story about people pursuing what they love even though everyone else clearly thinks they are mad. It’s about living every second of life whilst you can, embracing the unknown, and pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone. And it shows one of my favourite things about cricket - how it can bring people from different cultures together.
This book will make you laugh (more so if you know about cricket), by the end, it will make you cry, and throughout, it will make you want to pack your bags and go off on a crazy adventure of your own.
Penguins Stopped Play by Harry Thompson
Illustrated by Harry and Zanna Goldhawk
ISBN: 9780719563461
Buy from your local independent bookseller.
Related Content
