Monday’s Maiden: Sophia Murday from @TestMatchSofa

This is a new series on the blog, 10 Random Questions with fair maidens from across the world. Journalists, bloggers, commentators, or just cricket lovers who are female. The questions will stay the same, the ladies won’t. If you know of any girls who should feature her, please email us at info @ paddlesweep . net

First up, the ever-lovely Sophia Murday.

This sultry siren has been capturing our hearts since TestMatchSofa.com‘s inception. While some reckon she is a snobby cow, I know she’s a lovely lass with a love for fine food. She is also the only person alive who actually likes Kevin Pietersen and Stuart Broad and she plays netball when she is not busy yelling at people. We love you, Soph.

1. The generic question: where does your love for cricket come from?

Family – mother, father, grandparents obsessed with cricket. My maternal grandparents were introduced by Martin Donnelly who was a friend of grandpa’s at university I think, and once gave him a slice of particularly delicious cake at tea. “I’ll marry the woman who baked this cake”, quoth grandpa, and marry her he did. I’m also pretty sure my grandma did naughty things with Dennis Compton.

2. Biggest challenge being a female blogger/sports presenter/female cricket lover?

It’s quite tough being polite to the stalkers – you know who you are.

3. If there were manhole covers on the outfield, would the game be more interesting?

No.

Cover mines and slip-side bombs, however, are a different matter. I’d like to see how brilliant KP is at batting blindfolded when he has had most of his fingers blown off by an IED.

4. How do you think we can promote the game to girls and get them interested (the hot cricketers don’t count)?

Several things come to mind.

First, I think it is probably a misconception that women are unusually uninterested in cricket. The anecdotal evidence of Test Match Sofa’s is that there are almost as many women engaging with us via twitter and email as there are men.

Second, I think that a lot of the antipathy towards cricket that one does pick up from women is that their menfolk spend so much of the summer playing cricket. A whole summer of Saturdays (and for some, Sundays too) dealing with a carful of children on your own must be pretty wearing.

One way to encourage women to think on the game a bit more kindly is to make our clubs easier and more fun places to bring children. This would also expose kids to the game at its grassroots level, including girls who probably don’t play so much at school.

Thirdly, who cares? If people (women, men, children, whoever) don’t like cricket, they don’t have to. Why are we so desperate to spread the appeal of what is a mercilessly complicated and involving sport, one that takes up vast tranches of people’s time and is only played properly in a handful of ex-British colonies? I say good on women for having the gumption to avoid it, just like I applaud non-smokers and people who say no to drugs.

5. How would you explain the game of cricket to somebody who’s never watched it before?

At great length and in words of no fewer than four syllables.

6. If someone wrote a biography about you, what do you think the title should be?

“La Sophista and the New Cherry”

7. If we could teach monkeys to play cricket, would they play on a standard sized field?

No. The field area would be smaller, but there would be a system of ropes and perches up high, meaning that fielders could literally chase the ball through the air.

8. What’s the reaction when you are watching cricket with guys who don’t know you, somebody appeals and you say: “no way, too high, pitched outside” and the replays show exactly that?

That has never happened to me, unfortunately. I have extremely bad eyesight and fairly slow reactions.

9. Who is going to win the World Cup in 2011?

Probably India, but I’d like it to be Sri Lanka.

10. Have you ever fielded at short third man?

No.

You can follow Soph on Twitter or check out TestMatchSofa.com who are probably live on air right now.

Tagged as: monday's maiden, sophia murday, test match sofa