The Oscar Wilde Appreciation Picture Quiz (1)

"I never play cricket. It requires one to assume such indecent postures" - Oscar Wilde.

But then, some are less elegant than others.



How many of the following 25 'flanneled fools' (Kipling) can you identify?

Bear in mind there are almost always clues. Quality of picture may indicate its age, kit (and its colours) may indicate country or club ... also, for example, an ungainly batting pose might indicate a player who is not a frontline batsman. Though he might just have been awkwardly snapped.

Example. What clues can I gather about the desperate diver in this picture? ....



Well, these colours don't suggest any two international countries I know. But are not garishly multicoloured enough (gold, silver, platinum) to be IPL. Maybe a domestic one-day competition?

Which domestic teams wear red and navy blue? Well, Lancashire, for one...

What county badge is that stumper sporting ...?

The agility of the plunge for the crease suggests someone who dives around quite a lot.

And also, the picture looks fairly recent.

In fact, it's Gareth Cross, Lancs keeper till sacked at the end of 2013, on a T20 finals day v Gloucs. (He got home.)

This is a very hard one, even my fellow-Lanky Growler might have struggled to get it, but it shows how you can use various clues to identify players maybe not immediately recognisable in easier pictures too.


PLEASE SPOILER!

01 (- the pro dancer at the front, not the dad dancer at the back)

02

03

04

05 (- the batsman facing .. err, the floor)

06

07

08

09

10

11

12

13 (- we had this one recently, but arse & fart jokes, you know, ...)

14 (- the player on the right, please)

15

16 (- not so indecent a posture, really ...)

17 (- the stretcher)

18

19

20

21

22

23 (- WARNING: an international, but not for a Test-playing nation)

24 (ouch)