'Cricket is civilised and civilising'

He claims he's always been "crap" at cricket, but knows exactly what makes cricketers desirable. Hollywood actor Hugh Grant, who participated in a charity cricket game last week, explains his relationship with cricket to George Parker in the Financial Times.

“I did play a few times for the first XI at school, but I disgraced the side,” he says. “I pretended to bat but couldn’t. I dropped catches – that was my speciality."

He grew up in an era when solid English batsmen like John Edrich and Geoff Boycott would grind out the runs, almost taking root in the dusty soil as they scrapped and prodded their way to big scores. Didn’t he find all that a bit boring? “No, I rather liked that,” he sighs.