Backyard Cricket - the Greatest of Rivalries

Byron Vale is TNT Magazine's Sports Editor. Each week he provides the Fanatics with the best antidotes from the sporting world. To read more from Byron pick up TNT Magazine every Monday throughout London or check out tntmagazine.com

This weeks jem is by Conal Hanna.

My brother and I played some epic Test matches in our front yard. The rivalry was intense, and we'd both go to great lengths to make it as realistic as possible.

At least, I would - my bro was somewhat less committed.

First, I'd meticulously construct a scoresheet (for my brother's team - they always batted first, otherwise he wouldn't play), before giving my all from the high school end, alternating between fast, medium or spin depending on which player I was pretending to be at the time.

After bowling non-stop for a couple of hours (taking 10 wickets can be difficult without fielders or an umpire to verify LBWs) my persistence would pay off, and I'd garner that all-important final breakthrough.

As I prepared myself mentally for a big innings with the bat, it was about this time my brother decided he didn't want to play anymore.

Bastard.

Here are some other great sporting rivalries:

Football Celtic v Rangers: For a sport nicknamed the beautiful game, football sure inspires some ugly rivalries.

Of these, Celtic and Rangers are the worst proponents, with religious differences (Rangers Protestant, Celtic Catholic) making the local Glasgow derby one of sport's bloodiest encounters.

Other notable mentions go to Arsenal v Tottenham, England v Germany, England v Argentina, AC Milan v Inter Milan, Real Madrid v Barcelona.

Cricket India v Pakistan: Forget the Ashes, this is cricket's biggest rivalry.

In 1999 it took Sachin Tendulkar himself to calm the crowds after he was controversially run out. Not the sort of thing you feel like doing after being run out.

Rugby league Wests v Manly: The clashes between the poor inner city Wests club (the Fibros) and the toffs from the North Shore (the Silvertails) typified league in the 1970s. Think Jack Jeffries slapping teammate Tommy Raudonikis around the face in the changing rooms to help fire him up.

Rugby union England v, well, anybody: It's hard to say who gets the most joy out of beating the All Whites, for while the SANZA nations hate the Poms, it's generally Wales, Scotland and Ireland who garner the most pleasure from getting one up on the Mother Country.

Others: Auckland v Canterbury, Western Province v Northern Transvaal.

AFL Collingwood v Carlton: No matter how low these glory clubs have sunk, and let's face it, they're pretty darn low these days, this clash is still one of the must-sees of the season.

Track Cathy Freeman v Marie-Jose Perec: These two champion 400m runners were to go head to head in Sydney before Perec lost the plot and did a runner.

Tennis Martina Navratilova v Chris Evert-Lloyd: Played each other a record 80 times, with Navratilova's slim 43-37 advantage evidence of how close in ability they were.

Others: Bjorn Bjorg v John McEnroe, Venus v Serena Williams.

Figure skating Tonya Harding v Nancy Kerrigan: As rugby coaches say, you can't run without legs. Turns out you can't ice-skate either, as Kerrigan discovered when Harding sent round heavies with a crowbar.

Boxing Muhammad Ali v Joe Frazier: Ali described the Thriller in Manila, the third fight between the pair, as the "closest thing to death". In modern times, it's nice to see the rivalry being carried on by the pair's daughters.

Chess Bobby Fischer v the Russians: American prodigy Fischer finally earned the right to take on the USSR's Boris Spassky for the world title in 1972.

This Cold War grudge match had everything: KGB operatives, a patriotic phone call from Henry Kissinger and, best of all, a screaming prima donna in its American anti-hero, who complained about every fine detail down to the chess pieces and make of chair and refused to turn up for the first game.

A Fischer walkover saw chess elevated onto America's front pages for the first and last time.

Everything NSW v Queensland: The Cockroaches and Cane Toads could play tiddlywinks and it would probably come to blows. Queensland would start it, of course, the dirty bastards ...