When the subject of cricket songs is broached, its usually 10ccs Dreadlock Holiday or Sherbets Howzat that are unimaginatively proffered (neither of which are actually about cricket, unless the latter is narrated by a most involved wicketkeeper). For those searching deeper, if fond of whimsy, you may be pleased by the Duckworth Lewis Method; or, for the sport in its most lofty musical setting, there is Roy Harpers When an Old Cricketer Leaves the Crease.Then, further along, is a strange and absorbing body of cricket music miscellany and a fifer for another day in the realm of cricketers performing music themselves (come and see AB de Villiers draw a fireball from his chest).This is all lovely, has been written of elsewhere, and misses the gilded body of music devoted to cricket that originated from the Caribbean. This is a vital music, not shallying around with the novelty of the sport in song but addressing issues and players with eloquence, deft turns of phrase and humour, in musical settings of verve. Songs, in fact, that youll likely want to listen to more than once and may come to download onto a listening device.Here are five of the best.King Short Shirt: Vivian Richards Commencing with a roar from the Antiguan singer (his wonderful name stemming from his sister saving on material when making his shirts as a boy) in voice and band, this number is charged with vigour. The horn lines are fantastically inventive, the guitar voicings may lead those suitably excited to dance, and the rhythm section is rabid.Doubling his voice throughout, giving the impression of a fellow bellowing from a mountain, Short Shirt is suitably majestic in heralding Viv Richards. The cricketers attributes are the stuff of ecstasy, with breathtaking late cuts, plundering drives, a classical and noble defence, and cunning manipulation of opposing fieldsmen drawing, in evocative phrase, people applauding for runs like bread.Short Shirts praises are as edifying as pleasing, reaching their pith in the chorus, with emphasis given to Richards coordination of body and mind. Here, profoundly, we have sports psychology in a song. Richards is terrified by no bowler, as roll call is given to Thomson, Lillee, Bedi and Chandrasekhar (how Caribbean singers can make music in enunciating player names). Short Shirt gives another roar before the final chorus for full measure.Lord Short Shirt (who has since found Christ and changed his title) appeared in the film Fire in Babylon arrayed in a blue suit and a wide-brimmed hat, perched on a giant tree root, genially singing this number with a pal.De Alberto: Chanderpaul In distinction to King Short Shirts musical rumpus and homage of awe, De Albertos laud to Shivnarine Chanderpaul is suffused with love. Backed with a chorus of voices, the singer addresses his subject in phrases of adorable gentleness.My boy, Chander is praised for his universal appeal, batting - with Christian iconography - for Peter, Paul, everybody and all. As one might imagine, the batsman is celebrated not for grace or for being debonair, but as with recent tributes upon his official retirement, the song stresses its subjects reliability and resoluteness among unstable batting. However, any dourness of these sterling qualities - such as one might remember from watching him bat - is charmingly evaded in this number of joy.The song marks a succession in epoch from Vivian Richards. Here the horns and percussion of calypsos classical age have given way to synthesisers and drum machines, which, if less lusty in timbre, are convivial yet in spirit. In a pleasing progression of the generations, a 1999 match report from Nevil Road records De Alberto bolstering a musical troupe in the D Stand, singing Short Shirts laud for Richards, and hitting bottles with spoons as the accompaniment.Chanderpaul has, unsurprisingly given his upstanding role in the West Indian side these past two decades, been the subject of an abundance of musical tributes. The batsman is proudly celebrated, particularly in Guyana, through chutneys to songs of racial reconciliation.Mighty Sparrow: Sir Garfield Sobers This puffed-up paean to the West Indian home triumph over Australia in 1964-65 commences with a reckoning of the winning captains supernal qualities, shifting from Garry Sobers place among the planets to his handsome bearing to a presumption that the Barbadian be knighted (some ten years before the Queen duly performed the honour).Mighty Sparrow, the most verbally muscular of calypsonians, is fervid here, dancing all around the beat in delivery. The band accompaniment, with horn flourishes and even a pair of saxophone solos, is almost incidental, for it is Sparrow who drives the song and leads its persuasive chorus. His glee, as he exults in the win and repeats the prescient point to the defeated - you lost (stated 12 times) - is a joy to share.Despite the songs title, Sparrows celebration extends to the entire West Indian XI. Most players are mentioned twice, along with their points of strength, and extolled with calls for three cheers and hip-hip-hooray. A particularly expressive moment comes as Sparrow treats the series point of controversy with accusations of chucking against Charlie Griffith. There is no veil upon the singers fury, shared by much of the Caribbean, and Sparrow unleashes himself in mockery against the defeated side.Given the calypsonians powers, its a shame that Sparrow only ever again turned to the sport over a decade later, with his questioning of Kerry Packer.Dave Martins and the Tradewinds: Take a Rest To save this fifer from the crypt of cricket history, its germane to include a contemporary number. Over Sean Paul and Square Ones West Indies Cricket and Shaggy and colleagues The Game of Love and Unity, its a 50-year-old band, the Tradewinds, preferred here for a song of the highest relevance.Take a Rest tackles administrative wrongdoing in cricket, a subject ever- willingly gulped up by the punter. Im writing to the West Indies board, begins septuagenarian singer Dave Martins diatribe. Sadly, one need only browse through Tony Coziers prescient pieces for ESPNcricinfo to realise that this is no meandering rant. The regions perennially criticised board is wide open to scrutiny as West Indies play ever more meaningless Test cricket.Here the WICB - accused of confusing players and sponsors, resisting reform and smoking marijuana - is enjoined: All ya take a rest. Martins lyric of occasional farce is deadly serious in intent. I believe that where appeals to reason and national pride have failed, a comedic song, addressed to the board, may propel the desired result. In my career, Ive learned that sometimes the message, coated in laughter, can have an effect when the serious message is ignored, he says in a write-up accompanying the song. Lord Relator: Gavaskar A celebration, ostensibly, of Indias 0-1 series victory in the West Indies in 1971, with Sunil Gavaskar, on debut, making 774 runs at 154.80. Relators praise - delighting in each syllable when naming the Indian players - humiliates the home team as much as heaps credit on the visitors. As Sparrow gloated six years earlier for Sobers and West Indies, so is Relator scathing here of the Caribbean side. It is Sobers who comes in for particular criticism, with Relator propounding coaching for his captaincy and blaming his duck in the second innings of the fifth Test on his becoming a father midway through the match (Sobers made 132 in the first innings).This prescribed recording, a 2009 session featuring Relator with a Latin ensemble, has jazz voicings in guitar and piano, a galloping rhythm section, and steel pan gracing the interludes. Its a musical setting that sounds like a refined hotel lobby rather than a calypso tent. Over it skirts the compelling tenor of the elder Relator, not so strong on the high notes, hurtling over tricky sibilants with precision.On his subsequent tour to the West Indies, Gavaskar wrote that the song was, audible right from the morning until the evening. Though the tune is catchy even I was a little tired of hearing it. I wished they would play something else.****This potted list ignores David Rudders entire album devoted to the sport, along with Lord Kitcheners refined efforts in the genre. The Caribbean teems with songs on cricket. The Trinidad and Tobago Guardian claims there are 140 calypsos related to cricket. Who is to tell how many more socas, chutneys, reggae and other tunes traverse the region? If this inspires you to find more, then do tell. Cheap Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . He says so-called TRT is only one problem and he wants to go even further than the ban. "Its about time," St-Pierre told reporters at a promotional event in Montreal on Friday. "I think its a good thing. Wholesale Seattle Seahawks Jerseys . -- Most satisfying to Russ Smith about No. http://www.cheapseahawksjerseysauthentic.com/ . LOUIS -- Heading into the final stretch of the season, the issues for the Chicago Bears banged-up defence only seem to be getting worse. Wholesale Seahawks Jerseys . From filmmaker Nanette Burstein (On the Ropes), The Price of Gold revisits the saga that rocked the figure skating world ahead of the 1994 Lillehammer Olympic Winter Games: the assault on Nancy Kerrigan, and the plot that led its way back to her rival Tonya Harding. Cortez Kennedy Jersey . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. Some of the sports stories The Associated Press is covering Saturday. A full Sports Digest will be sent by about 3 p.m. All times EDT:- CHICAGO -- The Cubs can go to their first World Series since 1945 with a Game 6 victory over the Dodgers in the NLCS. Kyle Hendricks starts for Chicago against Los Angeles ace Clayton Kershaw. Game starts 8 p.m.- CLEVELAND -- Just 22 and in only his second full season in the majors, Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor gets to showcase his immense talent in the World Series.- Three key college football games: No. 6 Texas A&M at No. 1 Alabama (3:30 p.m.); No. 17 Arkansas at No. 21 Auburn (6 p.m.); and No. 23 Mississippi at No. 25 LSU (9 p.m.).- The Minnesota Vikings, the NFLs last undefeated team, will have ex-Eagle Sam Bradford at quarterback when they play at Philadelphia on Sunday. Philadelphia has lost two straight since its bye.- TALLADEGA, Ala. -- Drivers jockey for a strong starting position for the final race of the second round of NASCARs playoffs. Four drivers will be eliminated from the Chase field during Talladega qualifying. Qualifying starts 4 p.m.- AUUSTIN, Texas -- Formula One, looking to build more U.ddddddddddddS. interest, will likely sell more than 250,000 tickets this weekend. But many fans are there for reasons other than F1 -- they want to hear Usher and Taylor Swift.- SOELDEN, Austria -- Lara Gut of Switzerland begins defense of her overall World Cup title by dominating the season-opening giant slalom. U.S. star Mikaela Shiffrin finishes second for the second straight year.- SINGAPORE -- Madison Keys is ranked No. 7 and the first American apart from Serena and Venus Williams to earn a berth at the WTA Finals in more than a decade. The season-ending tournament begins next week.- BEIJING -- Marcello Lippi, who coached Italy to the 2006 World Cup title, is hired as Chinas national coach. The move underlines Chinas commitment to becoming a force in world soccer.- AMMAN, Jordan -- FIFA President Gianni Infantino says the U-17 Womens World Cup in Jordan shows that the sport is not only confined to some parts of the world. ' ' '