Someone said on my Facebook page today that the English are no good at ball games – especially the ones we invented. The list is quite a long one – tennis, soccer, netball, field hockey, polo, rounders, cricket and more.
I used to be quite a good cricketer, and my school had a very progressive attitude and allowed me to play in the school team, where I was a good bowler and an even better batswoman. I was however a rubbish fielder, soon getting bored. Also, all the other teams in those days were boys only and wouldn’t ever play more than one match against us as we kept bowling them out.
I loved badminton, and our hockey team was often seen charging down the pitch sticks held high – very much against the rules, but it really does turn the opposing team to jelly.
Can you put the following sports into the sentences?
table tennis / soccer / basketball / rugby / polo / football / hockey / rounders / badminton
1. David Beckham played ………. for England.
2. ………. is a game often played in English schools which is very similar to baseball.
3. Netball has some similarities to American ………. .
4. Australian ………. is played on an oval pitch.
5. The All Blacks are a team of ………. players.
6. ………., played with a shuttlecock, takes its name from an English country house.
7. Ping pong is an alternative name for ………. .
8. American ………. is played on a field marked as a grid, and they call ………. ………. .
9. There are two types of ………. played in the United Kingdom. ………. League is more commonly played in the north of England than in the south.
10. Stoolball is an early form of ………. or baseball.
11. ………. is played on a field with a puck and sticks whilst riding a horse.
12. ………. is played on a field with a ball and sticks.
13. At Wimbledon, players play ………. on a court with a ball and racquet.