In praise of … praying for guidance

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/dec/22/in-praise-of-praying-for-guidance

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The histories of cricket and the Church of England have often intertwined. The late David Sheppard opened for England and became bishop of Liverpool.

Robert Runcie, a less talented player, sometimes preached to biblical texts with cricketing associations, as in: "And they went out at noon. But Ben-Hadad was drinking himself drunk in the pavilions" (I Kings 20:16) or "Then shall we know, if we follow on to know the Lord," (Hosea 6:3).

Even so, it must be wondered whether the archbishop of Canterbury knows what he is doing by accepting the challenge from the Vatican cricket club to play a match – at Lord's, naturally – next summer.

It is never wise to underestimate the Vatican, so overconfidence, so damaging in the Ashes series, may play its part in this contest too.

After all, many of the Vatican players are likely to hail from the only Test-playing country mentioned in the Bible. That's India, in case you wondered.

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