The Ubiquitous AN Other in Cricket

AN Other is arguably the best fielder the English-speaking cricket world has ever known. Scorebooks across decades show AN Other taking catches and effecting run-outs, often for both teams in matches played simultaneously thousands of kilometres apart, for over a hundred years.

Their longevity may stem from rarely batting or bowling, staying fresh to cause havoc in the field. In reality, AN Other is scorer shorthand for an unidentified player—a term that might still find relevance today.

With the IPL starting next Saturday and concluding May 31, little else in cricket has mattered since the Men’s T20 World Cup ended twelve days ago. Until the IPL trophy is lifted, other cricket could be filed under 'AN Other' and overlooked.

For instance, eight significant matches were scheduled for Friday alone—from the Logan Cup and Plunket Shield to a women’s T20I tournament in Nigeria, and South Africa’s men’s and women’s T20I series in New Zealand. Yet, on cricket apps, non-IPL news is hard to find.

This isn’t a complaint. Cricket’s future is tied to the growth of T20 franchise cricket, and IPL marketing is everywhere, featuring behind-the-scenes clips from pre-tournament talks and even pre-auction meetings. It’s detailed, nerdy content, suggesting there’s nothing about the IPL fans don’t want to know—or nothing the IPL doesn’t want to tell, except what it hides.

As George Orwell noted, journalism is about printing what someone doesn’t want printed; everything else is public relations. Today, the IPL is more about PR than journalism, flooding zones with positive content to keep reporters occupied.

Meanwhile, South Africa’s teams in New Zealand could use such distractions. On Friday at Eden Park, their women lost by six wickets, and the men by eight wickets, putting New Zealand 2-1 up in both five-match series—one win away from clinching each.

In the women’s match, Rosemary Mair clean-bowled Tazmin Brits for a duck, but Kayla Reyneke’s unbeaten 34 off 20 helped South Africa to 149/7. Sophie Devine (55* off 38) and Maddy Green (34* off 25) then guided New Zealand to victory with eight balls left. Reyneke, who hit 28* off nine in Tuesday’s win, said, “I’m trying to ride this wave as long as possible.”

South Africa’s men struggled to 68/6 in the 12th over, reaching 136/9 thanks to George Linde (23 off 19), Gerald Coetzee (16 off 8), and Nqobani Mokoena (26* off 20). New Zealand chased it in 16.2 overs, with Devon Conway and Tom Latham (63* off 55) putting on 96 for the first wicket.

This, too, felt like AN Other cricket—much like the tale of Kenny Postman, a Border club cricketer in the 1970s-80s. When a scorer asked for the bowler’s name, he said, “Postman.” The scorer clarified, “Name. Not occupation.” Postman might have replied, “AN Other.”