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[bruggers100]

This maybe a bit controversial so apologies if it contravenes any conventions.

I moved from the Surrey Championship 3 years ago after over 20 years playing in it. I have received a fair amount of chirp over the years, but one team that stands out for chirp to the point of being nasty was Malden Wanderers.  Since then I have been in Sussex County League.  I have found that there is a lot less chirp and the games are played in a really good spirit, however, Saturday we played Billingshurst for the second time this year.  And to be honest they may have even surpassed the boys from Malden!

I don't mind banter if it's funny, however, just being told how sh*t you are every ball gets rather tiresome. Although, one funny comment was whether I enjoyed watching the Antiques Roadshow because of how boring I was (the first game I was in at 27-3 chasing 227, and Saturday we ended up 160 odd for 4 (red inker for me) chasing 250 before the ain came with about 15 overs left).  I am only averaging 77 against them this year !

On the plus side, fantastic tea, think I might just turn up in whites every so often to sample the smorgasbord they lay on. Definitely a place to field first so you can feast at tea !

[Buzz]

I played against Malden Wonderers a few years back and had a similar experience - their point really gave it some (I was only about 19 at the time) I smashed a cut between his legs and laughed as it went for 4. After that they were a load quieter. Finishing not out also helped...

The chirping in the Surrey Championship has, i think reduced in recent years - may be it is because where I play you just don't give it out as it is against the club's ethos, I don't know.

[Simmy]

cant beat a good chirp!!!!!

we have a few players that are boarder  line abusive tbh makes for interesting games lol

there are a few players who i dont like in the league so will give them some. and if they get out i will happily walk them off the field lol

[ajmw89]

I played against Malden Wonderers a few years back and had a similar experience - their point really gave it some (I was only about 19 at the time) I smashed a cut between his legs and laughed as it went for 4. After that they were a load quieter. Finishing not out also helped...

The chirping in the Surrey Championship has, i think reduced in recent years - may be it is because where I play you just don't give it out as it is against the club's ethos, I don't know.

Malden Wanderers and Sinjun Grammarians in our division are the worst this season.
We chirp a lot, but it's all good natured (We probably chirp each other more than the oppo!)  but some of the stuff from these 2 teams borders on personal abuse.  We played sinjuns on saturday and they were chirping 14 year old kids in my team, which I don't hold with at all, especially at 4th XI

[Dhiraj]

We played one this Saturday in our Div 2 league game. Mostly Aussie team with one South African and some Sub continent boys.
There was some elaborate and loud chirps about step sisters, mothers, man holes and other private parts and how big/small they were etc etc. All just plain bull (No Swearing Please). Nothing really funny. The guy at short leg or silly point just wouldnt shut up.

We sledged them off quite bad in this one. Nothing dirty but just some really smart sledging. All in all we spanked them in the game and in the end we got some lessons on spirit of the game  . We have another one coming in 3 weeks and cant wait how they will react in that one

[uknsaunders]

Most teams in Warwickshire seem pretty good humoured and don't chirp much at all, certainly in comparison to some Yorkshire teams. Garforth Parish Church 2's were a non-stop wall of sound over at their place. Remember needing 1 to win and having to pull back 3 times because 3 of them were talking. I said to them "don't mind one of your talking but can't manage 3 at once". They were still talking after the game and refused to give pretty plumb LBW's. Funny thing is we played their 1's in a cup game and they were pretty quiet in comparison. When I first played for Bramhope in Yorkshire, I played a 1st team game and our chirping was so constant that even I wanted it to shut up! When I played at Headingley we did some good vocals but most of it selective and very funny. We called a lad coming out to bat in a yellow helmet "Bob the Builder" for instance.

Don't remember getting much chirp in the Thames Valley or Sussex Leagues. I think most chirping goes on at 1st team level, lower down nobody is good enough or can be bothered. Chirping tends to be less on decent batting tracks, not much noise when you are 200 odd for 2.

[Number4]

Don't know about the UK but here in Aus I find the younger teams are the more mouthy ones... Very cocky and won't shut up

[bruggers100]

I played against Malden Wonderers a few years back and had a similar experience - their point really gave it some (I was only about 19 at the time) I smashed a cut between his legs and laughed as it went for 4. After that they were a load quieter. Finishing not out also helped...

The chirping in the Surrey Championship has, i think reduced in recent years - may be it is because where I play you just don't give it out as it is against the club's ethos, I don't know.

I agree that nasty chirping in the Championship did reduce in recent years, but Malden just seem to have it ingrain as part of their culture. They have always been up there as a club in the highest divisions which you would hope meant that they wouldn't need to be like they are.  It is very satisfying making teams like this go quiet. 

Billingshurst's captain is the ring leader of their verbals and with someone like that in charge it rubs off on others.  Anyway, they are top of the league so looks like they will get promoted.  If their overseas doesn't come back, they are in trouble because they rely on him heavily.

[Manormanic]

There is a fine line between acceptable - which can be constant and loud without any reproach from me - and unacceptable, which is where it becomes abusive or sexist.

Incidentally, I've only ever once bridled at anything a fielder has said - a lad at short leg about fifteen years ago who made a very blunt remark about my then girlfriend.  We could have a whole seperate discussion about the morality of deliberately pulling the next ball right at him...

[charlie15]

Malden Wanderers and Sinjun Grammarians in our division are the worst this season.
We chirp a lot, but it's all good natured (We probably chirp each other more than the oppo!)  but some of the stuff from these 2 teams borders on personal abuse.  We played sinjuns on saturday and they were chirping 14 year old kids in my team, which I don't hold with at all, especially at 4th XI

Sinjuns are a bunch of ****wits

[petehosk]

Being 6'3 and 17 stone and doing 3 forms of martial arts for most of my life helps......but only had one occurrance where someone was abusive!
He had chirped all the batsmen and I went in around 4 or 5 that day. He started almost straight away (gobby fat little git who could barely bat or field and wasn't a bowler either!!)
But I turned to him and told him that if he continued these comments, then I more than happy to continue this conversation 1-to-1 after the match (or words to that affect) and I didn't hear another peek from him!
I used to have a teammate who could switch off completely and his favourite was to wait until anyone said anything whilst the bowler was just starting to run in, and then he simply walked away!

[FattusCattus]

Being 6'3 and 17 stone and doing 3 forms of martial arts for most of my life helps

Don't tell fibs Pete - Origami and Sashimi clearly don't count!

[uknsaunders]

Yeah it doesn't bother me, I just block it out or pull away. If the oppo really feel the need to engage me in some banter I normally just agree with whatever they say.  ie. you're crap - my reply is yes I know. Nowhere to go on the abuse stakes for the oppo. Chirping only works on people with ego's or those insecure enough to believe it. Quite often those chirping don't like it back. One Chairman of Cricket for a League I know of is a particularly mouthy git on the field, despite having little or no ability. When he use to come into bat, after hiding down the order, we'd give him plenty of chirp. Nothing abusive but just a request to the bowler to not be too worried about digging a few in. We'd then asked if the batter enjoyed it and we normally got a very shirty answer! Bullies don't like being bullied themselves.

[WalkingWicket37]

I love it when someone chirps me! Means I'm already 1 up as they feel the need to try and get in my head.

Ventnor from the Isle of Wight were wonderful when I was making my 3rd XI debut at 14. I was batting at 9 and they were convinced I'd nicked one (I'd got nowhere near it).

I had a 30 year old bloke get right in my face and tell me I was a good for nothing cheat. My response got a brilliant reaction, his wife was watching him play so I said "do you always square up to kids to impress your wife?? She must be so proud of you." The keeper and slip nearly wet themselves laughing and he scurried back to his mark and didn't at anything for the rest of the game. I was apologised to by their skipper after the game and congratulated for shutting him up 

[EaglesCC]

Billingshurt are notorious for it and actually not as good as they used to be. Unfortunately our team have no idea how to sledge so are either completely quiet or if the opposition are complete W**nkers/ abusive then there becomes a very nasty atmosphere in the air.

Admittedly I myself don't react well to abuse of any nature. But as long as the person is not talking directly to me I'm usually happy to let them get on with it.

That said if someone crosses the line they deserve everything they get. Most people who give it aren't able to take it... including one guy a few years ago who learnt the hard way that our opening batsmen was a kickboxer.