It's Not Cricket

The US is given the last slot for a new inclusion in the Olympics: Cricket. A double-A baseball team, The Bounty County Crickets, win for only the third time all season. Few players have made it from that team to the big leagues in years, and they have just gotten a rehab pitcher sent to them. TRENT NOBEL (35) has a golden arm, but is getting old. He only plans on being with the team for a couple of weeks and he is not happy to be there. He has always been a clutch pitcher, but he is viewed as cold and aloof by the fans. The owner of the Crickets agrees to send them to England to play. The Crickets’ manager STORMY DEVARO (60s) is reluctant, but eventually enticed to take the team to London with the promise of a future Major League coaching job. Trent does everything he can to get out of the assignment, but Major League Baseball needs a certified MLB superstar to promote the sport for inclusion. He is told that he should never have to take the field. The Crickets, along with their new cricket instructor REGINOLD (29), fly to London to begin their training. They have to learn how to bowl, bat and field for the first time and they are terrible. An American shock-jock radio host, THROTTLE (50s), is covering their progress. He thinks the whole thing is a big joke and proceeds to tell his listeners every chance he gets. The Crickets hit the town and mingle with regular English folk who find them alternately appalling and amusing. The culture clashes and awkwardness are apparent. At a training session, Trent meets a British tennis player, JUNE FAIRCHESTER (27) who is training for the Olympics as well. She is initially upset with the arrogant Americans, but eventually becomes quite fond of Trent. They begin a relationship. DUMONT BRANCH (40s), a spitballer, learns how to cheat in cricket, while trouble at home begins to catch up with him. The Crickets win their first official game by forfeit. Trent’s competitiveness slowly begins coming back with the help of an embarrassing loss to the English team. He eventually becomes a leader and takes charge, propelling them to victory in the final qualifying game. This sets them up for a rematch with England for the bronze medal.