One of the things that I found interesting about this poem was the play on words used in "biggest hit with me". I found this interesting as in cricket you have to hit the ball as hard as you can however in this phrase Abse has chose to use it to show the impact that cricket has had on him which shows the passion he has for the sport.
In the line at the start "1935, I watched" it shows that Abse is recalling his fondest memory of going to watch a cricket match. This can also be seen in the first four stanzas as he is recapping what happened to him when he went to this cricket match.
I also found the lines "sound of summer" and "applauding ground" quite interesting as it is personification as he is suggesting that the cricket meant so much that the ground was applauding and it was like the sound of summer. This again shows the passion that Abse has for the sport and the adoration he feels towards it.
The last stanza in this poem I believe shows the present time which is in contrast from the other stanzas in the poem. This can be seen in "The years, too, gone like change". However, the line "I smell cut grass" links back to the memory as it is using the senses to show a connection to his memory.
The last line also shows his passion towards cricket as it says "I shine an apple on my thigh" which is what the players do with a cricket ball before throwing it. It is also a metaphor as apples are red and usually cricket balls are as well.
'Cricket Ball' links to 'For Sidney Bechet' by Larkin as both poets express their passion and adoration towards both sport and music through their poetry.
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