In his autobiography, the comedian Simon Day does a great job of explaining why bad cricket is brilliant. First, he describes fielding as, “staring at people, wondering what they’re like,” which is exactly what happens after the initial thrill of the first over has passed. Then, recalling a cricket match from his youth where he and a fellow batsman transcend their inabilities to hit the winning runs, he sums it all up perfectly in the line: “He was fat and I was an idiot, but this was our dog day afternoon.”