In this article, we are going to talk about some great cricket movies that were not made in India.
There is no other sport that matches the popularity of Cricket among Indians, not even soccer. People in India are crazy about cricket. Bollywood has produced some brilliant cricket movies that featured cricket. All of those movies did well among the viewers. Some of these, like Lagaan, went on to become one of the best Bollywood movies of all time. Over the last few decades, some other nations have launched movies that were focused around cricket. A few of these movies did well globally attracting a massive viewership. Let’s look at the top 10 movies produced outside of India that feature the game of cricket.
Top 10 Non – Bollywood Movies based on Cricket
1. Fire in Babylon (2010)
Fire in Babylon is a documentary film dedicated to the legendary West Indies players. This English film revolves around the great Windies during the 70s and 80s. The movie depicts how players beat hatred and ignorance to rise as the most lethal cricketing team of all time.
The documentary features the legendary cricketers including the likes of Clive Lloyd, Viv Richards, Andy Roberts, G. Greenidge, M. Holding, and Joel Garner. Many cricket commentators and professionals also appear in this movie.
The movie is directed by Stevan Riley who also happens to be the scriptwriter. Riley won an award at the Jamaican Reggae Movie Festival in 2011. Cricketing legends from several countries such as Sunil Gavaskar, Ian Botham, B. Close, Tony Greig, Richie Benaud, Geoffrey Boycott, and D. Gower also appear in the movie.
There is also a scene with a monologue from Nelson Mandela talking about the greatest cricket team of all time. The movie is wonderfully directed and shows the struggle that the great West Indies team faced before they became the best.
2. Wondrous Oblivion (2004)
Wondrous Oblivion is another British film that is focused on Cricket. It was released in 2003. The movie is written and directed by Paul Morrison. Jonny Persey is the producer of the movie. The movie has won awards at the Boston Jewish Film Festival in 2004 and Giffoni Film Festival 2003.
The movie is based around David Wiseman, an 11-year-old Jewish boy who is crazy for cricket. David was not too good at playing the game. The story takes a new turn when a Jamaican family moves next door to David.
The little boy becomes close friends with the next door girl, Dennis who is also a fan of cricket. David’s family does not approve of this friendship. However, their keen interest in the game makes the friendship further stronger.
3. The Final Test (1953)
The movie revolves around a cricketer, Sam Palmer’s final appearance for English national team. Sam badly wishes his kid (Reggie) to be in the stadium to watch his daddy play the last innings of his career.
Reggie has different plans as he wished to meet the poet A. Whitehead who turns out to be a great fan of cricket. The poet then accompanies Reggie to the stadium only to watch Sam getting dismissed without scoring a single run. This comedy movie also features cricketers Len Hutton, D. Compton and A. Bedser.
4. Bodyline (1984)
The movie is based on the test series played between English and Aussies during the 1932/33 season. The title of the movie is based on the fact that the ‘bodyline’ bowling tactic was used for the first time in this test series that brought revolutionary changes in the way the game was played before.
Notably, the English team used bodyline tactics to target the body parts of Aussie batsmen. Arguably the best player ever, Donald Bradman suffered multiple injuries during this tournament. Gary Sweet plays the role of Don Bradman. The movie is directed by Denny Lawrence, Lex Marinos, George Ogilvie, and Carl Schultz.
5. It’s not cricket (1949)
‘It’s not cricket’ is a British comedy movie. The story revolves around two officers of the Intelligence Army. After getting kicked out of the army, the two of them plan to start their self-owned detective firm.
Major Bright and Captain Early fail to notice that the new batman is a war criminal named Otto Fisch. During a weekend county house party, the duo takes part in a cricket game that has a ball with a hidden stolen diamond inside. Bright and Early recover the diamond and their life takes a good turn.
6. Playing Away (1987)
This comedy movie revolves around cricket. West Indians from a black neighborhood in London accepts the invitation to play a match of cricket against their white counterparts. It was done to signal the end of their “Third World Week” celebration.
7. Hit for Six (2007)
Hit for Six is a movie produced in Barbados. It revolves around the life of a West Indies cricket player who has been accused of fixing the match. However, the player fights his way to play for the team at the international level drawing massive admiration from his father who was a former cricketer. The film has cameo appearance of a few West Indian cricketers such as Tino Best, E. Weeks, and Desmond Haynes.
8. Hansie: A True Story (2008)
As the title suggests, this movie is inspired by a true story. The film is about Hansi Cronje, a former captain of the South African team. He was an icon for his nation before he was found guilty of involvement with bookmakers. The movie is based on the life of Hansie after the infamous match-fixing scandal of 2000. Frank Rautenbach plays the role of Hansie Oranje.
9. I Know How Many Runs You Scored Last Summer (2008)
Directed by Stacey Edmonds, this movie fits the horror genre. The story revolves around a serial killer. This mustached killer starts murdering cricketers of a regional club with the use of his sharp cricket gloves and stumps. The movie did not do too well.
10. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
This movie is not entirely focused on cricket. However, there are a few scenes in this mystery thriller that relate to cricket. The movie was directed by Alfred Hitchcock. Margaret Lockwood and Michael Redgrave play the leading roles in the movie. There is a scene where two characters are going crazy to get the update on a test match.
