Fielding at silly point is a dangerous game. You're mere feet away from batter swinging a near-3lb piece of wood to smack a 6ounce ball of leather towards you at speed. No wonder there's a beer named after it.
A rivalry as old as cricket itself, Yorkshire vs Lancashire - or the 'roses' games - are fiercely contested every year, no matter what format of the game.
For one beer only two breweries, one from either side of the Pennines, have put the history of their counties aside in the name of brewing. Like a modern day Romeo and Juliet story, it's a labour of love spanning dozens of miles.
Yorkshire's North Riding Brewery collaborated with Lancashire's Manchester Marble brewery to create an IPA that's malty, full and just a little fruity. Just like when the two teams meet on the pitch, it's a really enjoyable experience.
The smell is fruity and fresh which really helps to ramp up the anticipation of this one, coupled with a pour that is dark - a lot darker than many standard IPAs which err more on the pale side. If it wasn't for the hops, you'd be forgiven for thinking this was actually a bitter.
There's a subtle sweetness to the initial flavour which combines with an earthy hoppiness that's slightly bitter, but just enough to create a balance with the sweetness. It's very slightly fruity, but not the big juice bombs that IPAs can be these days, this is much more subtle.
The aftertaste is a little bitter, but there's also a touch of fruitiness to it. Contrary to the way it looks, it's actually more tropical and melony flavours rather than the spiced fruits you would expect from a beer this dark.
Appropriately, the can photo is taken at point. But deep point, a much safer position to field in. There is a man at silly point though, and he is the chap under the first 'c' of 'cross county IPA', for any non-cricket fans.
The can is a thing of beauty really, portraying what is undoubtedly a village game under a brilliant blue English summer sky. Rightly, the sky takes up most of the can which at 500ml is really saying something.
The bright yellow font stands out against the blue of the sky and the green of the grass, and the players dotted around in white provide some good viewing while supping it.
A must-try for any cricketer who loves a beer (and let's face it, it's most of us), you can pick this up for £4.52 from Beer Metropolis, which is cheap for an IPA, but not as cheap as I frequently give my wicket away for of a Sunday afternoon.
