Raj makes new friends after watching cricket on TV in a bar. Follows on from 11.07. Everything belongs to the Chuck Lorre XI. Part 2 Raj attends his first cricket practice.

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Wednesday lunchtime in the canteen.

Howard started the conversation "Wednesday, new comic book night. What time are we going to Stuart's store."

Raj said "I'm not going tonight."

Howard replied "You never miss new comic book night, what's her name?"

"If you must know I am going to cricket practice."

"Cricket again, weren't you bored enough first time?"

Then Sheldon said "Ah yes, the great Indian sport accidentally discovered by the English. Played all over the world by Indian expatriates."

"That's right Sheldon, tonight this Indian expatriate is going to be playing in California."

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After work Raj met up with Bruce, Sheila and the rest of the Caltech staff cricket team.

"G'day Sachin"

"G'day to you Shane, gentlemen and ladies may I introduce Dr. Raj Koothrappali from Astrophysics, he has agreed to join the staff team for the annual match against the students. He already knows me and Sheila. If the rest of you could introduce yourselves and then we can start practice."

"Hello I'm Dr. Nelson Sepeng from mechanical engineering, opening batsman originally from South Africa."

"G'day Raj, I'm Professor Dennis Thomson from biochemistry, I'm from Perth, Western Australia, in my younger days I was a fast bowler."

"Hello Raj, I'm Dr. Jeanette Gomez-Davies, postdoc in chemistry, batswoman from Trinidad."

"Hi I'm Simeon Holding, I work as a technician in Geology with Bruce and Sheila. I am an opening bowler, I was born in Los Angeles but my parents are Jamaican, I spent a few years living in Jamaica in my early teens."

"Good evening Dr. Koothrappali, I'm Professor Nigel Edwards from Chemistry. Slow bowler from England."

"Hello, I'm Dr. Roy Ekanayake from Electronic Engineering, opening batsman from Sri Lanka."

"Hi there, I'm Dr. Bernard Swigert from Radio Astronomy, middle order batsman. I'm a 4th generation American from Iowa but I did a postdoc in Manchester where I learned to love all things English from my cricket fanatic wife."

"Good evening, I am Dr. Yash Malik, postdoc in mathematics. I am a slow bowler from Mumbai in India."

Raj replied "Great to meet you all, I am from Delhi Dr. Malik."

Bruce said "I captain the side, bat in the middle order and bowl medium pace. Sheila keeps wicket. Some of you play fairly regularly but others only play once a year. I just want to have a gentle practice today so you can remember which end of the bat to hold. We will practice every Wednesday for the next 3 weeks before we play the students on the Saturday.

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Next day Raj limped into the canteen to join the other three for lunch.

Howard said "what happened to you cricket practice man?"

Raj "I think I over did the practice, I am not sure how many different muscles I have hurt. Cricket practice was a lot easier when I was a teenager!"