In the Realm of Rap, Cricket Takes Root

Of all the challenges one faces in teaching the game of cricket to the lads in Compton, Calif., world capital of gangsta rap, one difficulty looms above all others. It's not the rules or the etiquette or the language of bowlers and wickets. Katy Haber, 50, a British expatriate and team manager, sums up the matter thus: "It's all we can do to keep them from sagging their pants."

A style issue, in fact, has reared its head at a midweek practice on a raggedy field in the heart of Compton, a mostly black and Hispanic town south of Los Angeles....