Tarnicus: I've always wondered how the game appears to those who are not familiar with it. Once you get the gist of the basic rules, watching good batting and bowling can be quite exciting.
To be honest I came in contact with cricket during a World Cup while I was in South Africa. The people I stayed with were kind enough to explain everything to me, otherwise it'd probably have taken much more time for me to get the hang of it.
But once you understand it it really
is exciting. And kinda addicting :D
Rugby on the other hand was much easier to understand but a bit boring to me. No offence, it's just personal taste I guess.