By John Earls - "The big things we have in common are ELO and cricket. So we've made an album of cricket songs that sound like ELO."

So says Neil Hannon about The Duckworth Lewis Method, an album about cricket that The Divine Comedy's singer has made with Thomas Walsh of Pugwash.

"It started with several drunken nights in the pub," says Neil. "I can't believe we actually went and did it."

Fellow Irishmen Neil and Thomas had been friends for some time before discovering their mutual cricket love.

"We were in a car, driving to record a charity single Thomas was involved in, when I asked if he'd mind putting the cricket on the radio," Neil recalls.

Thomas adds: "He thought I'd be 'You what?', as cricket is so small in Ireland. But I love it. He was so surprised, it's stemmed from there."

It was important that the album didn't deter non-cricket fans from listening.

"Any cricket terminology is in there as poetic language," insists Neil. "It's not there as 'You need to know this'. Songs like The Nightwatchman don't need to be on a cricket album at all. Or The Sweet Spot, as that's pure innuendo."

Thomas adds: "Even something like Jiggery Pokery, that's really cricket, is hopefully funny to anybody."

The most cricket-specific title is Meeting Mr Miandad, about a journey to visit the retired Pakistan batsman.

"That's the jokey song," says Thomas, 39. "It's the one Ringo would sing on a Beatles album. It's about us visiting him in a van, only to find when we get there he wants to be a rock star too."

Says Neil, 38: "We've tried to capture the joyful feeling cricket gives us, not the technicalities of the sport."

There have been other songs about cricket before, notably 10cc's Dreadlock Holiday.

"Yeah, but we're not trying to claim this is anything original," says Thomas. "It's a pop record in all its forms. I love classic 60s psych records and I hope that spirit comes over."

Neil adds: "We just did what feels right, natural and fun. We weren't consciously thinking beyond that."

The album has already been championed by Stephen Fry on his Twitter page.

"The zenith of the album's promotional activity," notes Neil. "He's praised us to his 500,000 Twitter disciples."

Thomas adds: "We should re-do the album cover, and stick Stephen's head over mine. Or put his head in a little white cloud on the sleeve." Or, says Neil: "Have a cardboard cut-out of him in HMV in cricket whites, with his thumbs up."