On Saturday I went to the cricket with my son Craig. It was the first time I've been to a Test Match and this one was much anticipated. It was a hot day but we had good seats under cover. I enjoyed the atmosphere, but it was disappointing that the Barmy Army were spread out among the crowd rather than being allowed to sit in large groups and sing their songs. I think a lot of Aussies were also disappointed by this. Another aspect of bureaucracy gone mad was that you weren't allowed to take back packs into the ground.
Anyway, back to the cricket. After making 9/602 on day two, we had the Poms out for about 150. We led by about 450 and there was much debate about a follow-on. I agreed that we should bat again, but think that we should have gone hell for leather and damn the batting statistics, to put on about another 150 and then have about 20 minutes at them before stumps. However we batted through to stumps and rather bored most of the crowd. I was so pissed off that I left before the end, to avoid the crowds as I was meeting Jenny to go dancing.
It'll be interesting to see whether it rains tomorrow (Monday) and the Poms hang on for a draw. If so, then that decision could be important. All in all though, it was good day and I enjoyed it.
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1 comment:
Some important points you have raised:-
Barmy Army is by now an institution and by its nature is well behaved and humourous - why split them up? "Oh well for what they might do" - poor response!
Back packs: you are npt the first to raise this issue - no notices were posted and after all, what is so very nefarious about a back pack for God's sake???
No follow-on? my view is that, in the lack of a days' break (remember them, after Day 3?) fielding captains are much more reluctant to enforce the follow-on because the bowlewrs have less recovery time, Steve Waugh memorably did that in Kolkata and lost the match.
Tony
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