Must admit, the best crowd i've ever been to for a cricket match (Test) was at Edgbaston v Oz 2009 - what an atmosphere - it was like being at a football match - sat in Hollis stand and a batch of 50 or so Ozzies all together in a batch in front of us got hell - especially as we were giving them a good tonking at the time. Incredible atmosphere, and Brum fans like their cricket too. Often commentators like Botham and Gower mention how noisy the Edgbaston crowd is.
See the Weather forecast for Manchester for the game next week is fairly sh1tty, likely to be lots of rain and therefore would think a good candidate for a draw, so, all on the Oval for likely decider. I personally think they should dump Manchester and Headingley tests - they are always interrupted by the weather, have cr4p attendances, and good god, that monstrosity of a building they built at Old Trafford deserves to be demolished. Replace them with a guaranteed Southampton test, and another one in London, maybe we could spice it up a bit by having the first 2 days at Lords, then the next 2 days at The Oval, and then if they need a deciding day, have it at the Olympic Stadium.
Southampton Test had awful attendances as well !
I'd go for. Lords, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, Old Trafford & Oval.
Durham & Cardiff, always rains & poorly attended.
Yorkshire & Southampton were poorly attended.
Only poorly attended because of Sunday start - if it had been Thursday start it would have had full houses for first 4 days - promise !
Certainly better attendances. Day 1 gets a boost (Thursday) while Friday feels like part of the weekend!
If you have 2 tests in London, then Soton seems a bit of a duplicate as a number of people in SW London or North Hampshire could go to the Oval or Lords instead. A surprising number of people come up from London to watch matches elsewhere, with tickets nearly half the price and cheap train deals it can work out worthwhile
Suppose i'm a bit biased , living down the road from The Ageas, and the fact thats its best stadium in England for watching a match (where else can you walk around the ground and still watch the cricket becasue of its elevated position) but you have to remember that there is a big corridor into Dorset/Devon and Sussex via the M27/A27 which would enable people from those areas to go to a match that they might not be able to go to in London. I would also have 3 Tests in London just to wind up Norveners, but, tbh, the attendances at OT and Headingley just dont warrant having them there - lets see what happens with the crowds this coming Test.
Not a large population though, when compared with the West Midlands, Lancashire or Yorkshire. It is a problem now, as the country has a number of decent grounds, all expensively rebuilt, and few games that will fill their capacity. Cardiff somehow have managed to get an Ashes Test again next year.
See the Weather forecast for Manchester for the game next week is fairly sh1tty, likely to be lots of rain and therefore would think a good candidate for a draw, so, all on the Oval for likely decider. I personally think they should dump Manchester and Headingley tests - they are always interrupted by the weather, have cr4p attendances, and good god, that monstrosity of a building they built at Old Trafford deserves to be demolished. Replace them with a guaranteed Southampton test, and another one in London, maybe we could spice it up a bit by having the first 2 days at Lords, then the next 2 days at The Oval, and then if they need a deciding day, have it at the Olympic Stadium.
Southampton Test had awful attendances as well !
I'd go for. Lords, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, Old Trafford & Oval.
Durham & Cardiff, always rains & poorly attended.
Yorkshire & Southampton were poorly attended.
Only poorly attended because of Sunday start - if it had been Thursday start it would have had full houses for first 4 days - promise !
Certainly better attendances. Day 1 gets a boost (Thursday) while Friday feels like part of the weekend!
If you have 2 tests in London, then Soton seems a bit of a duplicate as a number of people in SW London or North Hampshire could go to the Oval or Lords instead. A surprising number of people come up from London to watch matches elsewhere, with tickets nearly half the price and cheap train deals it can work out worthwhile
Suppose i'm a bit biased , living down the road from The Ageas, and the fact thats its best stadium in England for watching a match (where else can you walk around the ground and still watch the cricket becasue of its elevated position) but you have to remember that there is a big corridor into Dorset/Devon and Sussex via the M27/A27 which would enable people from those areas to go to a match that they might not be able to go to in London. I would also have 3 Tests in London just to wind up Norveners, but, tbh, the attendances at OT and Headingley just dont warrant having them there - lets see what happens with the crowds this coming Test.
Not a large population though, when compared with the West Midlands, Lancashire or Yorkshire. It is a problem now, as the country has a number of decent grounds, all expensively rebuilt, and few games that will fill their capacity. Cardiff somehow have managed to get an Ashes Test again next year.
Yeah, not quite sure how that has happened again, but wasnt it Wales Tourist Board that put a whole loada money up last time to secure it ? - maybe they've done the same this time?. TBH their attendances have been shocking otherwise.
See the Weather forecast for Manchester for the game next week is fairly sh1tty, likely to be lots of rain and therefore would think a good candidate for a draw, so, all on the Oval for likely decider. I personally think they should dump Manchester and Headingley tests - they are always interrupted by the weather, have cr4p attendances, and good god, that monstrosity of a building they built at Old Trafford deserves to be demolished. Replace them with a guaranteed Southampton test, and another one in London, maybe we could spice it up a bit by having the first 2 days at Lords, then the next 2 days at The Oval, and then if they need a deciding day, have it at the Olympic Stadium.
Southampton Test had awful attendances as well !
I'd go for. Lords, Trent Bridge, Edgbaston, Old Trafford & Oval.
Durham & Cardiff, always rains & poorly attended.
Yorkshire & Southampton were poorly attended.
Only poorly attended because of Sunday start - if it had been Thursday start it would have had full houses for first 4 days - promise !
Certainly better attendances. Day 1 gets a boost (Thursday) while Friday feels like part of the weekend!
If you have 2 tests in London, then Soton seems a bit of a duplicate as a number of people in SW London or North Hampshire could go to the Oval or Lords instead. A surprising number of people come up from London to watch matches elsewhere, with tickets nearly half the price and cheap train deals it can work out worthwhile
Suppose i'm a bit biased , living down the road from The Ageas, and the fact thats its best stadium in England for watching a match (where else can you walk around the ground and still watch the cricket becasue of its elevated position) but you have to remember that there is a big corridor into Dorset/Devon and Sussex via the M27/A27 which would enable people from those areas to go to a match that they might not be able to go to in London. I would also have 3 Tests in London just to wind up Norveners, but, tbh, the attendances at OT and Headingley just dont warrant having them there - lets see what happens with the crowds this coming Test.
Not a large population though, when compared with the West Midlands, Lancashire or Yorkshire. It is a problem now, as the country has a number of decent grounds, all expensively rebuilt, and few games that will fill their capacity. Cardiff somehow have managed to get an Ashes Test again next year.
Yeah, not quite sure how that has happened again, but wasnt it Wales Tourist Board that put a whole loada money up last time to secure it ? - maybe they've done the same this time?. TBH their attendances have been shocking otherwise.
Durham whenever they get a Test, get the unattractive game, in May, whereas Cardiff have got a 2nd Ashes Tests after handing back the W Indies Test in 2012!
A lot of the counties are in terrible financial difficulty after all this ground expansion, what we need is 8 Ashes Tests every year to keep them all happy....
I enquired today re booking one of the Hilton rooms for next seasons ODI v Oz in Sept at Ageas Bowl - and was quoted a rough price of 475 + VAT PER PERSON - GULP.! Whats the cost of a box at Charlton?
India won the toss and bat. It may have been a good toss to lose. Pitch looks fast & there's no sunshine. 3 changes for India. Gambhir in for Dhawan & Ashwin & Aaron in.
What a start ! - With Dhoni batting at 6, does that mean they are a batsman short ?
Yes, compared to the last Test. Last Test they only went with 4 bowlers. This Test 5. Gambhir for Dhawan. Ashwin for Sharma. Aaron for Pankaj.
Mind you, the way Sharma batted last time, they've probably strengthened it by playing Ashwin ! Pankaj was unlucky - thought he bowled ok at Southampton.
What a start ! - With Dhoni batting at 6, does that mean they are a batsman short ?
Yes, compared to the last Test. Last Test they only went with 4 bowlers. This Test 5. Gambhir for Dhawan. Ashwin for Sharma. Aaron for Pankaj.
Mind you, the way Sharma batted last time, they've probably strengthened it by playing Ashwin ! Pankaj was unlucky - thought he bowled ok at Southampton.
What a start ! - With Dhoni batting at 6, does that mean they are a batsman short ?
Yes, compared to the last Test. Last Test they only went with 4 bowlers. This Test 5. Gambhir for Dhawan. Ashwin for Sharma. Aaron for Pankaj.
Mind you, the way Sharma batted last time, they've probably strengthened it by playing Ashwin ! Pankaj was unlucky - thought he bowled ok at Southampton.
Comments
Often commentators like Botham and Gower mention how noisy the Edgbaston crowd is.
Indians still not happy - going to be a bit of tension between the 2 sides I feel.
A lot of the counties are in terrible financial difficulty after all this ground expansion, what we need is 8 Ashes Tests every year to keep them all happy....
Whats the cost of a box at Charlton?
3 changes for India. Gambhir in for Dhawan & Ashwin & Aaron in.
8-1
8-2.
8-3
I said it looked like a good toss to lose. I would have bowled first myself.
8-4
I definitely would have bowled, if I'd won the toss.
Gambhir for Dhawan.
Ashwin for Sharma.
Aaron for Pankaj.
Pankaj was unlucky - thought he bowled ok at Southampton.
I'll get my coat .....again.
62-5.