Me a few times. And at least one of them was on a cricket tour with Riviera who will have a far better recollection of what year it was. All I remember is that the Aussies got about 300 plus for the lost of about two wickets!
Been to a few Ashes test matches at Lords most enjoyable was 2009 a last day victory ( just googled it ) apparently our first Ashes win at Lords for 75 years , didn’t realise our record was that shit there . Tbh I remember the first few hours of each day but after lunch time it becomes very hazy.
Edit : last day at the Oval when we won the Ashes in 2005 was the best day by far , went drinking round London Bridge afterwards celebrating and saw it kick off with drunk millwall fans and some randoms , shock horror
Went to the boxing day test in Melbourne the last time we were over there. The MCG is an incredible ground, especially when it is full to capacity. England provided us with 1 quality day of cricket in the field and 3 days of utter dross.
I thought I'd get bored sitting there for 4 days (never watched a test live before) and came prepared for that but I was enthralled throughout. It was so reasonably priced, especially compared to seeing a game here (you can afford to do that when the ground holds over 100,000 people!).
If you ever get a chance to get over there for the ashes I'd 100% recommend it. The whole country seemed to stop for it Shame we were so cack but loved every minute.
A few times in the UK, to various grounds where I could get tickets. Lord's, Oval, Cardiff, Old Trafford and Edgbaston, keep meaning to go to Australia, one of these days...
No massive memories, but saw England clinch the 2013 series at OT after rain ended play on the 5th day with England struggling! Saw Ian Bell make a century at Lord's, with rugby legend Adam Jones sitting a few seats away
Funniest was the SCG New Year Test in 1999, I took the missus down there for a weekend and we watched Day 1 of the Test.
Australia were bowled out for 320 odd on the day, England had Aussies 50-3 with new ball, Mark Waugh hit a gorgeous 120, Steve Waugh got clean bowled by Peter Such for 96 and then in the last over of the day DARREN GOUGH TOOK A FUCKING HAT-TRICK including two clean bowled.
The roar when Goughie took the hat-trick was mind blowing, never heard anything like it before or since.
As we're leaving the ground I said to my missus, "What did you make of that? Enjoy it?"
"Not really," she said, "It was a bit boring wasn't it?"
I wrote a book about my cricket tours - Barmy Days and Balmy Nights. Available from Google books. Five tours down under. There for the wins in Adelaide (94-95) and Melbourne (98-99). Drinks with Greg Chappel, Derek Underwood, Alan Mulally, Peter Such, Mike Gatting and others.
The last home Ashes series where I failed to attend at least one days play was 1968. 1972 Oval 1975 Oval 1977 Oval 1980 Lords (Not Ashes but the Aussies) 1981 Oval 1985 Lords and Oval 1989 Oval 1993 Lords and Headingley (with Addick Addict) 1997 Lords 2001 Lords 2005 Oval 2009 Cardiff, Lords, Edgbaston, Headingley, Oval 2013 Old Trafford, Lords, Trent Bridge 2015 Cardiff, Lords, Oval
I wrote this on 13th September 2005 on a BBC Cricket Message Board:
**, Sep 13, 2005
It only dawned on me a few weeks ago that if I didn't get to The Oval it would be the first time since 1968 that I hadn't seen the Aussies in the flesh. I was at the Oval in '72, as a seven year old sitting on the grass, when both Chappels got a ton and I have seen at least one days play in every subsequent series. However through a combination of work commitments and the ridiculous ticketing arrangements installed by the ECB it was looking bleak. I flirted with the idea of blowing a lump of cash on E-bay, but couldn't get the full support of 'er indoors! At lunchtime today I was watching play unfold in a City pub when it all got too much for me. I just had to get there. By hook or by crook. I turned to my work pals and told them as much, I wasn't even peed; I had been on water for the last two hours. One of them agreed with me so we jumped in a cab and shot across the Thames. I really had no idea what I was going to do, bribe and elderly gateman with a couple of twenty pound notes was probably going to be my plan I guess. When we got there I was shocked to see the extent of security guards and stewarding outside the ground. I tried a young girl on a turnstile with £20 but although she was up for it, her supervisor was getting suspicious. I pretended to ring a friend in the ground who had my ticket, and asked to wait inside for him. That didn't work either and I was beginning to run out of ideas. Then I saw it. An unmanned "Exit" turnstile, I just ran to it and dived under it, full body surf! Anyone who knows me will be amazed at this as I am a large fella to say the least. Sometimes adrenalin will get you through, or under, anything. I just got up and ran. All I heard was a few cries of "Excuse me Sir" and my work pal followed, the female stewards tried to stop him but he ran too and to be honest, they were not really that bothered. We ran round towards the Vauxhall End, ran up some stairs and sat in two empty seats down at fine leg, just by the hapless Shaun Tait. The bloke next to us said that the seats had been empty since lunch, what a piece of luck. The atmosphere was unbelievable, it was just after tea and everyone was just about convinced that we were safe. There was great banter with the Aussies and it was just so wonderful to be there. OK it was a bit naughty and not the norm for me, but we didn't do anyone any harm. One down side today was the ridiculous wait for the presentation ceremony. It took forever to set up. We are told not to go onto the playing area, but then the players are hidden from us and everytime an award is made a stupid advert appears on the big screen announcing the winner but not letting us see the moment. No wonder some "Lost It" and ran onto the field. Oh for the days of Peter West on the balcony and us standing underneath cheering. I must say I have enjoyed this series more than any other since 1985-The Forgotten Ashes- as I call it! I guess that was because my heroes were at their peak, Gower, Gooch and Gatting scored loads and Both was at his belligerent best. However this has been more exciting throughout and the pace of the game so much quicker. A quick look at this years stats would not excite anyone who hadn't seen the cricket. Not many centuries, no one scoring a stack of runs like Gower in '85 or Viv in '76. There were no mammoth totals and no double figure shockers. It was just excellent cricket played by two fantastic, evenly matched sides. Lords apart, all the games were close, and even in that first test-if we had caught our catches it could have been tighter. Hats off to the Aussies! They are a super bunch of sportsmen. Obviously Warne, an absolute hero, but also Bret Lee, a great competitor-all heart. I like Langer, a tough cookie and a honourable man. Ponting is a fine player, maybe is finished as captain, and for me I forgive him his outburst at Trent Bridge because of his apology and also his gracious acceptance of defeat. I think McGrath is over the hill and for some reason Gilcrest has gone completely soft. Hasn't it been great to have Jim Maxwell on TMS? Also Marshy! He is superb. Such a dry wit and deadpan delivery and has shown himself to be a true, fair and unbiased summariser. As for our boys, well Freddie is King! To be honest though EVERYONE has done something. You can't put a price on Colligwood's 51 ball 10 today, it was invaluable. Others need mentions though, Tres and Strauss have given us some great, positive starts. Vaughn has basically looked like a classical batting master whether he gets 1 or one hundred. I said at the start of this match that KP owed us a ton, he delivered, and he ended up as leading run scorer from both teams. Jones has made good runs as has Giles. The four seamers have all had their day. I guess we must mention Fletch too, if you listen to the players present and recent- they all rate him highly. To be fair to him, when we do well he doesn't bask in glory but does take flack when it all goes Pete Tong. I wonder if fancies a go at our football team? Off the field it is a sad goodbye to C4, their coverage has been brilliant. They really have taken cricket coverage to new levels. I'd love to see Nicholas, Athers, Hughes et al replace the boring Sky duo of Allot and Willis and the foolish Colville. Geoff Boycott must not be lost again either. While on the subject of the media I really think it is time for the BBC cricket correspondent’s position to be called into question. His pathetically negative summing up of sessions and days play leads me to believe he really has lost touch with the game. Anyone who heard his crazy theories that England had blown it by actually bowling out Australia on Sunday was just mind numbing. I do not think he knows how this team play their cricket, they are positive and do not think about things going wrong. He was as bad on Thursday evening, we were 300 odd for 7 and you'd have thought we had been skittled out for 100 if you'd listen to him. The Aussies would have a lead of 200+ according to him. The whole title of Cricket Correspondent is one I am struggling with. All he does is the international stuff and maybe a domestic final. He appears to have no knowledge of up and coming players unlike CMJ, and Pat Murphy seems to do far more work than Aggers. In fact I want to start a campaign to rid ourselves of the "Old Moaners" brigade in the media. Agnew, Allot, Willis, Angus "bloody" Fraser- how on earth did he get a job? Even my old hero IT Botham is turning into a modern day Fred Trueman and he needs to be brought into line before it's too late. Ian Ward is a natural on the telly, unlike Nass who started so wooden but is improving. But you can't beat the old guard, Benaud and Boycott, with a bit of Tony Greig. Gower is a good frontman but Mark Nicholas is better and David Lloyd has just become the court jester. Yes he FLIPPIN has! It has been a wonderful, if crazy few weeks and the thought of playing anyone apart from these wonderful Aussies just does not do anything for me. They'll be plenty tickets available next summer sadly. Roll on 2006/7 Down Under! We're keeping those Ashes boys!
I've been to five or six over the years, the one I remember best was my first one at The Oval in 1977. We went on the Monday and most of the first few days had been destroyed by the weather, the Aussies were still in their first innings. There were a good number of legends on show, Knotty, Underwood, Willis, Sir Geoffrey to name a few- I think Botham was injured, he started that year as well.
At lunchtime everybody descended on the outfield with their picnics and er, beverages, when the bell went everyone cleared off not leaving so much as a crumb on the turf. We were at Lords a couple of years back and my mate took literally two steps over the boundary to avoid disturbing someone going through his bag; next thing some jobsworth descended threatening him with allsorts for his heinous crime. Pathetic.
Anyway, after the game finished, we had a knockabout game in front of the pavillion with a tennis ball and an old bat we found, as did plenty of others. We got told to go home after about an hour by a bloke with a big dog. All this for a fiver I think, just turned up on the day and went in.
My first Ashes test was the Oval 1977, the one and only test for an Aussie swing bowler Mick Malone. The reason I remember him so well was that he bowled 43 overs on the first days play, quite something for any bowler but for a medium quick bloody amazing, the man just did not stop. England scored 181-9 on the first day, old school test cricket and I was seriously hooked. I’d been watching cricket since I was about 7, my best mates Dad was a Notts fanatic, but this is the first test I remember really well. Was lucky enough to go to a few Ashes tests up until the mid 90s when I moved to SA. Two of my favorite cricketers to watch were poles apart in style David Gower and Alan Border. Gower is still up there as one of my all time favorite cricketers to watch, on his day absolutely brilliant, at other times totally infuriating. Damn I wish I was in Aus for this series
Since 2005 I’ve been to at least 1 day at Oval and at least 1 day at Lord’s for home Ashes and was lucky and privileged to go every day to the Melbourne and Sydney tests in 2010/11 for my honeymoon. Would recommend it to anyone if you get the chance.
First went on the Saturday at Lords 1953. Lindwall, Miller and the 2 youngsters Benaud and Davidson spring to mind. It was the test where Willie Watson and Barnacle Bailey saved us on the last day. Unusual series where the first four tests were drawn, partly due to a wet summer, and it was decided to play a 6 day test at the Oval and we famously won in 4 days.
I was at the Boxing Day test at the MCG back in 2010 when we smashed the Aussies out for 99, had 4 seasons of weather during the day only wearing a muscle man fancy dress outfit. Surprised I still remember it after the heroic amount of alcohol taken on during that epic day.
I've never seen an Ashes match. The nearest I've got to it was watching Essex v Australia at Chelmsford once. I can only remember two things about it. 1. There was one of the Waugh brothers playing for each side. 2. I got so pissed I can't remember what happened except that one of the Waugh brothers played for each side.
I've never seen an Ashes match. The nearest I've got to it was watching Essex v Australia at Chelmsford once. I can only remember two things about it. 1. There was one of the Waugh brothers playing for each side. 2. I go so pissed I can't remember what happened except that one of the Waugh brothers played for each side.
Actually only one of them was playing, but you were seeing double
First one was 1972 at Lords - Bob Massie's test match.
Been to at least one day in most Ashes series since then, at either Lords or the Oval. In the 80's the Surrey membership allowed entry to all days of the test match, so I was lucky enough to go to all 4 or 5 days for some tests. Remember seeing every ball bowled in the 1985 test, Gowers ashes win. Then in the 90's Surrey started allocating individual seats and introduced an international membership above the County membership, and it became more difficult to get tickets for the days you wanted.
One of my best memories was the David Steele test at Lords in 75, when England were 48-4 against Lille and Thomson, and he steadied the ship with Knott and Greig. Sitting side-on and trying to see the ball when Thomson was bowling was impossible, ihe was that quick. To think you could pay on the day in the 70's and the ground wasn't always full.
1989 - Oval. I spent 2 days at the Oval with my Mum & Aunt whilst my Dad & Uncle was at St Thomas’ Hospital with my Grandad who was having an emergency bypass op.
1997 - All days at Edgbaston with 3 friends from Uni, staying at one of their parents houses. Nasser scored 207 and Thorpe scored a ton too after we bowled them out cheaply. Cant remember it was 4 or 5 days.
2005 - Lords for a day. Edgbaston, 2 days. Or Fredgbaston as it is affectionately known.
2009 - Lords for a day, Oval for a day.
Bucket list is the Boxing Day test in Oz. Wife is keen to go back to Oz but not the cricket so will need persuading!
I was a member of Surrey for many years, even continuing my membership for a few years after moving to Thailand, returning to watch a couple of Test Matches.
I also remember the days you could just turn up at the Oval and pay, even for an Ashes test. I did this in 1975, the day after returning from holiday in Italy, hoping to see John Edrich make his 8th ton against the Aussies. Unfortunately he fell four short, though it was good to see his Surrey teammate, Graham Roope, score 77.
Saw at least a day of every Ashes Test at The Oval from 1972 until 2005, plus a few days at Lords and one at Headingley.
In 2002/3, Surrey had a reciprocal arrangement with the SCG, meaning tickets were available to Surrey members. I entered the ballot on behalf of some friends but when I "won" three tickets, I decided to go myself. I'd just moved to Bangkok so it was a much shorter flight. It was a surprise when I turned up at the gate to collect the tickets that they were free! England lost the series but won that final Test and as the tickets were for the Members' Pavilion, the few England fans, many from Surrey, were congregating around the dressing room, sharing a drink with the players and grabbing memorabilia that the players were graciously throwing into the throng. I got nothing but a good friend of mine walked out with Mark Butcher's shirt!
I'll be in Adelaide the week after next during the second Test, but I'm only going on the third day. I left it late to get tickets for the first two days but a day at the beach and a tour of the wine region will provide adequate consolation, I'm sure. Flying back on Day 4. I can't stay away too long as it's our high season here in Phuket.
Comments
Tbh I remember the first few hours of each day but after lunch time it becomes very hazy.
Edit : last day at the Oval when we won the Ashes in 2005 was the best day by far , went drinking round London Bridge afterwards celebrating and saw it kick off with drunk millwall fans and some randoms , shock horror
I thought I'd get bored sitting there for 4 days (never watched a test live before) and came prepared for that but I was enthralled throughout. It was so reasonably priced, especially compared to seeing a game here (you can afford to do that when the ground holds over 100,000 people!).
If you ever get a chance to get over there for the ashes I'd 100% recommend it. The whole country seemed to stop for it
Shame we were so cack but loved every minute.
I had never been to a game before and my mums mate couldn’t go so I tagged along. Great memories and loved cricket ever since.
No massive memories, but saw England clinch the 2013 series at OT after rain ended play on the 5th day with England struggling! Saw Ian Bell make a century at Lord's, with rugby legend Adam Jones sitting a few seats away
Funniest was the SCG New Year Test in 1999, I took the missus down there for a weekend and we watched Day 1 of the Test.
Australia were bowled out for 320 odd on the day, England had Aussies 50-3 with new ball, Mark Waugh hit a gorgeous 120, Steve Waugh got clean bowled by Peter Such for 96 and then in the last over of the day DARREN GOUGH TOOK A FUCKING HAT-TRICK including two clean bowled.
The roar when Goughie took the hat-trick was mind blowing, never heard anything like it before or since.
As we're leaving the ground I said to my missus, "What did you make of that? Enjoy it?"
"Not really," she said, "It was a bit boring wasn't it?"
Priceless.
1972 Oval
1975 Oval
1977 Oval
1980 Lords (Not Ashes but the Aussies)
1981 Oval
1985 Lords and Oval
1989 Oval
1993 Lords and Headingley (with Addick Addict)
1997 Lords
2001 Lords
2005 Oval
2009 Cardiff, Lords, Edgbaston, Headingley, Oval
2013 Old Trafford, Lords, Trent Bridge
2015 Cardiff, Lords, Oval
I wrote this on 13th September 2005 on a BBC Cricket Message Board:
**, Sep 13, 2005
It only dawned on me a few weeks ago that if I didn't get to The Oval it would be the first time since 1968 that I hadn't seen the Aussies in the flesh.
I was at the Oval in '72, as a seven year old sitting on the grass, when both Chappels got a ton and I have seen at least one days play in every subsequent series.
However through a combination of work commitments and the ridiculous ticketing arrangements installed by the ECB it was looking bleak.
I flirted with the idea of blowing a lump of cash on E-bay, but couldn't get the full support of 'er indoors!
At lunchtime today I was watching play unfold in a City pub when it all got too much for me. I just had to get there. By hook or by crook. I turned to my work pals and told them as much, I wasn't even peed; I had been on water for the last two hours.
One of them agreed with me so we jumped in a cab and shot across the Thames.
I really had no idea what I was going to do, bribe and elderly gateman with a couple of twenty pound notes was probably going to be my plan I guess.
When we got there I was shocked to see the extent of security guards and stewarding outside the ground. I tried a young girl on a turnstile with £20 but although she was up for it, her supervisor was getting suspicious. I pretended to ring a friend in the ground who had my ticket, and asked to wait inside for him. That didn't work either and I was beginning to run out of ideas.
Then I saw it. An unmanned "Exit" turnstile, I just ran to it and dived under it, full body surf! Anyone who knows me will be amazed at this as I am a large fella to say the least. Sometimes adrenalin will get you through, or under, anything. I just got up and ran. All I heard was a few cries of "Excuse me Sir" and my work pal followed, the female stewards tried to stop him but he ran too and to be honest, they were not really that bothered.
We ran round towards the Vauxhall End, ran up some stairs and sat in two empty seats down at fine leg, just by the hapless Shaun Tait.
The bloke next to us said that the seats had been empty since lunch, what a piece of luck.
The atmosphere was unbelievable, it was just after tea and everyone was just about convinced that we were safe. There was great banter with the Aussies and it was just so wonderful to be there. OK it was a bit naughty and not the norm for me, but we didn't do anyone any harm.
One down side today was the ridiculous wait for the presentation ceremony. It took forever to set up. We are told not to go onto the playing area, but then the players are hidden from us and everytime an award is made a stupid advert appears on the big screen announcing the winner but not letting us see the moment. No wonder some "Lost It" and ran onto the field. Oh for the days of Peter West on the balcony and us standing underneath cheering.
I must say I have enjoyed this series more than any other since 1985-The Forgotten Ashes- as I call it! I guess that was because my heroes were at their peak, Gower, Gooch and Gatting scored loads and Both was at his belligerent best. However this has been more exciting throughout and the pace of the game so much quicker.
A quick look at this years stats would not excite anyone who hadn't seen the cricket. Not many centuries, no one scoring a stack of runs like Gower in '85 or Viv in '76. There were no mammoth totals and no double figure shockers. It was just excellent cricket played by two fantastic, evenly matched sides. Lords apart, all the games were close, and even in that first test-if we had caught our catches it could have been tighter.
Hats off to the Aussies! They are a super bunch of sportsmen. Obviously Warne, an absolute hero, but also Bret Lee, a great competitor-all heart. I like Langer, a tough cookie and a honourable man. Ponting is a fine player, maybe is finished as captain, and for me I forgive him his outburst at Trent Bridge because of his apology and also his gracious acceptance of defeat.
I think McGrath is over the hill and for some reason Gilcrest has gone completely soft.
Hasn't it been great to have Jim Maxwell on TMS? Also Marshy! He is superb. Such a dry wit and deadpan delivery and has shown himself to be a true, fair and unbiased summariser.
As for our boys, well Freddie is King! To be honest though EVERYONE has done something. You can't put a price on Colligwood's 51 ball 10 today, it was invaluable.
Others need mentions though, Tres and Strauss have given us some great, positive starts. Vaughn has basically looked like a classical batting master whether he gets 1 or one hundred.
I said at the start of this match that KP owed us a ton, he delivered, and he ended up as leading run scorer from both teams.
Jones has made good runs as has Giles. The four seamers have all had their day.
I guess we must mention Fletch too, if you listen to the players present and recent- they all rate him highly. To be fair to him, when we do well he doesn't bask in glory but does take flack when it all goes Pete Tong. I wonder if fancies a go at our football team?
Off the field it is a sad goodbye to C4, their coverage has been brilliant. They really have taken cricket coverage to new levels. I'd love to see Nicholas, Athers, Hughes et al replace the boring Sky duo of Allot and Willis and the foolish Colville. Geoff Boycott must not be lost again either.
While on the subject of the media I really think it is time for the BBC cricket correspondent’s position to be called into question. His pathetically negative summing up of sessions and days play leads me to believe he really has lost touch with the game. Anyone who heard his crazy theories that England had blown it by actually bowling out Australia on Sunday was just mind numbing. I do not think he knows how this team play their cricket, they are positive and do not think about things going wrong.
He was as bad on Thursday evening, we were 300 odd for 7 and you'd have thought we had been skittled out for 100 if you'd listen to him. The Aussies would have a lead of 200+ according to him.
The whole title of Cricket Correspondent is one I am struggling with. All he does is the international stuff and maybe a domestic final. He appears to have no knowledge of up and coming players unlike CMJ, and Pat Murphy seems to do far more work than Aggers.
In fact I want to start a campaign to rid ourselves of the "Old Moaners" brigade in the media. Agnew, Allot, Willis, Angus "bloody" Fraser- how on earth did he get a job? Even my old hero IT Botham is turning into a modern day Fred Trueman and he needs to be brought into line before it's too late.
Ian Ward is a natural on the telly, unlike Nass who started so wooden but is improving. But you can't beat the old guard, Benaud and Boycott, with a bit of Tony Greig. Gower is a good frontman but Mark Nicholas is better and David Lloyd has just become the court jester. Yes he FLIPPIN has!
It has been a wonderful, if crazy few weeks and the thought of playing anyone apart from these wonderful Aussies just does not do anything for me. They'll be plenty tickets available next summer sadly.
Roll on 2006/7 Down Under! We're keeping those Ashes boys!
Not a great prediction to end with!
At lunchtime everybody descended on the outfield with their picnics and er, beverages, when the bell went everyone cleared off not leaving so much as a crumb on the turf. We were at Lords a couple of years back and my mate took literally two steps over the boundary to avoid disturbing someone going through his bag; next thing some jobsworth descended threatening him with allsorts for his heinous crime. Pathetic.
Anyway, after the game finished, we had a knockabout game in front of the pavillion with a tennis ball and an old bat we found, as did plenty of others. We got told to go home after about an hour by a bloke with a big dog. All this for a fiver I think, just turned up on the day and went in.
Damn I wish I was in Aus for this series
Also, 2013 at Trent Bridge, day 2. We bowled well but then Ashton Agar scored 98 - was a great day.
It was the test where Willie Watson and Barnacle Bailey saved us on the last day.
Unusual series where the first four tests were drawn, partly due to a wet summer, and it was decided to play a 6 day test at the Oval and we famously won in 4 days.
The dream is a full tour down under. And to watch England play in every test playing nation.
I've got tickets for India next year which puts me on a priority list for the next Ashes. Fingers crossed.
Been to at least one day in most Ashes series since then, at either Lords or the Oval. In the 80's the Surrey membership allowed entry to all days of the test match, so I was lucky enough to go to all 4 or 5 days for some tests. Remember seeing every ball bowled in the 1985 test, Gowers ashes win. Then in the 90's Surrey started allocating individual seats and introduced an international membership above the County membership, and it became more difficult to get tickets for the days you wanted.
One of my best memories was the David Steele test at Lords in 75, when England were 48-4 against Lille and Thomson, and he steadied the ship with Knott and Greig. Sitting side-on and trying to see the ball when Thomson was bowling was impossible, ihe was that quick. To think you could pay on the day in the 70's and the ground wasn't always full.
1997 - All days at Edgbaston with 3 friends from Uni, staying at one of their parents houses. Nasser scored 207 and Thorpe scored a ton too after we bowled them out cheaply. Cant remember it was 4 or 5 days.
2005 - Lords for a day. Edgbaston, 2 days. Or Fredgbaston as it is affectionately known.
2009 - Lords for a day, Oval for a day.
Bucket list is the Boxing Day test in Oz. Wife is keen to go back to Oz but not the cricket so will need persuading!
I also remember the days you could just turn up at the Oval and pay, even for an Ashes test. I did this in 1975, the day after returning from holiday in Italy, hoping to see John Edrich make his 8th ton against the Aussies. Unfortunately he fell four short, though it was good to see his Surrey teammate, Graham Roope, score 77.
Saw at least a day of every Ashes Test at The Oval from 1972 until 2005, plus a few days at Lords and one at Headingley.
In 2002/3, Surrey had a reciprocal arrangement with the SCG, meaning tickets were available to Surrey members. I entered the ballot on behalf of some friends but when I "won" three tickets, I decided to go myself. I'd just moved to Bangkok so it was a much shorter flight. It was a surprise when I turned up at the gate to collect the tickets that they were free! England lost the series but won that final Test and as the tickets were for the Members' Pavilion, the few England fans, many from Surrey, were congregating around the dressing room, sharing a drink with the players and grabbing memorabilia that the players were graciously throwing into the throng. I got nothing but a good friend of mine walked out with Mark Butcher's shirt!
I'll be in Adelaide the week after next during the second Test, but I'm only going on the third day. I left it late to get tickets for the first two days but a day at the beach and a tour of the wine region will provide adequate consolation, I'm sure. Flying back on Day 4. I can't stay away too long as it's our high season here in Phuket.