Spent a thoroughly enjoyable day at the Rose Bowl watching Hampshire play Essex on Day 2 of the LV Championship match. Despite the lack of crowds behind Dominic Cork in the photograoh above I think there were about five hundred people in the ground.
The really bizarre thing though was that because the ground is currently being redeveloped, the addition of two new Grandstands plus temporary stands for the one day international against Australia on the 22nd, it was like watching a cricket match in the middle of a building site. County cricket matches are supposed to be quiet havens of contemplation, although to be fair that's not possible at Southampton because the M27 lurks beyond the boundary, but this was like watching a match on TV whilst all your neighbours were busy building sheds and extensions at the same time. Strangely though it didn't spoil the day, just added something different.
For the post tea session I was joined by the wife of an England cricket international and her father in law. She spent the time reading Birdsong and discussing her husbands back and neck problems, she was as thin as a rake but had one of the best tans I've seen in ages, just the right colour of brown.
Anyway, it wasn't a great day for Essex out on the field as Dominic Cork removed both openers which led the way to a bit of a collapse, although things had improved by close of play. Unlike one day cricket the county championship can't hold some people's attentions from 11 a.m to 6 p.m and getting away from The Rose Bowl was easier than getting out of Southamption city centre usually is.
2 comments:
...why hasn't any coach ever realised the common "collapse after tea" syndrome...it nearly always happens!
My memories of village Green cricket (Eastcote!) were hot summer afternoons...and tea :-)
I've often wondered what players actually do at the tea interval. You don't have long enough to eat anything that will be digested quick enough surely?
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