The one thing the ECB have got wrong this summer is the pricing. It’s £150 to take an adult and child to The Oval and almost £180 to Lords.
its the first time I can remember in a long time that days 1&2 at Lords are not sold out. They’ve also now dropped the prices by about 30% but still not selling out.
Ive gone with my son for the last four years but it was never more than £100 for both of us.
it’s madness & they won’t save test cricket at these prices.
My first reaction to your comment, @ReturnToSenda, was to say, yes, the one day/T20 games are the price for most batsmen not having a clue how to bat in a Test Match. Then I read @Commoner’s post. Unbelievable. ECB/EFL. Oh dear.
Posted that in a rush, what I meant to say was, cost me £70 for the first day, decent ticket in the Compton stand. That's 70 quid for the whole day, at least 6 hours of cricket, compared to between £20-28 for an hour and a half at football, there's really not much in it, so don't think that's too bad tbh. I do agree though that once you start getting the tickets that go for over £100, plus if you have kids it can add up way too quick !
Weird one cricket, cause at grassroots level it seems as accessible as anything - there are clubs absolutely everywhere - but at the pinnacle (although I know there are other 'lesser' formats) it seems very elitist
Have you ever been to a first class cricket game @ReturnToSenda ? I can assure you it's very much more beer related drinking going on, far more champagne on show at Wimbledon and Horse Racing I'd say
Perhaps I was a bit harsh on the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board). @HolmetBlue has put the pricing issue into perspective, especially as he has used third tier football as the comparator.
On the elitism aspect, I think it is difficult to argue against @ReturnToSenda bit I’d never given it much thought.
There are elements of cricket that are quite exclusive (but no more than a lot of sports) but as a general rule it is as much a peoples game as football (our national summer sport). Your impression isn’t correct.
There are many fewer clubs around here than there used to be. The old Wycombe and District League that I played in for many years had 5 divisions (3 1st team and 2 2nd team) and was the largest in the South of England. That was before leagues were considered respectable by so-called "club cricketers". Many of the clubs who played in the league then have packed up. I can think of 8 without even trying hard. There are many reasons for this and no space to go into them but cricket seems to have a problem at all levels.
He does, it was only until recently that they stopped doing that, but it went so badly wrong that they have gone back to it. The new England coach picks the team
I think you are more right on this than you were given credit for. The New England test match coach has had an input in the final team but very little in the squad. To answer why very simply they don’t know enough about the talent available. Being the coach is a full time job and they don’t get a chance to watch county matches like Southgate with the football. There are a group of selectors who help.
on your elitism comment try a Blast game at Chelmsford and them tell me. Also a day at the Test at Edgbaston is a very different day to one at Lords. Personally I love a day at Lords and it is expensive. I also love test cricket at all our other venues for other reasons. The atmosphere is different at each
20 quid after 4 o'clock today, with play going on until 7, felt like pretty good value to me. Allowed to take a couple of cans in, so no need to pay the extortionate price for a beer at the ground.
Not many other events in the UK where you can take your own beers in. Obviously the pavilion and MCC members area is pretty exclusive, but the rest of the ground is full of normal people enjoying a day out, hardly elitist.
I doubt whether there are too many Gasroomers watching the Test Match today. The decision to put the Kiwis in yesterday has misfired badly although, to be fair, if the slip catching yesterday had been anywhere near what you’d expect from international cricketers, it might by now be seen (grudgingly) as having been justified.
From an England standpoint, today’s play has been yawnmakingly dull. The viewing experience is made worse by the endlessly droning monotonous voice of Mel Jones and, currently, a fellow antipodean. Perhaps I’m timing my TV visits badly but where are the David Lloyds and others with personality, wit and general good humour? I’d even welcome back Henry Blofeld and Dickie Bird!
You can’t expect us to win test series when the ECB is obsessed with the short form of the game. A struggling England test team is a comforting reminder of my youth though.
Bad toss to win ! Tbf New Zealand said they probably would've bowled first as well. Our catching has gone from incredible in the first match to awful in this one, that makes a big difference, let's hope it's similar for the Kiwis! Would still rather sit through a test match myself than any other format
Yes, there’s much more to a Test Match than the cricket. Speaking of which, I’m going to watch on Sky (as before) but with Tuffers and crew on me transistor radio. I felt honoured a few years ago when he and Aggers were at the Swan and he called me ‘mate’.
Comments
The one thing the ECB have got wrong this summer is the pricing. It’s £150 to take an adult and child to The Oval and almost £180 to Lords.
its the first time I can remember in a long time that days 1&2 at Lords are not sold out. They’ve also now dropped the prices by about 30% but still not selling out.
Ive gone with my son for the last four years but it was never more than £100 for both of us.
it’s madness & they won’t save test cricket at these prices.
Is that the price for one day or the whole match?
My first reaction to your comment, @ReturnToSenda, was to say, yes, the one day/T20 games are the price for most batsmen not having a clue how to bat in a Test Match. Then I read @Commoner’s post. Unbelievable. ECB/EFL. Oh dear.
I went the first day, my ticket was 70 quid
Posted that in a rush, what I meant to say was, cost me £70 for the first day, decent ticket in the Compton stand. That's 70 quid for the whole day, at least 6 hours of cricket, compared to between £20-28 for an hour and a half at football, there's really not much in it, so don't think that's too bad tbh. I do agree though that once you start getting the tickets that go for over £100, plus if you have kids it can add up way too quick !
I suppose the prices shouldn't be surprising - this is a sport where people sit drinking champagne
Weird one cricket, cause at grassroots level it seems as accessible as anything - there are clubs absolutely everywhere - but at the pinnacle (although I know there are other 'lesser' formats) it seems very elitist
Have you ever been to a first class cricket game @ReturnToSenda ? I can assure you it's very much more beer related drinking going on, far more champagne on show at Wimbledon and Horse Racing I'd say
A couple many years ago. Still quite exclusive.
Of course, football is going the same way
Perhaps I was a bit harsh on the ECB (England & Wales Cricket Board). @HolmetBlue has put the pricing issue into perspective, especially as he has used third tier football as the comparator.
On the elitism aspect, I think it is difficult to argue against @ReturnToSenda bit I’d never given it much thought.
.
Crikey, not sure what I did there!
There are elements of cricket that are quite exclusive (but no more than a lot of sports) but as a general rule it is as much a peoples game as football (our national summer sport). Your impression isn’t correct.
There are many fewer clubs around here than there used to be. The old Wycombe and District League that I played in for many years had 5 divisions (3 1st team and 2 2nd team) and was the largest in the South of England. That was before leagues were considered respectable by so-called "club cricketers". Many of the clubs who played in the league then have packed up. I can think of 8 without even trying hard. There are many reasons for this and no space to go into them but cricket seems to have a problem at all levels.
One thing I've always found odd about cricket is that the coach of the national team doesn't pick the squad. What's the reasoning behind that?
He does, it was only until recently that they stopped doing that, but it went so badly wrong that they have gone back to it. The new England coach picks the team
Ah right, I thought a committee did it? Fair enough!
Wasn’t that also true of Wycombe until the late 60s?
Yeah it was like that for a few years, but like I say went horribly wrong,as you'd expect ! So have gone back to the coach being involved
A day at an England one day international cricket match is a superb day out
I think you are more right on this than you were given credit for. The New England test match coach has had an input in the final team but very little in the squad. To answer why very simply they don’t know enough about the talent available. Being the coach is a full time job and they don’t get a chance to watch county matches like Southgate with the football. There are a group of selectors who help.
on your elitism comment try a Blast game at Chelmsford and them tell me. Also a day at the Test at Edgbaston is a very different day to one at Lords. Personally I love a day at Lords and it is expensive. I also love test cricket at all our other venues for other reasons. The atmosphere is different at each
20 quid after 4 o'clock today, with play going on until 7, felt like pretty good value to me. Allowed to take a couple of cans in, so no need to pay the extortionate price for a beer at the ground.
Not many other events in the UK where you can take your own beers in. Obviously the pavilion and MCC members area is pretty exclusive, but the rest of the ground is full of normal people enjoying a day out, hardly elitist.
I love the concept of normal people in that context!
That is good value for 3 hours play. They’ve often done this when games aren’t sold out to make up for lost revenue.
Its still a big ask this morning, especially with overhead conditions as they are.
Its certainly a positive that the new ball is still 15 overs away.
Do they do the post 4pm admission for any test match?
I doubt whether there are too many Gasroomers watching the Test Match today. The decision to put the Kiwis in yesterday has misfired badly although, to be fair, if the slip catching yesterday had been anywhere near what you’d expect from international cricketers, it might by now be seen (grudgingly) as having been justified.
From an England standpoint, today’s play has been yawnmakingly dull. The viewing experience is made worse by the endlessly droning monotonous voice of Mel Jones and, currently, a fellow antipodean. Perhaps I’m timing my TV visits badly but where are the David Lloyds and others with personality, wit and general good humour? I’d even welcome back Henry Blofeld and Dickie Bird!
You can’t expect us to win test series when the ECB is obsessed with the short form of the game. A struggling England test team is a comforting reminder of my youth though.
Bad toss to win ! Tbf New Zealand said they probably would've bowled first as well. Our catching has gone from incredible in the first match to awful in this one, that makes a big difference, let's hope it's similar for the Kiwis! Would still rather sit through a test match myself than any other format
Yes, there’s much more to a Test Match than the cricket. Speaking of which, I’m going to watch on Sky (as before) but with Tuffers and crew on me transistor radio. I felt honoured a few years ago when he and Aggers were at the Swan and he called me ‘mate’.