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A ton for a ticket
By Will 9 months ago, Comments
We ran a story today about ticket prices for this summer exceeding £100 at The Oval. The piece was originally in this month’s issue of The Wisden Cricketer magazine - our ex-sister publication - and it’s quite a shock. But it should be noted that most tickets on sale this summer are sold “at around £50 to £62 for the ODIs and a bit cheaper for the Tests”.
Nevertheless, a hundred quid for one day’s cricket - which could be rained off or excruciatingly dull viewing - is an extraordinary amount of dosh. Considering the opposition England face this year - New Zealand, specifically, at The Oval - it begs the ominous question of just how inflated prices might become for the Big One: the 2009 Ashes.
How much are you willing to pay?
CommentsHard work never actually killed anyone
By Scott last year, at the end of December, Comments
The often readable but sometimes whiny Scyld Berry has had one of his whiny days, complaining in the Daily Telegraph about England’s workload as part of the reason for the declining fortunes of the English Test team.
England are not going to be the best team in the world, in any form of cricket, under the current system. There is no way they will be No 1 because there is no official will. The ECB’s objective is to make as much money as possible out of cricket, primarily for the first-class counties to spend, not for England to be excellent, let alone the best.The ECB say that England is the first item on their agenda, but no action of significance is taken. The Schofield report made two major recommendations: the England team, who play too much, should have their schedule reduced; and county cricketers, who play too much, should have their schedule reduced, for then they can rest, practise, play and analyse properly. But nothing has happened, only tinkering of the management structure by adding a couple more ’suits’.
I thought this was a pretty poor effort from Berry because it is a typically insular English point of view- it seems to have not occurred to him that other teams have a lot on their plate as well. If you look at the 2008 international program, you will see that Australia, for example, will be in action every month in 2008. It is a pretty onerous agenda, and leading into the 2009 Ashes, for example, Australia will be due to play in South Africa as well.
Increasing pressures on players through a more demanding fixtures schedule is a problem that every team has to cope with. To use it as an excuse for a poor performance strikes me as a cop-out. England don’t lose because they play too much cricket- they lose because they play too much poor cricket.
CommentsThe only series that still matters
By Jonathan Liew last year, mid-October, Comments
Here’s a hypothetical question for England fans out there: if England were to lose every Test match and one-day international from now until 2009, but then win the Ashes back, would you take it? Be honest, now.
Much has been talked and written about the indifference of the English to one-day cricket. But meaningless one-day bashes are, if anything, merely the tip of the indifference iceberg. As England fans, there’s a whole host of other things we don’t care about, from Twenty20 internationals, through the regular thrashings of Bangladesh and the West Indies, right up to – sharp intake of breath – the upcoming winter tours of Sri Lanka and New Zealand.
Oh, of course we’ll check the scores from time to time. Perhaps even watch a bit if we have Sky and remember to set the alarm. But I don’t know too many people from outside the game who have very much of an emotional investment in the outcome at all, just as long as it’s not a humiliation. England series these days feel like part of a two year-long hors d’oeuvres to the 2009 main course.
Just as Australia’s sights were fixed on the 2006-7 series from the moment they walked off the field at The Oval, the year 2009 is seared indelibly into our consciousness. It’s everywhere: in the press, on the messageboards, and very possibly in selection meetings (“I mean, Sidebottom’s accurate, but will he trouble the Australian top order?â€). And as for the detritus in between; well, the disappearance of cricket from terrestrial TV has made it a lot easier to ignore. The fact that England barely hit top gear all summer should be a point of grave concern. But to me at least, it doesn’t seem to have been.
There’s a parallel with the rugby here – the English descending on Paris this week care not one jot about the Six Nations humiliations and Antipodean kickings to which England have been subjected over the last four years, but about their performance on the stage that matters. For ‘World Cup’, substitute ‘Ashes’. I suspect most England cricket fans will willingly endure two more years of anguish if there’s a little red urn waiting at the end of it.
CommentsMike Selvey on Michael Vaughan’s return
By Scott 2 years ago, at the end of December, Comments
Basically, he’s against it, and he thinks that it is more evidence of sloppy thinking by English management.
In my view, he’s quite right. England need to consider their long term as well as their short term goals. There has to be plenty of doubt about Vaughan being fit enough for a tough campaign in the West Indies for the World Cup, and lets face it, he’s not likely to make a difference to an English side that is chronically short of potent ODI bowlers. England’s batting is fine, it’s the bowlers that hinder them, in both forms of the game.
If Vaughan has any use at all to English cricket, it is by being fit and in charge at the top of the order, preparing for the 2009 Ashes campaign. Why you would risk him for the World Cup is an interesting question.
CommentsThoughts on Australia’s bowling attack.
By Scott 2 years ago, mid-April, Comments
Urban design blogger Russell Degnan turns his considerable intellect towards cricket on an agreeably regular basis. His latest offering is an analysis of Australia’s Test bowling options going through until 2009. Well worth a read.
CommentsAllan Border Medal stuff
By Scott 2 years ago, at the start of February, Comments
Australia has an annual awards night, which is basically an excuse to make the players get dressed up in tuxedos, show off their girlfriends, and tell themselves how wonderful they are.
Anyway this year, Ricky Ponting got the Allan Border Medal for the best cricketer of the year, Shane Warne got Test cricketer of the year, and Michael Hussey got Best limited overs player of the year.
It’s broadcast on television here, although it isn’t my cup of tea so I watched a DVD movie instead. The most interesting thing in the media coverage was Warne saying he might play till he is 40. That means he might still go to England in 2009. Good stuff!
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