Ban on bags at the Gabba causes The Ashes fans to miss first wicket
The latest edition of the 133-year England-http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 Ashes rivalry got underway earlier this morning when 27-year old right-arm pacer Ben Hilfenhaus delivered the first ball of the 2010-11 Ashes series to the English skipper Andrew Strauss.
Excitement was added to the much celebrated rivalry when the third ball of the day saw Strauss going back to the pavilion after being caught by Michael Hussey off Hilfenhaus.
But hundreds of Ashes fans missed Strauss’ wicket after they were forced to check their rucksacks into the cloak room of the Gabba. As per revised security plans, bags with more than one opening were banned, but the furious fans claimed that they were not
informed about the revised policy before.
According to angry cricket fans, they have been bringing their backpacks to the stadium during the previous Tests and One Day Internationals (ODIs) played at the Gabba ground and never faced any such problem in the past.
Tony Lahey, one of the fans claimed that he had brought his two-zipped bags to the latest cricket matches played at the same ground and was not stopped by the management. He further added that he had come to the stadium only to see the first ball.
Some supporters were not ready to wait and spotted their backpacks dumped in trashcans outside the venue. Another supporter, who had come from England to support Strauss and Co. said that nowhere on his ticket it was mentioned that backpacks with more than
one opening were not allowed.
Another woman was not allowed in with her handbag while she was adamant that she had been going into the games with the handbag for years.
When she raised the issue with the stadium management, a Gabba spokesman said the handbags of women were exempt from the ban and the management would look into the issue.
He told media reporters that the bag ban policy had been introduced at the request of Cricket Australia and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Queensland-c834 Cricket to stop punters from bringing banned things into the venue.
Responding to claims of various spectators that they had been bringing the bags to the venue in the recent games, the Gabba spokesman said the venue’s policy regarding bags had been implemented before the last Ashes Down Under and enforced at all ‘international’
games.
The spokesman also said that besides sending a notification to the ticket buyers an awareness campaign regarding the baggage restrictions was also launched through newspaper advertisements earlier this week. Also the signs outside the venue advised punters
that no rucksacks are allowed.
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