It is Lord's after all isn’t it? - Opinion
A new season in English cricket often considers the Lord's Cricket Ground to be the epitome for a battle on the pitch to commence. For any Test series which is billed as a heavy weight tussle, it seems plausible that the journey should kick off on the hallow
turf at the Mecca of Cricket. Yet according to many modernists, the Lord's effect has been so overwhelming that Test match encounters which are played at other cricket grounds often go unnoticed. Yet ironically, the idea of injecting a wee bit of life into
stadiums across the UK has deprived Lord's of its charm of staging the fiercest battles that the world has ever seen.
A Test match is always played at Lord's, but what sets the tone for the rest of the series often starts at the home of cricket. Those days however, seem to have gone by. One can think of the start of the 2009 Ashes series, when the SWALEC stadium in Cardiff
was chosen as the venue for the first Test. That series helped http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 retain the urn and was one of the most fiercely competitive contests that the world had ever seen. The background to the entire encounter was exciting as well, as the Poms were baying for
revenge after the bashing that http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Graham-Alan-Gooch-c60530 performed out of their skins.
Yet much to the dismay of many, the first Test was awarded to Cardiff, which made its debut in Test cricket.
The result was eventually a nail biting draw, but sadly the game failed to unleash the same charm as compared to Lord's. Cardiff lacked the aura and ambiance which managed to move and captivate the soul as compared to the premier cricket facility in the
country. Yes, the stroke play and bowling was enthralling, but at the same time many viewers at the SWALEC stadium missed the ball being deployed from the Pavilion and Nursery Ends. Even the likes of http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Shane-Keith-Warne-c89672 pondered over what could have been.
The impact of Lord's in staging the first Test is unquestionable. Yet if one is to go by praising the classic, a throwback to modern times is almost inevitable. http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757’s Test series versus England, which starts on July the 19th this month,
will commence at the Kia Oval in Kennington. The Oval hosting the first Test was a far better choice than Cardiff, as this was the venue for the first ever Test match that was played between Australia and England in 1882. Yet unlike Lord's, the Oval has always
failed to give the royalty and charm which spectators want to soothe into whenever a heavy weight encounter comes around. The question is, what could be heavier than a riveting contest between England and South Africa? The winner is after all, going to become
the number one side in the world.
Yet, sidelining Lord's in recent times highlights an important aspect of the game which has emerged from consumerism. With the proliferation of cricket being witnessed in every nook and corner of the country, experimentation with regard to new venues continues
to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Robin-James-Boyd-Moss-c86323 the viewer of the charm of watching the game in his or her favorite ground. One can think of ODI games being played in distinct place such as Dharamshala or Kimberley. The idea might be super in terms of ensuring a nationwide audience for the game.
Yet at the same time, it rids the game of the classical charm that many souls want to experience by being in the stadium they love.
Disclaimer: Any views and opinions expressed in this article are solely of the author and do not represent Bettor.com's official editorial policy.
Tags: