The two match test series and the first one day international today has certainly whetted the appetite for the Ashes.
Sky’s trailer for the coming series against Australia is brilliant. The trailer certainly gets the pulses racing. I’ve been fortunate to get hold of a block of tickets for the Saturday of the Lord’s Test. Lots of enthusiasm from the friends who I’ve invited along, but I intentionally left out the price of the seats in the exchange of emails, which are priced at £75 (which are incidentally the cheapest tickets available for that day’s play).
I actually think the price is great value. They are the imponderables which are unique to cricket. We are naturally hoping for good weather and a closely contested day’s play. But if you see a full day’s play in the sunshine, then you see over 6 hours of top level sport for well under £100. Compare that to the £90 I paid for a ticket for the recent FA Cup Final, £160 for Men’s Final ticket at Wimbledon and a massive £715 for the best ticket for the Rugby World Cup Final. For value for money, only attending the final day’s play at the Open Golf Championship at St Andrews, which will set you back £80, compares to what we will be paying for our day at Lord’s.
As we’re predominantly football fans, what will be welcome is actually enjoying a beer while watching the cricket. For all the gentrification of football, we still can’t be trusted to have a beer while in view of the pitch. Which is all the more mystifying when considering the weak beer which is served at the Emirates.
But it’s going to be a great day. The only thing which could possibly spoil the day, if not ruin it, is to end up sitting next to the appalling Piers Morgan. I’ve been informed he’s purchased public stand tickets for him and his family and it would just be my luck to end up sitting next to him for six hours. I’m sure he’ll be half hoping for an England batting collapse, so he can yet again call for KP’s return. Plenty of time of course to call for his return on Twitter, but no time to air his views on the hacking scandal at The Mirror…
Finally, one warning if any of my friends are reading this: if you have any intention of coming along in fancy dress, I’ll personally burn the ticket in front of you outside the ground. You’ve been warned……