With its short surges of action and long playing hours, cricket is an unusual sport to watch in person. This is why we started publishing match reports from our readers that don’t actually mention the cricket.
We’ve always been interested in other people’s live cricket experiences. A day at a Lord’s Test is unlike a day at an Old Trafford Test, and a day at any Test is unlike a County Championship game, which in turn is unlike a T20 match. It’s not so much about the on-field action as the demeanour of the crowd and the things people do to fill the gaps in play.
The day-night Test at Edgbaston seems likely to present a new experience again, but the exact vibe is as yet unknown.
Fortunately, it sounds like a number of you are going, so we’d like to request, perhaps even demand reports from you all.
We don’t want endless paragraphs. It doesn’t even have to be funny. Just send us a few thoughts and if there’s enough submissions we’ll collate them into a little snapshot of the experience of watching day-night Test cricket in England.
We know we have a well-earned reputation for publishing match reports about a year after the match in question has taken place, but in this instance there might be a bit of queue-jumpery. If there’s early submissions, we might even publish while the match is in progress for the benefit of those attending on subsequent days.
Was it cold? Did everyone get too drunk? Were you confused about the breaks in play and did you end up eating more meals than you normally would? Could you see properly?
What else? Let us know at king@kingcricket.co.uk
August 17, 2017 at 9:18 am
Yes. Forecast isn’t looking too clever for tomorrow though. So it might be a report of drinking warm Pedigree in the rain.. Suppose there are worse ways to spend an evening
August 17, 2017 at 9:50 am
It’s not going to rain much if at all, Sam. Bring warm clothes though.
I am about to hove a baroq-ulele lesson this morning, as my way of making the most of the three hour time shift. Poor Daisy is going to sit in on it.
I shall submit some thoughts match-reportlike (on the match, not the lesson) by e-mail as requested., KC.
August 17, 2017 at 10:17 pm
Ged, I’m going to print this comment out and stick it to the back of every seat in the ground tomorrow. Look at the forecast. ????
August 17, 2017 at 11:19 am
I’m not at the cricket. I’m at work. I’ve been here for literally hours and there is still no cricket and/or rain delay for me to listen to. Day/Night tests are a bad experience for me so far.
August 17, 2017 at 11:21 am
I encourage all attending to eat more meals than they normally would – it’s better than not having your evening meal until after 9pm.
August 17, 2017 at 2:13 pm
I get up, check the cricket, first sodding ball, Stoneman’s out. This always happens.
August 17, 2017 at 2:19 pm
Apparently the pink ball makes a different sound to the red ball when it clatters into an England opener’s off stump. I’d dispute it but there is a large dataset on this.
August 18, 2017 at 12:16 am
@daneel Same.
August 17, 2017 at 3:55 pm
BREAK NAMES UPDATE
Alison Mitchell on TMS, responding to Ambrose’s opinion that the Windies bowlers have overpitched too much:
‘Well they’ll have time to think about that during the… interval.’
So that’s all cleared up.
August 17, 2017 at 5:16 pm
BREAKING NEWS
August 17, 2017 at 10:18 pm
So excited to drive four hours to stand in the rain for eight hours to drive four hours back.
So excited.
August 18, 2017 at 6:10 am
To be fair Sam, you’ll get to sit for some of that eight hours