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The Cricket Match : A fresh insight into the Gentleman’s Game™/ Text / Shona Harvey / Photography / Jamal Joseph 13th August 2008 As I impatiently waited for my colleagues Adrianne and Jamal to meet me outside St. Johns Wood station, I had mixed feelings about going to my first cricket match and simultaneously, carrying out my first ever interview as a journalist for The Cut. I was going with no real knowledge of cricket and to see if my negative perspective of the sport as a middle-class game for older men could be changed. The event in question was a county cricket game between London rivals Middlesex and Surrey at Lords the home of cricket. I was looking forward to meeting the chief executive of Middlesex County Cricket Club, Vinny Codrington. After the arrival of Adrianne and Jamal, we made our way to the ground, which appeared to be a lot bigger than I had expected. There was a scare when we got to the main gates and overheard a heated argument between one of the security guards and a visitor, who had been told no one would be allowed into the ground until after 11am our interview was at 10.30! Thankfully, this didn’t prove to be a problem for us, and we were allowed to go through. Fortunately, Vinny exceeded our expectations, and was a model host. He was informative, friendly and passionate about the game reaching out to younger audiences. We were also informed that we would not be allowed entry into the Pavilion due to its anti-denim stance, which stunned us all! There were no set seats allocated for us, and we were free to sit wherever we wanted. With the enthusiastic nature of the chief executive and my own pre-determined expectations of a meaningful game, I was genuinely shocked to see so many empty seats. Despite the impressive view, my concentration was worryingly low, and it was difficult to get into a game that was more or less totally unfamiliar to me with such a lifeless atmosphere. Now and again, the rest of the crowd let out a few ‘oohs and aahs’. I couldnít believe how silent and calm the atmosphere was, in comparison to what I had experienced at football matches. We met Vinny outside the awesome state of the art media centre. Upstairs, we were given the amazing opportunity for one of us to speak live on BBC radio about the magazine, with Jamal bravely taking responsibility and doing a great job. All three of us were highly impressed with the commentator’s ability to successfully juggle concentration on every ball in play whilst showing an active interest in speaking to Jamal, alongside talking about the planned lunch for the day, roasted pumpkin and blueberry pie, anyone? Overall, the experience generated a mixture of feelings. The interview with the chief executive and visiting the media centre especially proved to be highlights, yet the supposed main attraction the game itself did little to change our joint original perceptions of cricket being a boring sport for the middle-class. Perhaps attending an international game with a livelier atmosphere could be on the agenda for the future, but for now, it seems that cricket still has a lot of work to do if it really wants to appeal to myself and many of today’s younger generation. For more: www.lords.org 50 / 50 We at The Cut team wondered if young men and women view sport differently. So, for the second experiment in this regular series Shona, Jamal and Adrianne went to Lords Cricket Ground to see the County Cricket, Friends Provident Trophy Match between Middlesex and Surry Cricket clubs on the 4th May 2008, We chose the match because in order for cricket to have a healthy future, it will have to increase interest amongst young people. Perceptions of the sport vary greatly but we wanted to make our own minds up: Men : Jamal What did you expect from going to Lords? I expected to see and feel a higher-class atmosphere with a live active audience, like the one I get from watching my country playing. I also expected to hear loud cheers and chants What was the reality? The reality was that the crowd only gave a few claps when someone hit a powerful six or got someone out with an aggressive bowl. As I am very interested with the media industry I found the media facilities interesting. What was there to encourage young people to attend? At the specific county match we attended there didn’t seem to be anything that would encourage young people to attend apart. There is a high-paced version of the game, though. This version is called twenty 20 cricket. I feel this would appeal to us young people, as its shorter and faster, with a more intense atmosphere. What did you like about the experience? I liked the whole experience in general, as Lords is famous as a place where many professional sportsmen and sport teams have played. What did you dislike? I disliked the time period of the game and it didn’t feel inclusive in certain respects, as there was a dress code I had no idea about. Would you go to a county cricket match again? I would not go to another county cricket match, as I like to feel involved with the game and have something to relate to. However, if it was a 20 20 cricket match, I would definitely consider that because I like the idea of the fast pace and I am fascinated by the quick, fierce bowling. Women : Adrianne What did you expect from going to Lords? I expected to be less bored than I am when watching cricket on the television as I expected a huge buzzing atmosphere. What was the reality? I was bored when watching the game as it is very structured and requires a lot of patience. I was however very interested in the grounds as they had the Pavilion (private members club) which looked very elite and prestigious. The training ground for the youth players caught my attention as it was more upbeat and interesting to see a younger generation of sportsmen. The media centre was very exciting also as it was very professional and it sported a nice view of Trelick Tower, (laughs). I enjoyed walking around the actual grounds and found it intriguing as there was so much to do there, so one was not just restricted to just watching the game... they had TOURS! What was there to encourage young people to attend? Young people are encouraged to visit Lords through the evening test matches that they have during summer, also through visits to the training grounds. As a young person viewing other young people practicing makes it more appealing and makes it seem more achievable for young people to participate in the sport. What did you like about the experience? Sitting in the media centre. We had a nice view and got to sit through a live radio broadcast which was very interesting to watch as the presenters have the upmost focus on the game, together with their witty banter with guests and each other. What did you dislike? The length of the game. Would you go to a county cricket match again? No. It was a nice day out. However, it’s not the sport for me. .		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