The ground, off Marine Road, is one of my favourites. You walk in through old-fashioned turnstiles. The staff bid you welcome and, unlike at Headingley, don’t sullenly search your bag for anything as inappropriate as a camera with a long lens or a favourite bottle of wine. The first sight of the ground always makes me gasp; it’s hard to believe that a full-sized cricket ground has been shoehorned into a residential area, with the residents of many terraced houses able to watch play for free. I got to the ground far too early, but at least I was able to grab a couple of seats in a stand where we’d have a good view and the sun at our backs.
On the previous day Yorkshire had quickly subsided to 51 for 6. They could have been bowled out for less than 100, which would surely have meant the game was lost. But they rallied… and the lower order batsman pushed the score to an acceptable 282. Game on. We watched the Nottingham batsmen recreate the traumas of the previous morning. But their tail-enders offered little resistence, and Notts were bowled out for just 98. For the rest of the day Yorkshire piled on the runs. By the time we staggered off to get something to eat, they were 200-4, 388 runs ahead. With two more days to play (though rain is due today), Yorkshire ought to win and keep their title challenge alive.
During the lunch and tea intervals, the crowd wanders onto the playing area. Kids play impromptu games with bat and ball; old guys wander out to “look at the wicket” and pretend to be able to “read” it. Kids can play cricket anywhere they want, though there’s obviously something special about being on ‘hallowed turf’…
Some kids aren’t so young…
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