JSngry Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 My son has gotten into cricket so now we're getting Willow and are watching the T20 World Cup matches, some of which are being played locally. Then comes Major League Cricket and god nows what else. Right now we're watching the India v Pakistan match from New York. I still don't totally get all of the rules and strategies, but the basics aren't hard to figure out. Once you get that, it's an entertaining sport. Anybody here follow the sport? If so, here ya' go! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 Have followed it to varying degrees since I was a kid, so for about 50 years. I get to at least a couple of day's international Test each summer (long format, very different to what you're watching - it takes 5 days!) Good to hear about the T20 format making inroads in the US. It's a relative new format designed specifically to appeal to new audiences. And USA team seem to be doing alright so far. India v Pakistan is probably the biggest cricket rivalry in terms of audience. England v Australia (boo!) the oldest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabshakeh Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 I have never been into cricket although always loved the idea of one day having sufficient time to spend following test matches on the radio. The pigeons, etc. I have attended a couple of T20 games recently. Cricket-following colleagues are extremely disparaging about the concept, and I fully understand why, but the truth is those games were all exciting and were all full of kids. Is your son in Texas? Is the game making inroads there, somehow? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sidewinder Posted June 9 Report Share Posted June 9 (edited) Used to attend County and one-day matches back in the day as a youngster (saw some incredible players - Boycott, Alan Knott, Botham, Viv Richards) and for some years played in the occasional competitive 20 over evening works games. England performance against Australia predictably poor, they were outclassed. Hard to take this format too seriously though. Edited June 10 by sidewinder Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 9 Author Report Share Posted June 9 1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said: Is your son in Texas? Is the game making inroads there, somehow? He is, same town as us, and yes, it seems to be gaining traction here. Grand Prairie, which is one of those once-distinct cities between Dallas and Fort Worth that now run right into each other, is hosting some T20 rounds, and is also the home of what is being called Major League Cricket. They'll be back for their second season in a month or so. Their first season seemed to do good business. Stereotypes aside, the DFW area has a very diverse demographic, both ethnically and economically. The market for professional soccer here has long been robust, and the cricket thing might well take root the same way. Worth noting that Grand Prairie has a permanent stadium. New York had to build a temporary one to host its games. Professional rugby is also being attempted here, but... we'll see how that goes...the game itself is fun to watch, but a bit relentless, maybe? These 5 day cricket games, are you supposed to watch every pitch every day, or is it more of a drop in and out and everybody join in at the end kind of thing? Here's a good look at how the games is gaining traction in Texas: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/major-league-cricket-kings-anurag-jain-tanweer-ahmed/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 (edited) On the 5 days, the joy of that format is the ebb and flow across the time. Only the most ardent, and there are plenty of them, fans would watch the entire match. I'd watch/listen (cricket and radio are a beautiful partnership) to 2/3 of a match if work/life allowed and I wanted to fully immerse. Bear in mind each day is 7 hours long. Attendance at international Test matches is costly £100-150/day (they sell out) in London so that restricts most people to one day, although some will attend more. Locally cricket is played by 18 counties across UK playing a 4 day and 1 day format, prices are cheaper but attendance a lot lower. This is why more user-friendly format like T20 has been introduced to secure new audiences and a financially viable future. As you suggest a 5 day match may come to an exciting conclusion anytime from about half way through day 2 so more folk will tune in then. Some of the most exciting finishes can be a draw on day 5! I once spent an admittedly drunken cross channel ferry trip to France explaining cricket to an American. He absolutely got it until I landed the bombshell that the four innings took 5 days. At that point, total bewilderment and another beer... Edited June 10 by mjazzg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulpope Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 5 minutes ago, mjazzg said: I once spent an admittedly drunken cross channel ferry trip to France explaining cricket to an American. He absolutely got it until I landed the bombshell that the four innings took 5 days. At that point, total bewilderment and another beer... 😂😂😂 .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 9 hours ago, JSngry said: Here's a good look at how the games is gaining traction in Texas: https://www.texasmonthly.com/arts-entertainment/major-league-cricket-kings-anurag-jain-tanweer-ahmed/ That's a really interesting article. Good to see such in depth reporting too Here's one from over here https://www.theguardian.com/sport/article/2024/jun/08/cricket-t20-world-cup-india-pakistan-new-york-super-bowl-on-steroids Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 10 Author Report Share Posted June 10 A brief article about the temporary stadium" https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2024/06/10/if-you-build-a-cricket-stadium-on-long-island-will-they-come And a 2023 look at the inaugural season of MLC; https://www.newyorker.com/sports/sporting-scene/can-professional-cricket-thrive-in-america The conflict between traditionalists and advocates of T20...I get it (in principle). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdavenport Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 (edited) Big fan here. I go to one or two County matches a year; the trouble with following Lancashire is that games are played at Old Trafford, possibly the ugliest and most corporate plastic place imaginable. I did however go to my first ever outground game a few weeks ago, and it was probably the nicest day I've ever had watching cricket. It didn't hurt that the weather was glorious. Watching cricket in cold / damp weather is utterly demoralising. I went to a couple of The Hundred games in 2021, which I enjoyed because nobody had been out for 18 months due to COVID, and I went with my son and his friends. It's difficult to genuinely root for a brand new team, whose personnel changes radically every year. The overexcitedness of it all is cringeworthy and false - "you will enjoy this, it's the future" kind of thing. Edited June 10 by rdavenport Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 (edited) 12 minutes ago, rdavenport said: Big fan here. I go to one or two County matches a year; the trouble with following Lancashire is that games are played at Old Trafford, possibly the ugliest and most corporate plastic place imaginable. I did however go to my first ever outground game a few weeks ago, and it was probably the nicest day I've ever had watching cricket. It didn't hurt that the weather was glorious. Watching cricket in cold / damp weather is utterly demoralising. There's a cheap joke there about Manchester and rain but seeing as it's been heaving down in London today I'll resist. I've never made it to OT, you haven't sold it to me ... Watching the rain fall waiting for some play, it takes a cricket fan or a foolhardy stoic or both. I lived in Luton for a while years ago and Northants played there a couple of times. Lovely small ground made Curtly Ambrose look even more impressive Edited June 10 by mjazzg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdavenport Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 15 minutes ago, mjazzg said: There's a cheap joke there about Manchester and rain but seeing as it's been heaving down in London today I'll resist. I've never made it to OT, you haven't sold it to me ... Watching the rain fall waiting for some play, it takes a cricket fan or a foolhardy stoic or both. I lived in Luton for a while years ago and Northants played there a couple of times. Lovely small ground made Curtly Ambrose look even more impressive Yes, the club grounds are so much better - closer to the action, smaller and with real character. One thing I will say about OT is that it has impressive toilet facilities. Talking of the World T20, it seems that England are in real danger of exiting the tournament at the first stage. If Scotland's game against Australia gets rained off, then England are out. Even if Scotland lose to Australia, England are going to have to absolutely whup Namibia and Oman to progress. For the non-Brits here, Scotland knocking England out of a major cricket tournament would be beyond the pale. It would be bad enough in football...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adh1907 Posted June 10 Report Share Posted June 10 For me, cricket is the best sport. I grew up in Lancashire and used to love watching various cricket teams in the Lancashire league, particularly Chorley (used to help with the scoreboard there!) and Leyland Motors. Lancashire used to farm out some of their professionals to these teams. I am a fan of the long format and love dipping in and out of the test matches via radio commentary, even staying up all night for the Ashes, I haven’t quite got into the current T20 as yet but that NY pitch looks dodgy. Ps I’m glad it’s catching on in the States. I used to encourage my nephews to play over there. They loved it. I remember some funny looks in NYC parks when we set up the wicket! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rabshakeh Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 There is an article in The Atlantic about it today. https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2024/06/america-cricket-next-frontier/678656/ Very paywalled. Interesting that it only really contemplates T20 catching on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 12 Author Report Share Posted June 12 As I understand it, it's T20 that is getting the promotional/financial boost right now. It seems to be the format that is going to appeal to younger audiences and/or American attention spans. I heard (but cannot confirm) that one of the bigwigs of Maojr League Cricket (which is T20) also holds an interest in Willow, the streaming service for cricket. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Willow_(TV_channel) https://www.willow.tv/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 Not only American attention spans, the success of the Indian Premier League (T20) has spawned equivalents in every cricket playing nation. The time frame of play is a lot more attractive to broadcasters everywhere. The simplification also makes it so much more easy for new audiences to grasp. Here's hoping some of them choose to investigate the 5 day format too. That connection between MLC and Willow TV is mentioned in one of the articles you posted already I think, otherwise I wouldn't have known of it which I do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 12 Author Report Share Posted June 12 We get Willow in our cable "sports package". 7 buck a month for all the extra sports coverage I need (and then some) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 12 Report Share Posted June 12 Just for a while there it looked like the almightiest of shocks might be on. Giving away a 5 run penalty, not a good idea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 12 Author Report Share Posted June 12 Yep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 13 Author Report Share Posted June 13 Looks like the Grand Prairie venue was a hit! Hosting four spellbinding T20 World Cup matches and delivering a world-class spectacle for packed crowds and millions on television, the Grand Prairie Stadium’s role in the American story is potentially transformative for the game in the country. https://www.icc-cricket.com/tournaments/t20cricketworldcup/news/dallas-delivers-reflecting-on-a-transformative-t20-world-cup-week-in-texas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 13 Report Share Posted June 13 Well deserved success given the investment in the ground and building the profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 13 Author Report Share Posted June 13 This T20 format is not at all difficult to watch a match and follow. And the way the math plays out makes for some good, suspenseful endings. Tickets for a MLC game are only $30.00. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's in July. But 7:30 PM start time, and many of the seats will have shade at that time. Maybe I will go see a match. Why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjazzg Posted June 14 Report Share Posted June 14 Yeah, give it a try, at that price. The matches are evenings here too, part of the reason behind the 40 overs is it can be scheduled for a post-work crowd Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rdavenport Posted June 14 Report Share Posted June 14 19 hours ago, JSngry said: This T20 format is not at all difficult to watch a match and follow. And the way the math plays out makes for some good, suspenseful endings. Tickets for a MLC game are only $30.00. That's the good news. The bad news is that it's in July. But 7:30 PM start time, and many of the seats will have shade at that time. Maybe I will go see a match. Why not? How does the price and length of game compare with Major League Baseball? Curious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted June 14 Author Report Share Posted June 14 MLB games (Texas Rangers) are now priced anywhere from $26 to $399. The cheaper seat get you up in the "nosebleed section", in the outfield so the more you pay, the closer to the action (from the infield views) you get. The seats I like that I can afford go for about $100 per. This is more than it used to be. When we started going to games at the old-old stadium,, you could get good seats for around $35. Then at the old-new stadium about $65. And now, this. The games are shorter now, thanks to some new rules mostly having to do with timed plays and "cat and mouse" type things. The average game length is now 2:36, but 3 hours is still possible. So, cricket is going to be cheaper, and last about as long as a quick MLB game. Although, the new-new stadium has a retractable roof and is air-conditioned. In Texas, that matters! What I can't answer to is concession prices. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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