England playing test Cricket in Wales

[Mack]

I've been a cricket fan since a nipper.

My father played for Surrey until knee problems prematurely ended his career.

As a boy I can remember with fondness watching Test matches with my dad at the Oval.

Cricket is a beautiful game that takes patience to fully enjoy and understand it merits.

The reason for this post is my bemusement at England playing test match Cricket in Wales.

Given the immature inward attitude projected by most Welsh sports fans to English sporting teams why would anyone think that they would want to come in number to support us?

I know Welsh players can play for England, but I dont get that either, and it should be stopped immediately.

There are wonderful cricket grounds here in England that are missing out on test matches, and those grounds would be full and would offer in many cases vital cash in difficult times for the Counties.

Yet we give a show-piece money spinning International game to Glamorgan who cant even sell enough tickets to half fill the ground.

Lets get rid of the foreigners from of our National team and keep the vital life breathing cash of show piece internationals within our borders.

And yes that includes KP and Trott et al.

[Corky]

Like it or not, we are in the England and Wales cricket board, and Glamorgan is a county that could supply England players.

They have a ground that is fit for international cricket, having hosted games for over a decade now, and they managed to outbid or impress more than the English grounds.

I don't see a problem, we aren't competing with Wales, most Welsh cricket fans probably follow England anyway.

[Mack]

Like it or not, we are in the England and Wales cricket board, and Glamorgan is a county that could supply England players.

They have a ground that is fit for international cricket, having hosted games for over a decade now, and they managed to outbid or impress more than the English grounds.

I don't see a problem, we aren't competing with Wales, most Welsh cricket fans probably follow England anyway.

OK I'll explain the issue.

Ticket sales at Cardiff have been very poor.

Right now there is a big crisis in Country cricket and there are other traditional test counties that have spent big on their grounds and could sell out their tickets without a problem.

These tests are vital lifeblood and need to be used to their maximum potential.

[Corky]

They are playing at a county ground. Glamorgan is part of the set-up and unlike in football, there is no alternative league for them to play in.

Who is to say that Trent Bridge or Old Trafford would be full for this Test?

[Mack]

They are playing at a county ground. Glamorgan is part of the set-up and unlike in football, there is no alternative league for them to play in.

Who is to say that Trent Bridge or Old Trafford would be full for this Test?

Well the statistics for starters would point to much better attendances.

I don't have an issue with Glamorgan playing county cricket.

But Holding an England International show piece test match there is a step too far in my opinion.

[Dickie Greenleaf]

* paging Sosban immediately

[Guest Bilo]

First test of the Ashes in 2009 was in Cardiff. Pretty sure it sold out.

Glamorgan have been playing first-class cricket since 1921.

It's the England AND WALES cricket board.

We've had a number of Welsh players in the England set-up, including Geraint Jones in the Ashes winning team of 2005.

[Corky]

But Holding an England International show piece test match there is a step too far in my opinion.

Why?

And don't bring up all this stuff about ticket sales. If this was the Rose Bowl or the Riverside in Durham you wouldn't be that bothered.

[Guest Bilo]

The fact is that with the best will in the world cricket is something of a minority sport in this country. It has to be a massive test series for the media to really get into it and Sri Lanka doesn't quite cut the mustard, especially considering there is still the small matter of the Champions League Final to be played. No media coverage means poor attendances and as Corky says, similarly poor attendances would have been seen at Trent Bridge or Lords. If it were an Ashes match, it would sell out for each day of all five tests without a doubt. It did in 2009 and it will the next time the Aussies comes for their pasting.

It's not even like it's a series against the likes of India or Pakistan where you'll see vast swathes of the Asian community making their way to Cardiff. It's a relatively low-key series played at too early a stage of the season and it's clashing with the business end of the football and rugby seasons, no surprise that sports fans attentions are elsewhere. Shame because I'd love for there to be more interest in our traditional summer sport, it's a fantastic sport to watch and I can think of few better ways to while away a summer afternoon but the poor attendance is indicative of a general lack of interest in cricket at this moment in time rather than Welsh Anglophobia rearing its head again.

[Fosse Boy]

I was against Cardiff being used as a Test venue for the Ashes series due to the blatant under the table deals that took it there, relatively small capacity compared to other venues, the Aussies taking some smarmy delight in it being 'not on English soil', not having the same aura as somewhere like Old Trafford or Trent Bridge.

But now Mack and his backward and bigoted logic are against it I'm now all for it. Hopefully we can start playing at Swansea, Clontarf and The Grange sooner rather than later.

Also, grand idea on stopping Welshman playing for England. Let's extend it to Saffers and Irish too. In fact, just be on the safe side we'll make sure all England cricketers were born within the historic boundaries of Yorkshire, drink bitter for breakfast every morning and are called Clive (provided they're not one of them there ho-mo-sexuals of course, wouldn't want one of them behind the stumps for us would we).

Tell me you wouldn't have him in our current squad if he was in the kind of form (and health) he was in during the '05 series Mack.

[FoxyPV]

It's a Thursday and it's against Sri Lanka.

Never going to be a big crowd.

[Finnegan]

Mack isn't xenophobic guys, honest. I mean, really.

No truly, he isn't.

I swear.

* paging Sosban immediately

[Fox You Forest]

I've got this mental image of him looking like Jeff Bridges, what him him being stuck in the grid for 30 odd years.

[Mack]

Good morning!

It's the biggot here. Nipped out for my early morning immigrant bashing session and I'm now I'm having a hard boiled egg (SOLDIERS TOASTED ON ONE SIDE CRUSTS OFF) in my St George egg cup.

Yes I do believe if you are going to call the team England then the players should be English and the games should be played in England.

Yesterday in an interview Robert Croft (Welsh spin bowler who played for England) admitted he refused to ever admit he ever played for England and instead referred to the team as the British Lions, and if someone asks he who he played for that is his answer.

And in a way I dont blame him. As a proud Welshman he takes no pride in having represented a team called England and I can understand that 100%, after all I would not want to play any sport and represent Wales or Scotland, and I'm sure most of you feel the same.

Here's the point...

If you are going to call the team England then it should be Englishmen playing in England.

If you are going to call the team Great Britain then no it should be only British players.

Right now they may aswell call it 'Anyone who fancies a game' because it's chock full of South African born players, and for me that takes something away from a team called England.

Secondly who seriously expects Welsh people to rock up and support a team called England? If there was a Welsh team and they played at Trent Bridge likewise you would not expect herds of English to want to watch them play.

When the Ashes were played in Cardiff anyone who was there will tell you the crowd was made up of thousands of English who travelled because it was such a massive occasion.

Even the England and Wales cricket board abbreviate their name to the ECB. Where's the W???

Back in the days of the British empire all this ambiguity may have worked, but now I really think it needs sorting out.

There are so many big Counties with bigger grounds within England that are desperate for the lifeblood cash that a test match provides. So please dont give any more to places where people just dont care about watching England.

Now I am off to find my white cloak and hat and Billy Bob is on his way round with his 38 cousins on the back of his pick up with good ol' guns.....

[Finnegan]

Surely the travesty is that the Cricket Board refuse to change the name based on misplaced imperialist tradition then?

[SOCCERROO FOX]

You can't really use the ashes as an example in 06 and 09 you could of played the tests in the middle of the Sahara dessert and it would of sold out.

[The Doctor]

Here's the point...

If you are going to call the team England then it should be Englishmen playing in England.

If you are going to call the team Great Britain then no it should be only British players.

Right now they may aswell call it 'Anyone who fancies a game' because it's chock full of South African born players, and for me that takes something away from a team called England.

South Africa was a british colony - the saffers that play for england are of british descent.

[SOCCERROO FOX]

South Africa was a british colony - the saffers that play for england are of british descent.

By that theory you could say 99% of all Australians who have played test cricket are actually English because most of us have English Ancestory <_<

[The Doctor]

By that theory you could say 99% of all Australians who have played test cricket are actually English because most of us have English Ancestory

you are all english, you just get the players england don't want & the ones that don't want to play for england.

[SOCCERROO FOX]

you are all english, you just get the players england don't want & the ones that don't want to play for england.

Or the fact most of us are at least 3rd or 4th generation Aussies now

[The Doctor]

Or the fact most of us are at least 3rd or 4th generation Aussies now

yeah, i was taking the piss - not very well i'll admit.

[Rocket-Ron]

By that theory you could say 99% of all Australians who have played test cricket are actually English because most of us have English Ancestory <_<

But you're just not good enough anymore

[Fosse Boy]

Seem to recall Chester-le-Street looking fairly empty against the likes of Bangladesh etc. Does that make the residents of County Durham anti-English?

[Alexikokopops]

There are seven tests this summer, and one is in Wales. There are two T20 matches. None are in Wales. There are ten ODIs, and one is in Wales. It is the national team governed by the England AND WALES cricket board. I really don't see what the problem is.

[Finnegan]

There are seven tests this summer, and one is in Wales. There are two T20 matches. None are in Wales. There are ten ODIs, and one is in Wales. It is the national team governed by the England AND WALES cricket board. I really don't see what the problem is.

ITS INGERLUND