Saturday 1 August 2009

Congratulations to Chester-le-Street

Durham's modern cricket stadium has been awarded a Test against Australia in 2013. Having won its spurs with Zimbabwe in 2003, Chester-le-Street should have been on the roster of major test grounds long ago. Unfortunately for Durham, the EWCB decided to change the system to a commercial bidding process - one which Glamorgan won fair and square in respect of the 2009 Ashes opener, I should emphasise. One could also say that it was overdue compensation for losing the bank holiday fixtures against the tourists when the county championship was reorganised.

As a member for forty years on and off, I am proud of the way Glamorgan won over the media in its handling of that test match, when so many things could have gone wrong. The fact that Sophia Gardens (as I still think of it) is within striking distance of Cardiff's many watering-holes may have had something to do with it; it certainly commended itself to the Australians in the crowd.

I am now looking forward to the Sri Lanka test in 2011, when the weather will, I hope, be better than the last time the Sri Lankans played in Cardiff. Sangakkara brightened the sole, dismal, day then with a century. I hope he is still around in two years time to entertain us - though, please, not at the extortionate prices we had to pay for the Ashes test.

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