This will not be a post whining about the weather! But I will begin with my only gripe for the season, of which there are 2:
- My new location, Lancaster, seems to only have two different states; raining and 'the apocalypse'. This is making it rather difficult to acclimatise, when you run the risk of drowning/being struck by lightening every time you leave the house.
- Those of you who know me well, know my love of clothes (i'm so vain, I probably think this song is about me...), and to have to focus so much of the summer clothing budget on black opaques instead of questionably short skirts is rather irritating.
Done.
Moving on...
Last week I managed to score myself a bar spot for the England vs Australia ODI at Old Trafford. Being 2-0 up in the series already this was sure to be a great day, England's short overs cricket is on fine form, provided a ball could be bowled... My concerns for the day started at 4am, when I was woken by what I originally thought was the tree from 80's horror classic 'Poltergeist' trying to get in through my window, but on closer inspection was a casual rainstorm. Hmmm.
On arriving at Old Trafford at 11am, I huddled with the rest of staff under a tunnel; as most of the stadium is currently being renovated shelter was limited. But the show will go on! We were confidently informed, and about 20 of us were led to a 'bar' to set up. I say bar in the loosest sense of the word; what I was taken to appeared to be a large umbrella with a couple of fridges stolen from a local Spar (other newsagents are available).
Revellers arrived, undeterred by the outdoor shower that had assembled over the ground, including a few ambitious middle aged men wearing board shorts and flip flops (causing me to wonder how much booze must be consumed to make them feel less than 'hypothermicly cold').
My colleagues and I took it in turns to huddle in between the stolen fridges, which acted as wonderful makeshift campfires. As with every cricket match i've ever worked, the 'real ale society' were out in force. These are the kind of men that look at you as if you've just told them that you've been sleeping with their wife for the past decade, and are in fact the real father of their children whenever you utter the phrase 'no bitter on this bar i'm afraid', and then direct them to a bar 10 yards away.
A couple of times, groundsmen wondered around the ground shifting the covers to different areas, and causing the ground to cheer with giddiness at the chance of play. A girl next to me mused loudly 'Gosh, why can't they just play in the rain? They play football in the rain'. I tried to explain the concept of bounce and the need for a good wicket, but this when this was met by a glazed over stare I resign myself of joining in the conversation on the need to erect a giant moving roof ala Wimbledon over Old Trafford, with teeth gritted in a way I've only ever seen on Gatecrasher attendees at 4am.
But at 3pm, when it was announce that there would be no further pitch inspection until 5.30, and staff were being asked to volunteer to finish, my hand went up so fast I clipped a fellow on my right on the chin (oops). Now I love cricket, but even my stirring loins when looking at Alistair Cook and Stephen Finn will not allow me to tolerate standing in a monsoon for minimum wage.
More fool me.
When play did start at a reduced 29 overs per side, we once again triumphed, ruining the Aussies by 7 wickets (click for scorecard) :D filling me with more confidence for the Ashes next year; I plan on attending the final test at the SCG with an Aussie friend of mine...I'll be taking a helmet for inevitable torrade of abuse, last time I watched the Ashes in Australia was Boxing Day 2010 (click for Telegraph report) when I danced drunkenly on a table at the first innings all-out for 98.
So to finish a rather pointless ramble I say this -
People of Britain, if the England cricket team can still triumph in rain, we should adopt some of that spirit. Wear your shorts (with tights), rock those sunglasses (underneath an umbrella), and continue that beer garden spirit! Just grad a table close to the heater...
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