Some background to start, I’m a huge cricket fan and can think of nothing better than 5 days at a Test Match, in fact I had the best of times at Edgbaston for the first Ashes test this summer! I’m a member of both Essex and Surrey and a die hard Essex fan. I’ve always enjoyed T20 cricket, I find it exciting and good fun. In spite of the Hundred being part of my Surrey membership this was my first experience of The Hundred. That’s purely been a time thing, not an I was anti thing.
I’ve had many social media conversations about this competition, in fact close to arguments with those decrying this as NOT CRICKET, my reply has been that it most definitely is cricket, it’s played with a bat and ball. I went with my friend Ria so wasn’t sat in the pavilion at The Oval, my preferred position. We were however in the No Alcohol stand, and that did mea a lot of children but they were on the whole there to watch the cricket.
I’d seen a fair few Oval Invincibles tops and caps on the train and there were colours galore in the stands. We were sat by a mother and son who’d been going since the start of the competition and they both knew their stuff, as the day went on they were joined by another family. We were in the no alcohol area but this just didn’t have the feel of a T20 Blast match at either the Oval or the County Ground in Chelmsford, this wasn’t all about the beer.
We were treated to a really good game for the women with the Invincibles captain Suzie Bates winning the toss and electing to bat. They scored 155 for 6 in their 100 balls. Nadine Klerk was the pick of the batters as she made 51 from 25 balls, entertaining stuff! England’s Alice Capsey scored 35 from 24 balls. In reply the Rockets scored 152 for 8 in their 100 balls. Opener Lizelle Lee scored 61 from 33 balls and we were treated to a quick 21 from 17 balls for Nat Sciver-Brunt. There was a great run out by Klerk in what was a great game. Amongst the Rockets team was Harmanpreet Kaur, India’s captain in all formats. The Rockets conceded 15 extras, key in this game.
Both men’s teams were full of famous names aplenty. The Rockets won the toss and elected to bat, Joe Root And Alex Hales opened the batting, Hales made just 4 and Root 9. Colin Munro and Lewis Gregory put 70 on for the 5th wicket, with Munro scoring 36 from 25 balls and Gregory 35 from 24. The Rockets scored 148 for 7 in their 100 balls. Adam Zampa took 2 wickets in his 20 balls and conceded 20 runs. Surrey men Jason Roy and Will Jacks opened for the Invincibles, Roy scored 19 from 13 balls, Jacks 31 from 22. Daniel Sams, Essex’s overseas for the Blast took 2 in 2 balls, sending Tawanda Muyeye and Sam Curran back with a Golden Duck each! Sam Billings, captain, came in at 5 scored 76 from 40 balls, hitting 5 Fours and 5 Sixes. 18 from Tom Curran took The Invincibles to 1148 from 7. Billings innings was great to watch, he’s not had a good year with Kent and in fact dropped himself then withdrew from playing.
I found myself supporting The Invincibles in the first game and was heading that way for the 2nd, then, Daniel Sams and especially Sam Cook and I just couldn’t. But I enjoyed both matches all the same. By chance I met Sam Cook getting off the train last night and spoke to him briefly about his he’d found the whole thing, I’d said I couldn’t support the London team with him in the other team, Root and Hales are favourites of mine too. His words made total sense, for the original fans with their teams and favourite players it’s all about the spectacle. He also dais he’d enjoyed the experience of playing with those around him, it certainly seemed to be enjoyed by those participating.
Sat behind me was a teenage girl and her Dad, she was asking him questions all the way through, including what was the ones first name and was he a good player? That one was Joe Root. I took a bus back to Stockwell rather than queue at the Oval station and had a conversation with a lady who had a Hundred membership/season ticket, she wanted to know about buying a Surrey membership, she’d never watched cricket before but had been watching the Hundred from the start. I can totally understand the disquiet of county members who have watched depleted teams play in the One Day Cup in August as well as those (including me) upset at an Ashes series squashed up so it didn’t happen in August. But, unpopular opinion, I loved the Hundred and will be going back, the ground was full of potentially new cricket fans and that can only be good for the game.
365 Sporting Days 