Tradition and modernity at Old Trafford

Written By Unknown on Selasa, 05 Agustus 2014 | 21.24

MANCHESTER: Old timers in UK recall with fondness English people's obsession with cricket in the early part of last century.

It is said that County cricket continued to be played even after England declared war on Germany on August 4, 1914. They contend that County matches continued even after scores of cricketers were called up for military duty.

It was only after a huge public outcry that the County cricket season was abandoned prematurely and the gloom of war engulfed the nation.

Exactly 100 years later, as UK commemorated its War heroes on Monday by turning off lights for one hour (10-11pm), cricket is no longer the pre-eminent sport in a nation that has seen a proliferation of other games that are faster, trendier and are played over shorter periods of time than Test matches but guarantee breath-taking action and results.

If there is still a niche following for the game of bat and ball in its classical format, it is because the English Counties have managed to preserve the rich heritage cricket enjoyed in the country of its birth and upgrade infrastructure and facilities at their respective grounds, in keeping with the modern-day requirements.

The Old Trafford is a shining example of a cricket venue where tradition merges seamlessly with modernity.

Established in 1857, Old Trafford hosted its first Test match in 1884 in what was Australia's first-ever three-Test Ashes series in England. It has been a long journey for one of England's finest Test venues which continues to attract spectators for international matches in spite of football giants Manchester United and Manchester City holding sway over the newer generations of sports lovers here.

Former India wicketkeeper Farokh Engineer, who has been living here for the past 40 years, reckons there is still a good following for Test cricket in En gland.

"You see, a lot of football fans here also follow cricket. Moreover, many top footballers are also cricket enthusiasts," said Engineer who, like Clive Lloyd, is an honorary vice-president of the Lancashire County Cricket Club.

"Few people know that the Neville brothers -Gary and Phil -wanted to play cricket for Lancashire when they were kids. Current England goalkeeper Joe Hart, too, is a cricket fanatic," said Engineer, adding that United legends Bobby Charlton and Alex Ferguson are expected to be at Old Trafford on one of the match days. "They are good friends and I occasionally play a round of golf with them," he added.

Talking about cricket fans, Engineer pointed out that India has been losing Test match fans back home. "It is really sad that grounds are no longer full during Test matches in India but there is a huge demand for tickets in ODIs and T20s. Even in England, Indian supporters have been missing at Test venues this summer, but I am sure they will turn up during ODIs." Engineer said.

He, though, expects a full house at Old Trafford, especially during the weekend and is confident that India will do better here than in Southampton where it was England all the way.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/followceleb.cms?alias=test Cricket,Old Trafford,manchester,India vs England,Farokh Engineer


Anda sedang membaca artikel tentang

Tradition and modernity at Old Trafford

Dengan url

http://bijikacang.blogspot.com/2014/08/tradition-and-modernity-at-old-trafford.html

Anda boleh menyebar luaskannya atau mengcopy paste-nya

Tradition and modernity at Old Trafford

namun jangan lupa untuk meletakkan link

Tradition and modernity at Old Trafford

sebagai sumbernya

0 komentar:

Posting Komentar

techieblogger.com Techie Blogger Techie Blogger