2nd Test England v Pakistan, Old Trafford, 22-26 July

[sussexpob]

Just wonder how much more Sir Steely might have achieved if he hadn't had to heroically overcome so much, y'know, um, outrageous fortune. So much grudging, envious antagonism. If the ECB had just backed him a little.

I still expect a revised biography entitled "my struggle" to be penned soon..... will all references to Bolsheviks and Jewish people being replaced by the word "Kevin"

[braveneutral]

I think the wily ECB press officer would reedit to alternatively use Kevin, Pietersen, KP and the one that's married to a pop star to suggest multiple foes on multiple fronts.

[Dr Cricket]

so the attendance is 6,533 quite pathetic that.

[Making_Splinters]

so the attendance is 6,533 quite pathetic that.

How so?It's a normal work day, with Pakistan dead and buried before the day began.

[sussexpob]

I think the wily ECB press officer would reedit to alternatively use Kevin, Pietersen, KP and the one that's married to a pop star to suggest multiple foes on multiple fronts.

Extract from "My struggle........ By Ali Cook"

The Pietersen's domination in the state seems so assured that now not only can he call himself a Kevin again, but he ruthlessly admits his ultimate national and political designs. A section of his race openly owns itself to be a foreign people, yet even here they lie. For while the Kevinistas try to make the rest of the world believe that the national consciousness of the "one that is married to a pop star" finds its satisfaction in the creation of a Kevin state, the Pietersen again slyly dupe the ECB and its wonderful masters. It doesn’t even enter their heads to build up a Kevin state in KP land for the purpose of living there; all they want is a central organization for their international world swindle, endowed with its own sovereign rights and removed from the intervention of other states: a haven for convicted scoundrels and a university for budding crooks.

It is a sign of their rising confidence and sense of security that at a time when one section is still playing the German, Frenchman, or Englishman, the other with open effrontery comes out as the Pietersen race.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I hate Kevin!

[Arthur Crabtree]

so the attendance is 6,533 quite pathetic that.

How so?It's a normal work day, with Pakistan dead and buried before the day began.

I don't think the description of the demise of the game through empty terraces tells much of a story. Grounds were rarely sold out when I first started watching cricket. Ticket sales in the noughties were unusually good, and the strong economy could support very high ticket prices. That really isn't the norm. Tickets were a hard sell in the eighties. And Tests which don't run from Thursday to Monday will have problems. The difference from back then is the tv audience has been almost completely lost.

In my view, ticket prices for today were far too high. I'd have gone for £20 for adults and juniors free or £5. £10/free tomorrow.

[braveneutral]

Very good Sussex!

[braveneutral]

I hate Kevin!

He does come across as one of your big corporation men so I can understand your resentment.

[Arthur Crabtree]

I liked him until I read the passage from My Struggle. Then I realised I'd always hated him.

[braveneutral]

Yep. Ali... Oops... Ala was right all along.

[Dr Cricket]

so the attendance is 6,533 quite pathetic that.

How so?It's a normal work day, with Pakistan dead and buried before the day began.

Surely England the country that supposedly loves Test cricket or Cricket could muster more than 6,533 people.

Imho pakistan being dead and buried should have nothing to do with it if the ticket were sold an ages ago.
and just 7 days ago half the tickets available for this test were available and about 40% of tickets are available for the oval test.
Quite pathetic how so many people are happy to brush it aside.

The match situation would only help walk in sales and surely Lancashire were not dependent on Walk in sales for a Test match.

suspect the english comm will embarrass themselves when the odi/T20 start when their start bashing the pakistani fans for turning up.

Cricket is dead in this country more should be done to get 45 percent of people that do not come to the cricket ground each summer to watch cricket, more should be done to convert them to english supporters, more should be done to get them to the county circuit and more should be done to help the cricket in the cities.

[Dr Cricket]

so the attendance is 6,533 quite pathetic that.

How so?It's a normal work day, with Pakistan dead and buried before the day began.

I don't think the description of the demise of the game through empty terraces tells much of a story. Grounds were rarely sold out when I first started watching cricket. Ticket sales in the noughties were unusually good, and the strong economy could support very high ticket prices. That really isn't the norm. Tickets were a hard sell in the eighties. And Tests which don't run from Thursday to Monday will have problems. The difference from back then is the tv audience has been almost completely lost.

In my view, ticket prices for today were far too high. I'd have gone for £20 for adults and juniors free or £5. £10/free tomorrow.

good post but right now ECB got falling attendances, falling viewing figures, falling participation figures, Massively reduction in White people playing cricket and non Asian playing cricket as well.
lets see vast majority of the County cricket is made up of public school cricketers that makes up about 1% of the population and lets see the biggest members of the viewers or players playing cricket in the country make up 5% of the county cricketers and about 10-15% of them actually buy tickets for international games.

Of all the full members ECB and future in England worries me the most, literally their only saving grace in recent times Attendance is even falling.

[Arthur Crabtree]

Maybe there are a few people like me, long term supporters and ticket buyers who pulled the plug because of the behaviour of the ECB and cricket's swing to the right? Gaps have started to appear since that kind of schism appeared. People disenfranchised by Clarke's shut up and support your team message.

[braveneutral]

In the olden days I would have travelled to watch a Test match - almost regardless of ticket cost.

In the modern era, that of Cook and Strauss, transportation costs are so dear that I wouldn't bother.

I wonder how many people would be impacted by that.