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Is England the best venue for Test cricket?

Leo23

Leo23

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Almost every series there seems to be a block buster and the fact that England are not dominant at home like some of the other teams makes it more exciting.

The pitches are great for both batting and bowling,the weather is mostly good and the crowd is great and sporting.

The broadcast is top notch as well.

Every test seems like a full cricketing experience.

Both teams have their moments and go from brilliant to poor in a session.

You have runs,wickets,swing bowling,spin,great catches etc everything.

Can't think of any other venue that provides a full Test cricket experience like England.

Indian crowds and pitches aren't good.

UAE is a joke and so is Sri Lanka.

Australian pitches are extremely flat.

South African pitches are good but the crowd is not close to England's.

New Zealand is similar to Australia and the small grounds don't help either.

Bangladesh is not that good either.
 
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Crowd is great? Most dull and boring Crowd anywhere around the World , there is pin drop silence for most part of the game and zero atmosphere..... Forget SC, even crowds in West Indies, Australia and SA are far more energetic and lively.

It's like some Posh Royals enjoying their elitist Sport without any expression or zeal .

Indian Crowds aren't good, don't know what your definition of a Good Crowd is. It's simply praising Mother England just because the sport has it's origins in England with all the Lords and Ashes hype.
 
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Rafa said:
Crowd is great? Most dull and boring Crowd anywhere around the World , there is pin drop silence for most part of the game and zero atmosphere..... Forget SC, even crowds in West Indies, Australia and SA are far more energetic and lively.

It's like some Posh Royals enjoying their elitist Sport without any expression or zeal .

Indian Crowds aren't good, don't know what your definition of a Good Crowd is. It's simply praising Mother England just because the sport has it's origins in England with all the Lords and Ashes hype.
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Lol which matches have you been watching?? England and to an extent Bangladesh (when they are doing well, crowd gets realy loud) have the best crowds in test cricket.
 
I've got to agree, test cricket in England is always fun to watch. They produce fair pitches for the most part, and the matches tend to have a period where the game can go anywhere.

New Zealand are 2nd imo, while Australia are probably last, their matches are such boring run fests... Their series against SA in their backyard was good but once they lost they went back to the flat pitches in the series against Pakistan.
 
It's because of the English pitches. They have a bit of everything. I always enjoy watching English cricket because of this factor.
 
aloo paratha said:
Lol which matches have you been watching?? England and to an extent Bangladesh (when they are doing well, crowd gets realy loud) have the best crowds in test cricket.
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Same usual " what match have you been watching "..... Have you seen the atmosphere in any Cricket game in Australia, as to how active the crowds are into the game, it's like having the crowd as the 12th Man. Whereas playing Cricket in England is equivalent to playing in an empty ground minus the rounds of claps on hourly basis. Or the difference between a British Asian ( India/ Pakistan) crowd in England and English crowd , you will know what I'm talking about.

Yes they come in good numbers but sit like expressionless robots in the stands, even the crowd at boring Golf tournaments is more passionate.....
 
Pitches are best.
Broadcast is Best.
Nice Weather.
But very laidback and boring crowd. Tea, Cakes and Newspapers, it's like the crowds have come for a day of fishing.

I haven't ever seen a full crowd as quiet as it is during Cricket in England in any of the Sports around the World.
 
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Yes. As you rightly mention, England not being as dominant at home compared to other teams also makes the matches more exciting as the contests tend to ebb and flow. The 2014 SL series, 2015 NZ series and 2016 Pakistan series are examples of this.

The pitches are generally sporting and gives both teams a fair shot.

The Sky broadcast is excellent, always insightful, not reluctant to give opposition teams credit and the banter between the commentators is entertaining. They put Channel 9 and the Asian broadcasters to shame.

Rafa said:
Same usual " what match have you been watching "..... Have you seen the atmosphere in any Cricket game in Australia, as to how active the crowds are into the game, it's like having the crowd as the 12th Man. Whereas playing Cricket in England is equivalent to playing in an empty ground minus the rounds of claps on hourly basis. Or the difference between a British Asian ( India/ Pakistan) crowd in England and English crowd , you will know what I'm talking about.

Yes they come in good numbers but sit like expressionless robots in the stands, even the crowd at boring Golf tournaments is more passionate.....
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Did you watch the Edgbaston day night Test ? There was non-stop singing during the evening sessions.

It depends on the occasion - if it's a crunch moment in an Ashes Test the crowd can be rowdy but if it's a dull session of play or a one-sided match then what do you expect the crowd to do ?

It also depends on the ground - Lord's is obviously more upper class and reserved. Cardiff is a joke venue as you saw in the CT but in Wales cricket isn't the #1 sport.

But Edgbaston, Old Trafford, Trent Bridge and The Oval provide good atmospheres.
 
hafeezrocks said:
Pitches are best.
Broadcast is Best.
Nice Weather.
But very laidback and boring crowd. Tea, Cakes and Newspapers, it's like the crowds have come for a day of fishing.

I haven't ever seen a full crowd as quiet as it is during Cricket in England in any of the Sports around the World.
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the gentlemen like english crowds gives a premium feeling and I actually quite like it

it is like watching wimbledon

wimbledon seems more prestigious than australian open,french open and us open because it gives a royal vibe

same with test cricket in england
 
Rafa said:
Crowd is great? Most dull and boring Crowd anywhere around the World , there is pin drop silence for most part of the game and zero atmosphere..... Forget SC, even crowds in West Indies, Australia and SA are far more energetic and lively.

It's like some Posh Royals enjoying their elitist Sport without any expression or zeal .

Indian Crowds aren't good, don't know what your definition of a Good Crowd is. It's simply praising Mother England just because the sport has it's origins in England with all the Lords and Ashes hype.
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as i said in my previous post i enjoy the posh royal crowds and their sporting gentlemen behavior

far better than abusive australian crowds or the annoying desi and caribbean crowds where people are dancing around like idiots and throwing bottles and stuff

the uae crowds with their plastic toys are the worst
 
Of course England is the home of Cricket. Nothing better than watching cricket in the English summer
 
One good thing about England is the lack of yobbo spectators. We clap the opposition's boundaries and wickets. London crowds are restrained but Northern crowds more voluble.

It can be miserable on a chilly day though.
 
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For sure. There is no other country where the competition between bat and ball is more even. Crowds are great who appreciate test cricket, the weather is great, the commentary is fantastic. Any team, if they apply themselves and play to the best of their ability can win a series there, or at the very least win one or two test matches.

I also enjoy watching cricket in New Zealand due to a number of same reasons. The weather is amazing, the commentary is outstanding (Ian Smith's voice is my favorite voice in cricket), competition between bat and ball is generally quite even. But drawbacks of cricket in New Zealand is that sometimes the pitches they prepare are a little too green and the crowds there are quite poor.
 
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Leo23 said:
as i said in my previous post i enjoy the posh royal crowds and their sporting gentlemen behavior

far better than abusive australian crowds or the annoying desi and caribbean crowds where people are dancing around like idiots and throwing bottles and stuff

the uae crowds with their plastic toys are the worst
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Agreed. Aussies are always getting drunk and Asians are too giddy just to see themselves on TV.
 
aloo paratha said:
I've got to agree, test cricket in England is always fun to watch. They produce fair pitches for the most part, and the matches tend to have a period where the game can go anywhere.

New Zealand are 2nd imo, while Australia are probably last, their matches are such boring run fests... Their series against SA in their backyard was good but once they lost they went back to the flat pitches in the series against Pakistan.
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Atleast the ball moves around a bit in Austraia. In India, Sri Lanka you have boring dry, dustbowls where one team is more than likely to score 600 and spinners are the only ones who pose an actual threat. Could say the same for UAE but I actually enjoy Pakistan play regardless of conditions. But UAE would be on the same list for most people.

Bangladeshi pitches have actually improved since their series with England. They still favor spin heavily but they are more result-oriented now.
 
Test Cricket is boring and so is the English Crowd. Always found the Aussie and Saffie crowds to be more electric and Asians are Asians.

NZ crowds for the WC 2015 were best too.
 
KhalidRafi said:
Agreed. Aussies are always getting drunk and Asians are too giddy just to see themselves on TV.
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And English Crowds are all so classy dressing up as Nuns, Nurses and other fancy dress costumes. Some old Men dress up in Ties, Suits and Panama hats as if they have come to a funeral no wonder why its always so quiet. Most of these people don't even care about Cricket and have just come for a social gathering which explains their lack of enthusiasm in the game.
 
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In a decently packed stadium, the crowds in England are great. Lotsof wacky chanting, applause and bizarre shenanigans. They also seem to give the longest and most genuine applause when centurions walk off after being dismissed.
 
TestMatch said:
In a decently packed stadium, the crowds in England are great. Lotsof wacky chanting, applause and bizarre shenanigans. They also seem to give the longest and most genuine applause when centurions walk off after being dismissed.
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Yeah nothing more upsetting than when a centurion walks off and you hear non genuine applause. I refuse to sit next to anyone that doesent applaud genuinely.
 
I appreciate the fact that they fill up entire stadiums, day after day, season after season.
 
Other than India,it has always been Aus for me,from coverage to crowd whose respect has to be gained,it's amazing.

Also like South African matches with people sitting on grass, amazing atmosphere.

Even from old footages Aus always was lively place for test cricket,esp the matches involving Jeff and Dennis.
 
Gilly said:
Yeah nothing more upsetting than when a centurion walks off and you hear non genuine applause. I refuse to sit next to anyone that doesent applaud genuinely.
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Those conditioned by, or accustomed to receiving, obligatory applause, have a low aptitude for spotting genuine applause. When Kraigg Brathwaite walked off after getting out, that was genuine applause from the Brits. When Steve Waugh claps you off the field, that's sarcastic, repressed rage.
 
Easily the best venue. Some good reasons already given. One thing I will add is that there test crowd seems quite knowledgeable and go with flow of the game.
 
Not only for cricket england has had the best venue and crowds in most top sports be it football or tennis.Their is a reason why england play so much test cricket and wimbledon is rated as the top slam,coming to football they have had some very enthusiastic crowds who may be only second to germans
 
The attendances are certainly pretty good - although Test cricket is apparently a fringe sport that is boring and dying out, you certainly wouldn't know it from attending a Test match in England (particularly during the first 3 days).
 
England is my favorite venue for test cricket. Australia used to be great until they started serving pancakes.
 
Never seen a Test in England, and can only speak as a viewer at home. What I enjoy are commentators. e.g. Athers, Nas and Holding.

Those three really appreciate a good opposition and are very generous in their praise for visiting teams that play well.

Then there's TMS, and Cricket Analyst podcasts.

When the ball moves, it really makes Test Cricket compelling.

England are no longer dominant at home, which is unusual for top teams but it makes the contest exciting. Pakistan, Australia and India are dominant at home. Until recently SA were fantastic home and away.
 
No because of the bad weather
 
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Aman said:
Beats the bad weather and dull English atmosphere.
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A kiwi moaning about dull atmosphere whilst NZ play in the local park infront of a few thousand maximum? Ironic.

At least in the past you managed to keep that massive chip on your shoulder over England and Englishmen discrete....
 
HitWicket said:
A kiwi moaning about dull atmosphere whilst NZ play in the local park infront of a few thousand maximum? Ironic.

At least in the past you managed to keep that massive chip on your shoulder over England and Englishmen discrete....
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There's more to atmosphere than a crowd. Much more crucial than that is the weather. And frankly, the English crowds tend to consist of the older generation.

It's usually dull and gloomy in England. NZ on the other hand has wonderful backdrops, warm weather and excellent grass banks to watch cricket.
 
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Lefthanded said:
Never seen a Test in England, and can only speak as a viewer at home. What I enjoy are commentators. e.g. Athers, Nas and Holding.

Those three really appreciate a good opposition and are very generous in their praise for visiting teams that play well.

Then there's TMS, and Cricket Analyst podcasts.

When the ball moves, it really makes Test Cricket compelling.

England are no longer dominant at home, which is unusual for top teams but it makes the contest exciting. Pakistan, Australia and India are dominant at home. Until recently SA were fantastic home and away.
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England do have great coverage, I will give them that. Not a big fan of watching cricket there though.
 
Aman said:
There's more to atmosphere than a crowd. Much more crucial than that is the weather. And frankly, the English crowds tend to consist of the older generation.

It's usually dull and gloomy in England. NZ on the other hand has wonderful backdrops, warm weather and excellent grass banks to watch cricket.
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When its not raining then New Zealand is my fav place to watch cricket.
 
TestMatch said:
Those conditioned by, or accustomed to receiving, obligatory applause, have a low aptitude for spotting genuine applause. When Kraigg Brathwaite walked off after getting out, that was genuine applause from the Brits. When Steve Waugh claps you off the field, that's sarcastic, repressed rage.
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Just out of curiosity was the standing ovations for players like Lara and Tendulkar out of sarcasm and repressed rage too. lol
 
Crowds are good, weather has behaved itself recently, pitches produce exciting cricket, media gives it due attention. Definitley the best place to watch cricket.
 
Not much play lost to weather over the last few years, more of a historical thing before the recent climate changes started to take hold.
 
Markhor said:
More overs were lost to bad weather in New Zealand's last home Test season than in England's current home season.

:salute
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Based on one summer? :))

England always has bad weather irrespective of season or year.
 
For me england and newzealand are neck to neck both are best.If I have to choose one it would be england.Bangladesh and India are worst!!
 
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