The amazing St George’s Park in Port Elizabeth

[Junaids]

It is a dream come true for me to attend the South Africa v Australia Test here.

For those of you who don’t know, Port Elizabeth is a small, poor coastal city with a huge cricketing past. Unfortunately much of the non—White past is unrecorded, but the ground now resounds with the sound of its brass band, composed of coloured (mixed race) musicians who until 1992 would only have been allowed to watch from a caged enclosure.

The music is a delightful soundtrack for probably 45 minutes of every two hour session and is audible throughout the ground. It’s such a privilege and a joy to be here!

The ground itself is like a living museum. Very similar to the atmosphere at Wellington’s Basin Reserve: a ramshackle, rundown little stadium full of pictures of yesteryear with the giants in attendance - at the Basin two years ago I had a chat with John Wright in the toilet!

All around the ground are pictures of past greats and framed newspapers recording the shame of Apartheid’s intrusion into cricket.

Here’s the band.....

 

[Junaids]

Khaya Majola was a giant of local cricket but couldn’t represent his country due to Apartheid. His brother Gerald was a senior administrator who is now banned for being corrupted when South Africa hosted the IPL.

 

[Junaids]

The framed papers record the banned tours during Apartheid.

Sadly, as is now well known, both Sir Donald Bradman and Lord (Colon) Cowdrey are now long since exposed as people who propped up Apartheid and broke the sporting boycott. Their shame is immortalised in the newspapers of the day.

 

[Junaids]

The Colossus who bestrides Port Elizabeth is of course Graeme Pollock.

A contemporary of Sir Garfield Sobers, and his only competitor for the accolade “greatest left-handed batsman of all-time”. His brother was the pace bowler Peter Pollock, and Peter’s son is Shaun Pollock.

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">The band leaving, cannot be good for test cricket in PE. They’ve been there for years, supporting their home team. Was great when they got behind us. Every ground and country has their own identity! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/peband?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#peband</a></p>— mark boucher (@markb46) <a href="https://twitter.com/markb46/status/972453350154350592?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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[big_gamer007]

Pathetic by Australia and umpires asking spectators to keep quiet.. Its not tennis or chess.. Incidents like hese will only make test cricket die quicker.. ICC needs to take action against the idiot umpires for asking spectators to keep quiet.. Sad day

 

[Convict]

Pathetic by Australia and umpires asking spectators to keep quiet.. Its not tennis or chess.. Incidents like hese will only make test cricket die quicker.. ICC needs to take action against the idiot umpires for asking spectators to keep quiet.. Sad day

I very much doubt it was Australia asking for the band to be quiet while the Australian bowlers ran in.

 

[UN talkz]

The band is back
But that was embarrassing and disgusting from umpires.

 

[big_gamer007]

I very much doubt it was Australia asking for the band to be quiet while the Australian bowlers ran in.

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] who is at the ground mentioned in match thread that’s it was Steve smith who asked umpires to shut up the band..

 

[Junaids]

[MENTION=132916]Junaids[/MENTION] who is at the ground mentioned in match thread that’s it was Steve smith who asked umpires to shut up the band..

I actually think Umpire Dharmasena was the main instigator, rather than Smith. He spoke with Smith, but the umpire kept getting agitated and I think he was the main problem TBH.

 

[Junaids]

The first time I saw Smith and Dharmasena speak. So I (wrongly) assumes Smith started it.

But three more times Dharmasena got histrionic when the band struck up, and the Match Regeree then came out and spoke with him, not Smith.

So I’m pinning it roundly on Dharmasena. The other umpire - Gaffaney - didn’t seem to object at all.

The band are only playing very quietly now. It’s awful.

 

[big_gamer007]

The first time I saw Smith and Dharmasena speak. So I (wrongly) assumes Smith started it.

But three more times Dharmasena got histrionic when the band struck up, and the Match Regeree then came out and spoke with him, not Smith.

So I’m pinning it roundly on Dharmasena. The other umpire - Gaffaney - didn’t seem to object at all.

The band are only playing very quietly now. It’s awful.

Thank you fir clarifying.. the umpire needs to be taken action against, this sort of behaviour is not acceptable from umpires in a game like cricket..

 

[GLORY OF '92]

The band is out of tune and a headache.

Good on the Ump.

 

[IAJ]

Are they playing that loud that the umpires are struggling to hear edges?

 

[MenInG]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Meanwhile in Port Elizabeth:<br>The band were in full voice<br>Umpires refuse to continue play until the band stops<br>The band is removed<br>Loud boos from the crowd<br>The match referee intervenes<br>The band is brought back<br>The music and singing starts again<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SAvAUS?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SAvAUS</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/972463445361807361?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2018</a></blockquote>
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[JustAnotherFan]

The band is out of tune and a headache.

Good on the Ump.

Crap. The atmosphere at the St George ' s Park ground with the local band is the best atmosphere in cricket. It was my local ground as a student.