dubai_phil Posted 19 February, 2010 Share Posted 19 February, 2010 And most enjoyable it was too. Doubt it even registered on the radar for any but the most rabid cricket fans back home. We only noticed because they spent a fortune advertising it everywhere. Dubai Cricket Stadium 25,000 seat is absolutely a perfect venue to watch a game of cricket in (unless you understand that history & cricket are interlinked of course). Two tiers, superb lighting system and seats that are banked steeply enough to give a good view and have legroom. In the middle of a building site, total mess of parking unless you paid the extra 2.50 to park by the Stadium. No booze unless you pay 500 pounds per ticket for VVIP and an astonishingly annoying army of little chappies and chapesses demanding that you buy crisps, donuts, Chai (tea) every 20 seconds. The Pakistani fans are (like all SE Asian fans) absolutely nuts. Make the Brit fancy dress crews look as sane as... leaping up doing Bollywood dance routines (jeez) and the noise was just great. Shame the stadium was less than a quarter full but good to see lots of little huddles of England fans around and lots of chicks being taken out for the day. Pitch seemed a belter IF you took your time and played yourself in. I was made to sound like a complete guru as before the game I was trying to explain how Asian teams often play with more emotion than with guile and of course they proved that point when they batted first with some horrific shot selection. They got back in some sort of shape through the middle of the innings but were always 20 or 30 runs short of making England sweat. Until we came to bat, Trott played a shot that would get you abuse in a village game, Denly survived a stupid run out appeal when backing up too far only to be out next ball tamely clipping to midwicket, never mind we thought Colly & KP will batten down the hatches but no Colly gets run out going for a stupid 2nd and yuk we are 18/3. And that was game over. Morgn dropped anchor, KP nurdled it with power until the game was almost won and then Morgan opened his shoulders and played some stunning shots - the winning 6 landed in the upper tier. The highest ever England T20 partnership, but MOST amazingly, I have now seen England play 3 ODI's down here and they've never LOST! Took the Polish GF. She totally doesn't get cricket on the telly. I got grumbles about paying 20 quid instead of 10 quid to sit in the upper tier, grumbles about it lasting 3 hours and..... She loved it. Now have to get her a Barmy Army shirt of her own. She couldn't believe how fast the game is live, how fast the ball goes and how amazing some of the catches & fielding is (look out for (I think) Stuart Broad's catch at backward point - Jonty Rhodes at his best wouldn't have got close). So, astonishingly England showed Pakistan how to play T20 a professional, no panic ground out team performance. 2nd match tomorrow, won't go as it clashes with the Norwich game and I'd rather have happy memories of England winning (twice in a row is pretty unlikely let's face it!) Overall? A surprisingly good day out, only minor grumble was that there is nowhere you are allowed to hang flags in the upper tier so had to drape it across our row of seats and BOY it is weird watching cricket with NO BEER Dubai will no doubt be a part of an eventual UAE push to hold a World Cup and for facilities and viewability it is a fantastic stadium. Won't ever be Lords, or even the Rosebowl though Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai_phil Posted 19 February, 2010 Author Share Posted 19 February, 2010 Pompey Fans would feel really at home here..... Just like a Saturday at Nottarf The stadium And as for the local typical cricketing spectator, well, make your own minds up - I support India and anyone who is playing Pakistan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lets B Avenue Posted 19 February, 2010 Share Posted 19 February, 2010 Tried looking for you on the TV, Phil. What did your banner say? I would suggest that next time you get one of those clean white cards and write something about the Blue Phew. That should get the cameras on you. Or get the g/f to loosen her clobber. At least you didn't have to put up with Paul Allott's commentary. What a complete twonk that guy is. I had to put the TV on mute, before I put my foot through it. Makes Botham sound competent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dubai_phil Posted 19 February, 2010 Author Share Posted 19 February, 2010 Tried looking for you on the TV, Phil. What did your banner say? I would suggest that next time you get one of those clean white cards and write something about the Blue Phew. That should get the cameras on you. Or get the g/f to loosen her clobber. At least you didn't have to put up with Paul Allott's commentary. What a complete twonk that guy is. I had to put the TV on mute, before I put my foot through it. Makes Botham sound competent. Twas the Dubai Saints Southampton Flag. The upper tier had adverts and when I hung the flag I got not just the local security guys but also the cops around in double quick time as it covered advertising. They were allowed to be hung at the opposite end of the stadium to us lower level but of course we couldn't get to that. Saw an Oxford City Sussex Fans flag - WTF? I did toy with wearing my old Saints shirt - trouble is I foolishly had Pele on the back of it so I went for the souvenir England WC 2007 T shirt & Barmy Army Baseball Cap. The GF only came on the promise she didn't have to sit surrounded by "taxi Drivers" - and to be fair in a muslim country a Blonde in the crowd is a whole different set of problems. Even THOUGH I told her a dozen times she still dressed in shorts.... Great idea honey...... Still, she won't make that mistake next time! In fact the seats were great, right on top of the Pakistani Dressing room. Big lolage - 3 "Fat spoilt Pakistani fan teenage Brats sitting behind us - one of them just talked SUCH drivel.... We will make 160 you will see we will get 9 sixers in a row trust me I spoke to the players come I will take you down there now that's right get Pietersen off strike Morgan he is rubbish who is he he cannot even hit a ball........ Agree, Allott is awful - TV rights probably belong to TenSports a local cricket channel, no one else will likely employ him! Hope none of the run outs were really close as they only had one camera at the side of the pitch and that was at midwicket, sure wasn't square on! Nice to see ads at the Stadium for our new "Ambassador" and resident - Freddie - is hosting a golf & family evening picnic event to raise funds for Haiti next weekend Oh, another strangely - there were about 40 young girls in the stadium - clearly some sort of school outing all in yellow and blue Polo shirts - and waving WELSH flags. Also a Yarpie in his green rugby top - jeez those idiots are such stereotypes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lets B Avenue Posted 19 February, 2010 Share Posted 19 February, 2010 The girls got a lot of coverage. They also had fixed cameras in line with the stumps, so there was no problem with the 3rd ump. Mind you, It wasnt Daryl Harper. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deano6 Posted 21 February, 2010 Share Posted 21 February, 2010 Who did you get to take this pic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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