Down by the Riverside 2021

[westoelad]

India playing a,warmup game at the Riverside starting Tuesday against a County X1 - but it's behind closed doors!

FTECB logic-it's to prepare them for playing in front of 20000+ crowds in the coming weeks

[captaincolly]

India playing a,warmup game at the Riverside starting Tuesday against a County X1 - but it's behind closed doors!

FTECB logic-it's to prepare them for playing in front of 20000+ crowds in the coming weeks

Yes. Bizarre decision!

[Durhamfootman]

Better that way, tbh

no riff raff


although.... seriously now.... imagine how many people would probably turn up to see their India heroes. I remember the ODI here a few years ago, the India fans were there in droves and once in pretty much went berserk. I was sitting next to the players steps and they were practically standing on top of me to try and get a photo/selfie/autograph. When play started they had to be moved away by the stewards and they absolutely didn't want to go back to their seats.... took ages before I could actually see anything on the pitch.

I say that in a nice way, btw, they were terrific, genuinely interested in the cricket and the players, rather than in just getting slaughtered with the drink, singing inane drivel and winding the stewards up with unfeasibly long beer glass snakes

[Durhamfootman]

there might have been 15,000 people from all over the country turn up for a warm up game and that just wouldn't do, so i can understand that, tbh

[westoelad]

As I've mentioned,there are 20000+ similar crowds who have to be managed in a few weeks time. So you stage a pilot event.

[Durhamfootman]

those people have tickets, so they can be traced and more easily managed than 15,000 india fans rocking up on the day from all over the country. I don't suppose tickets are sold for warm up matches in the same way as test matches. What if 30,000 fans just turned up on day 1 of the warm up match in the hope of seeing king Kohli?

[Durhamfootman]

I can't imagine that any other touring test team has the potential to cause complete chaos in the same way that India could. Such is the level of support for the team

I think it's quite prudent...... although I wouldn't mind going myself, tbh, having said all that

[westoelad]

I can't imagine that any other touring test team has the potential to cause complete chaos in the same way that India could. Such is the level of support for the team

I think it's quite prudent...... although I wouldn't mind going myself, tbh, having said all that

OK,I didn't realise that potential for chaos and, if so, I can see the logic of behind closed doors. It's going to be transmitted on Durham's youtube channel. Opportunity for Lees?

[Durhamfootman]

is he nearly back to fitness?

[captaincolly]

Calum MacLeod playing for Kent tonight. Presumably drafted in following their covid related crisis!

[Arthur Crabtree]

I see Gentle Ben is out of the game for the forseeable. Not sure he would have turned out for Durham anyway though.

[Durhamfootman]

a lot of it about atm, Arthur

[westoelad]

Word is Burnham has been released

[captaincolly]

Word is Burnham has been released

Interesting. I thought he'd done just about enough to get an extension but perhaps they have someone else lined up - or there has been a falling out.

[Durhamfootman]

Dickson at 5 then?

or Jones