TV cameramen are routinely briefed to pan the camera over those areas of stadium which have the densest occupied seats when covering any live matches in international cricket. However they will have a tough job finding the spectators in the second test of the currently ongoing England West Indies test series.

Officials are aware that ticket prices themselves may be keeping away the spectators for the live match. Priced at £ 30 to £ 65 the tickets are admittedly steeply priced. The fact is that clubs bid for hosting international cricket matches and the cost they incur is passed on to the spectators when they buy tickets. As of now the outlook is very dismal and the Riverside club, which is the venue for the second test may well have the worst first day attendance in “living memory” it is feared.

Meanwhile captain of the England team Andrew Strauss and captain of the West Indian team Chris Gayle have been exchanging some less than cordial words as reported in the cricket news. Reportedly Strauss criticised Gayle for arriving only two days before the commencement of the series to which Gayle’s caustic reply was that Strauss ought to worry about his team rather than the West Indies. Gayle remarked that it is in the shorter forms of cricket that England will struggle. “Focus on his team, don’t worry about West Indies,” said Gayle.

Gayle also indicated that he for one would not mourn the demise of test cricket “I wouldn’t be so sad if Test cricket dies and Twenty20 comes in. Maybe Andrew Strauss would be, because there is no way he can make the change.” It is in fact the case that Strauss has ruled himself out of T20 cricket indicating that this is not a format that is suitable for him. He will also not be playing the T20 world cup.

England’s excellent showing in the first test may have had a positive as well as negative impact on ticket sales for the second test. Whereas on the one hand people may have been enthused by the emphatic win, they may have lost interest because of the one sided nature of the match which got over in just three days.

One positive factor for the Riverside match will be bowler Graham Onions who is a local lad, which will pique considerable interest among local spectators. Organisers hope for a good contest in the second match rather than the three day rout that the first test was.

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3.25 Copyright (C) 2007 Alain Georgette / Copyright (C) 2006 Frantisek Hliva. All rights reserved."

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