2017 Cricket Season

Every year I hear people talking about whether summer or winter is their favourite season, and I only have one answer, my favorite season is by far cricket season. From April through to September, my life revolves around fitting in going to any games I can around revision and work and spending many sunny afternoons or Friday nights at the cricket, either cheering on or moaning about my teams, definitely more of the latter this season. 2017 cricket season was a fabulous one with some new grounds visited and some amazing play witnessed... 

Firstly, I spend a large percentage of my cricket season supporting my home county, Warwickshire and this season, that hasn't been easy at some points. The county championship this year on my occasions proved painful to watch with loss after loss and that ended with us being relegated into Division 2, with serious improvements needed next season. This also was made no better by the numerous cold, and windy days in April where I went and froze at Edgbaston just to see our batting collapse. All I can say is, thank god for Jonathon Trott. After last year beating Surrey to become One Day Champions, we went into the RLODC  with a great win over Northants in out first game, however thats where the wins started and ended with us not managing to qualify for the quarters, meaning our title defence was over.

However, there was much more to shout about in our T20 campaign, where we made it all the way to the final! Many friday nights were spent cheering on our fresh and new look t20 team, with plenty of bursting talent such as Ed Pollock and Aaron Thomason, the team was playing some exciting and great cricket...finally! We got through the quarters final which was a tough contest from Surrey at The Oval, a game I had to unfortunately watch in a bar in Lanzarote while hearing how amazing it was from friends who were there, and we had reached Finals day, which after the season we had in other tournaments was a great thing to cheer about! Unfortunately losing to Notts in the final meant we missed out on the silverware, but we will be back next year to take it just like we did in 2014. Supporting Warwickshire this season has undoubtedly had its lows such as the low first innings totals, the freezing cold days, the lack of Ian Bell runs and relegation but on the plus side they offered free cake on the first day of each championship game so I am not complaining too much.

When I wasn't at a Warwickshire game, I was watching England in their international games, and first of this summer for me was the Champions Trophy game which provided a welcome day off work & revision. England Vs Australia, a full house at Edgbaston, a whole stadium displaying their dislike to the Aussies, what more could you want! The atmosphere at this game is up there with one of the best I have been involved in, as the Aussies continued to lose wickets, the fans continued to wave them off the pitch. Then came a magnificent Stokesy century before the rain came, but England had won! Beating the Aussies and knocking them out the tournament while we progressed equals a good day at the office!

A spontaneous cricket trip is always welcome as well, when it was decided to buy tickets for Day 4 of England Vs South Africa at Trent Bridge, I was completely up for this. The cricket was slightly disappointing as England had to bat out Day 4 & 5 to get a draw, but they only managed to just before tea on Day 4 and were bowled for 133. At least the sun was shining and it was the only day of cricket this year I managed to wear a skirt at without being cold and changing into jeans...so it was worth it! 

Through visiting various grounds this season I went down to visit one of my best friends, Lettie, who is a Kent supporter and we were going to The Oval test match together and she offered to show me Canterbury Cricket Ground, so of course I said yes. We took a trip to watch Kent Vs Somerset, and saw a Kent win, which apparently at the time was a rarity, much like Warwickshire so I would like to class myself as a Good Luck charm in the hope of going back. Canterbury is a lovely, sweet ground, and it made a nice change from a stadium to be able sit and watch the game from a grass bank, and Kent offered a free cider with every ticket, so that was an added bonus! 

In the trip to Lettie, we also went to The Oval to watch Day 2 of the England Vs South Africa test match, where we witnessed another amazing Stokesy century to dig England out of trouble, for the millionth time. I also met Joe Root at this game, and if you know me well, you'll know this did make my day when he was his always lovely self. This test was Toby Roland-Jones' debut test match as well, a massive occasion for him which he lived up to by taking a 5fer, of which we saw 4 of these wickets to have South Africa on the ropes! The Stokes innings and bowling performance from TRJ made this one hell of a day test cricket and was great to tick another new ground off this season, I would highly recommend a visit to The Oval as its a fab ground with some very funny stewards who provided plenty of entertainment at the lunch & tea intervals. 

My final England game of the summer was the First Day/Night Test Match in England, at my favourite ground of them all, Edgbaston. I was very excited for Edgbaston to be putting on this test match and was also excited to see the prospect of D/N test cricket in England. The verdict is, its bloody cold! It may work in Aus, but in England where we had to have a blanket over us, I am not so sure. Nevertheless, as we turned up and lighting was striking, I wasn't sure how much cricket we would actually see, but the sun came out and that allowed us to see one hell of an innings from Cooky, who scored 243, batted Chef! The rain however began to fall again and the actual night part of the test was rained off for that Day. There was nothing like a day of Test cricket to help get over the trauma of A-level results day which didn't go as planned. Cricket is always my go to when you need something to take your mind of something. The innings from Cooky was one of the best all season I have seen, an absolute masterclass from an absolute legend.

I always say one of the best things about cricket is the people you meet through it, and this cricket season I met some pretty hilarious and lovely people, as well as spending time with the long loved besties, who were always up for a drink or cocktail at the cricket! Meeting people through cricket is one of my favorite things as the people love the same thing you do, and getting to know them is brilliant as well. 

To celebrate the end of the season, we fancied a night at the Warwickshire End Of Season Dinner, to celebrate success, not that there was much but the free bar all night wasn't going to be passed up! I cant think of a better way to end the season than downing jagerbombs with the Warwickshire Lads, taking full advantage of the free bar! Thank you Warwickshire for filling the hefty bar tab, worth every penny of my membership...and thanks for the memories of the season. 

Cricket season 2017, you were a good one.

Until 2018...

My Love Of Cricket

Growing up I was never very sporty or interested in it, I was surrounded by a family of football fanatics and never really got into it, nor any other sport. However one afternoon watching a cricket game in Poole Harbor changed that. I am now absolutely in love with cricket, and so happy I watched that game. 

Cricket is an absolutely wonderful sport I think, and I love everything about it. From the atmosphere when your team are playing at their best and every single fan in the ground is behind them and you are in a ground filled with everyone that has the same passion as you do for the game. Then to the fact that every single game is different, no game us ever the same. The variety of the 3 formats, test, ODI and T20 means that there is something unique about every game you watch, whether that be a record breaking ODI total or dismissing a team in one session to win The Ashes. The triumphs and jubilation that you experience as a cricket, or any sport fan is one of the best feelings ever.  The fact it is played in only summer months also is a very good benefit! Although rain delays are any cricket fans enemy. 

The first time I ever watched a cricket game was when I was on holiday in Poole. I was in a bar where I was staying and there was a game on between England & New Zealand in the 2013 Champions Trophy, As I reluctantly watched I actually got quite into it and suddenly became very interested in what was going on. The game was an exciting low scoring game, ironic the first game I watched was exciting, I wish my dad would have told me not all games are quite like that... Nevertheless I love the sport now and I am now so thankful that I was probably dragged into the bar to watch the game. 

The next taste of the game I got was when I somehow was watching the 2013 Ashes and it all of a sudden got very exciting, with people running and cheering everywhere including my dad! Turns out that it was a test from Ashes 2013, it was the 4th one and if England won, they had won the ashes so it was a thrilling game! The most important trophy ( well, urn) was up for grabs (as I was told anyway) between England and Australia. I got more and more into it as it progressed and England won the game in the end. I think this was the game that I knew I had found something I really really liked.  

Throughout that game, a certain player caught my eye. If you are reading this and know me well, you wont need to long t guess who it was.....

That player was Joe Root, one of England's rising stars at the time and as I write this undoubtedly our best batsmen across all 3 formats. I thought he was quite cute and thought oh well if I can get into the sport I might have to find my favorite player, and I think I quickly did. My 14 year old self thought he was quite attractive and I would be lying if I said that he wasn't a reason for my initial love in the game. Joe has always, and still is my favorite player in that team, there is now definitely a few additions such as Chris Woakes who also plays for my home team, Warwickshire, plus others! I have been fortunate to be able to meet these players and watching them makes the sport a whole lot better I must say!

Ever since those moments of watching the game for the first time my love for it has just grown and grown into I think one of the best things I did. Cricket is amazing for so many different reasons. One of the reasons is that I have met some amazing people through the game and at the games. Being able to instantly click with these people due to the mutual love of the game is amazing and I love meeting new people through it and getting to know them. Some of the friendships that have come out the game have been the best reason for loving the sport. Some of the girls and I have developed some amazing friendship are now some people I would consider to be my best friends. 

Another amazing feel is watching your team exceed all of your expectations and play an absolutely incredible series. There is nothing better than seeing the teams that work so hard and go through so much as a team to reach the highest points in their career and celebrate it. Watching England lift The Ashes in 2016 after beating the Aussies 3-2 was equally amazing as it was emotional! After coming through and defeating everybody's opinion of them not being good enough and to come out and show everyone what they could do was one of the best series I have watched as an England fan. My favorite game I have watched so far however was the 2016 RL One Day Cup final at Lords, commonly known as the Home Of Cricket. Warwickshire, my home team were in the final, and to my surprise I had been given the day off worked, and therefore it was a no brainer for me that I had to take a trip to this amazing ground to watch the chance of my team that I have followed through the wins and also the struggles of that season. The trip started of quite problematic after my trains were cancelled from my station to Euston but after sorting it out I was on my way to London to meet my friend Lettie. The game was the best I have been to I think, the atmosphere there was amazing, to be sat with all the Bears fans made it really special, the songs and the infamous chant of 'You Bears' sang out throughout Lords as we dismissed Surrey for a low score of 136 after a phenomenal performance from our bowling unit. Then after the skills of Trotty guided is to out total the cup was ours. Seeing the winning runs flow through the covers was unbelievable, I had seen them win the game and lift the trophy! That will be my favorite game for a while I think. 

Another reason that my love for the game grows is because of how surprised people are when they know that a girl loves the sport. I love the idea that I defy stereotype of that just boys can like sport or its just a mans game. The question is always asked, ''Do you come to watch your boyfriend play'' or ''So did your boyfriend drag you here?''. I don't need to be dragged to the cricket thank you, I don't need any convincing to go! I can be a girl and love cricket, it doesn't matter. Another thing is the idea that people think I just watched for the attractive guys playing, I mean its a complete bonus I'm not denying that but I don't travel around the country to look at them or get up at 3am to watch world cup games to see them when they are just a Google search away.

Cricket really is to me an amazing sport, I am so glad I watched that game in the Poole bar because I don't really know what I would be doing without it. Its brought me a lot of good! I look forward to 2017 season full of trips to games, and to watch hopefully more triumphs from the guys!

If you have read until the end, well done & thank you!

Em

xoxoxo