Cardiff to Hold First Ashes Test in 2009

Linkage


Good for Cardiff and Wales in general! Hope to see the odd cricketer walking around Cardiff City Centre at some point!

The devaluing of Test cricket continues apace...

Whoo! Good ol' Headingley is back.

Shame we couldn't have had Old Trafford or Trent Bridge instead of Cardiff.

Can't wait for the Welshies to start chanting for 'Engerland'...

A maximum capacity of just > 15,000? Remind me how many people were turned away from OT on the fifth morning.

Good luck to Cardiff for getting a test - but the first against the Aussies is barmy

Going to all 5 Tests. Should be a laugh.

How do you know that? The tickets haven't gone on sale yet have they?

DJ_Smerk wrote:Linkage


Good for Cardiff and Wales in general! Hope to see the odd cricketer walking around Cardiff City Centre at some point!

Great for Wales and the Union of the UK.

Just a shame that Sophia Gardens is such a FIRST CLASS TOTAL SH1TEHOLE!!!!!!!

Get fcuked.

DJ_Smerk wrote:Get fcuked.

OK then

Lara Lara Laughs wrote:How do you know that? The tickets haven't gone on sale yet have they?

I'll get the tickets.

The new ground looks good. Having said that, even i (living in Cardiff) don't think the 1st test of an Ashes series should be held at a ground with a capacity of 15,600 seats. It seems like a backwards step. We need to look at getting our test match venues to 30,000+ capacity to keep up with the rest of the world and other sports.

So in hosting the Australians, the troglodytes are finally playing host to a race of people more deformed and demented than themselves.

PearlJ wrote:Going to all 5 Tests. Should be a laugh.

Have you got tickets already?

I'm keen to go to some of these games ... any game really, I'll even put up with the Welsh.

Old Trafford will now not get a test match until 2012 at the earliest. This, don't forget, has been the best test pitch in this country for some years. Another piece of crass decision making from the ECB.

Basil wrote:Old Trafford will now not get a test match until 2012 at the earliest. This, don't forget, has been the best test pitch in this country for some years. Another pie4ce of crass decision making from the ECB.

Aye, you're not wrong.

Pace, turn, etc....

Although the facilities won't be up to much the next few years will they? Isn't OT due for a massive overhaul?

JKLever wrote:

Basil wrote:Old Trafford will now not get a test match until 2012 at the earliest. This, don't forget, has been the best test pitch in this country for some years. Another pie4ce of crass decision making from the ECB.

Aye, you're not wrong.

Pace, turn, etc....

Although the facilities won't be up to much the next few years will they? Isn't OT due for a massive overhaul?

Apparently they've got plans for a £40m refurb. - what chance is there of that going ahead with such a paucity of international cricket in the near future?

I didn't realise Old Trafford hadn't got a Test for so long, but the only thing the ECB is interested in is their two London Tests per series/per every other series so they can swill their champagne in the relative comfort of "the world's greatest city" (bollocks). It stems from the attitude that there's nothing outside London, of course.

I mean seriously, why should one city get two Tests, especially when the pitches are absolute shit? I'm sick of the runfests at Lords and The Oval - they're both bollocks, and more than that the prices are ridiculous (The Oval especially). The Oval should have to slum it out with Trent Bridge, Old Trafford, The Rose Bowl, Sophia Gardens, Edgbaston, Chester-Le-Street, etc., for its Test Matches.

Lord's, well, I suppose it's tradition.

Oh get that chip of your should you probable northern monkey. Getting on for half of England's population live in or in easy reach of London. It's simple maths that London gets three tests a summer. Besides Old Trafford really struggles to sell out. Surely it's all about getting cricket to the masses and playing tests in darkest middle of nowhere Hampshire hardly helps. And Wales....FFS. The north, the west and midlands I can understand and support, but I'm sorry the future of the English game is not in Hampshire or Wales.

An what's more Lords is usually a seriously decent cricket wicket (e.g vs India last year). Might have a point about the Oval though...

Eric Air Emu wrote:Oh get that chip of your should you probable northern monkey.

Notts is in the midlands isn't it? Or are you applying the the Lahndoners 'north of Watford gap' theory?

O)k a Midlands monkey then- same difference, both outside of the cradle of civilization.

If there was a mayoral candidate campaigning for London Independence they'd get my vote. The UK without London would be like Moldova.

Commenting on the announcement, Kevin Pietersen said: "As a member of the victorious England team in 2005, I'm looking forward to facing the Australian team again on home soil. The 2009 series promises some great cricket, at some great venues and no doubt some tough challenges along the way.

"I'm pleased that interest in cricket continues to grow and the spectators can look forward to another thrilling Ashes duel," said Pietersen, "arguably the biggest cricket contest of them all."

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WTF? How was KP "commentating on the announcement"? He didn't even mention the sheep farkers.

What's the Sophia Gardens pitch like? I'd like some other views that either support or refute drspin's "sh!thole" allegation!!

Sophia Gardens is hardly a shithole, and wont resemble anything like the ground Bangladesh beat Australia on in 2005
http://www.huwevansimages.com/gallery/sophia-gardens-building-work-230807/

Cheers JKL. At least the ground looks level!!!

Eric Air Emu wrote:O)k a Midlands monkey then- same difference, both outside of the cradle of civilization.

If there was a mayoral candidate campaigning for London Independence they'd get my vote. The UK without London would be like heaven on earth

Fixed.