Trent Bridge Ground Is One of the Oldest Test Venues in England

≈ Javed Akhtar, Arab News

The Trent Bridge ground in Nottingham has been one of the oldest Test venues in England. Nottinghamshire have been represented by some of the top cricketers, both domestic and international. Douglas Jardine’s bodyline weapons Harold Larwood and Bill Voce were both from Nottingham. And among outstation players Sir Richard Hadlee had a long county career here. So did South African Clive Rice. Indian Dilip Doshi had a successful sting with Notts. Among those who also played for England include Reg Simpson, Derek Randall, Chris Broad, Bruce Finch and Tim Robinson. The day dawned bright and sunny for the first NatWest Challenge match between India and England. The weather forecast says it is going to be nice and sunny all day long. The locals hope to have a better September after one of the wettest Augusts in years. The ground itself is well maintained and the pitch has traditionally been full of runs. The match was sold out and most of the spectators were Indian supporters. Nottingham Well Connected • The city of Nottingham is well connected with London, by road as well as trains. The main line train from St. Pancras station takes about one hour 45 minutes and the ticket is 21 pound sterling. It is a bit cheaper if you buy it in advance. Coincidentally, sitting next to me was Ian Styles, director of business development and marketing for Avenance. He was going to Nottingham for business. We started talking and he turned out to be a county cricketer. “I played for Sussex under Tony Greig in the early 1970s,” he told me. Now he does watch cricket on TV but no time to go to the stadium as he used to do in the past. “I still play some cricket over the weekends but not much chance to watch it. My son plays rugby so cricket is out for me,” he said. Excellent Arrangements for the Media • The England and Wales Cricket Board have made excellent arrangements for the media covering the NatWest Challenge. The press box is big enough to accommodate about 100 media men and is equipped with all necessary facilities for journalists to carry out their duties. Clare Fathers is the media relations officer of the ECB. If you have not collected your media accreditation from the ECB office at the Lord’s, you find an envelop waiting for you when you arrive at the media center with your pass and a small note from Clare saying: “With compliments from Clare Fathers.” And there is a booklet provided with all details and personal profiles of the players, statistics and a diary for you to take notes as you cover the match. The accreditation for matches at the Lord’s ground are handled by Clare Skinner of the Malylebone Cricket Club. So even though a NatWest Challenge match is scheduled at Lord’s on Sept. 5, one has to collect the pass for that from Clare Skinner.