Strauss glad about Lord’s sell-out on final day
England captain Andrew Strauss says sell-out at Lord’s on the final day is a heartening sign for the future of Test cricket © Getty Images
London: Jul 26, 2011
England captain Andrew Strauss was delighted his side’s crushing 196-run first Test win against India at Lord’s here on Monday was watched by a capacity crowd.
More than 25,000 fans crammed into the ‘home of cricket’ to witness the climax of the 2,000th Test of all-time and the 100th between England and India. Before play began there were lengthy queues all round the ground in scenes not witnessed in cricket’s birthplace on the last day of a Test since fans had to be locked out of Manchester’s Old Trafford for the finale of an Ashes contest against England’s arch-rivals Australia in 2005.
Even by the standards of English cricket, where Test match crowds have generally held up well compared to elsewhere in the world, Monday’s attendance, which featured a strong showing from India supporters, many of whom were drawn from Britain’s Asian population, was exceptional.
“I think it was a great atmosphere,” Strauss, who plays at Lord’s for county side Middlesex, told reporters.”There was a lot of support for us as well and that added to it. We all appreciate playing Test cricket in front of full houses.”It makes you feel like you are doing something important and that every wicket taken or run scored is appreciated. “The more crowds we have over the course of the summer, the better, not just for us but for the future of Test cricket as well.”
© AFP