The Oval
Cricket
One-Day Cup
London
Score:
44
Overview
Thanks, as usual, to The Hundred, the One-Day Cup has been relegated in recent years to a glorified Second XI competition in which up-and-comers and veterans unable to secure a lucrative contract for a confected franchise to see them through August play out 50-over games in front of ever-dwindling numbers of spectators. There are some benefits to this, principally the increased use of out-grounds which give this tournament a degree of quaintness and charm near-impossible to find in other sports. Matches at these cricketing outposts tend to draw larger, more impassioned crowds than larger venues. Indeed, a domestic one-day match at The Oval is a prime example of how the lack of investment in this format at the county level makes for a saddening spectator experience, no matter the quality of the match being played out before one’s eyes. Neither the relatively low price of entry, not the quality of seats available can make up for the lack of spirit (which, apparently, spends August in a different part of London).
Score Summaries
Atmosphere & Experience: 4
It’s still The Oval, one of the more spectacular grounds in world cricket, so there’s a relatively high floor on the experience. Sadly, the history and the gravitas of the place are severely undermined by the paucity of people in the stands. To an even greater degree that one might expect on a gloomy early season County Championship weekday, bat striking ball echoes off rows of deserted seats. Even the pavilion, a bastion of support for longer format cricket, is much emptier than usual for 50-over matches (perhaps a reflection of the ECB’s bizarre, longstanding insistence on scheduling many of these games to start at 11:00 on weekdays which pre-dates The Hundred’s arrival and monopolisation of August evenings and weekends). One-day cricket can be gripping stuff. Each innings is long enough to be a legitimate contest between bat and ball. Batters have time to build scores, and bowlers can afford to take a few risks. It is a real shame to see the devaluation of this format, but I implore you, despite the low score here, to give it a chance and register your support. After all, it’s one of the more entertaining ways to register a protest against The Hundred.
Seats: 8
The pavilion and the Peter May stand provide the highest degree of both comfort and spectacle. Seats elsewhere are more basic, but command equally unobstructed views of the entire field of play. Ticket prices are extremely reasonable at £15 in advance for adults and £20 on the day.
Catering: 5
Food and drink options at One-Day Cup fixtures are depressingly limited. This is made all the more galling by the fact that many of the concession stands available on T20, Hundred, and international matchdays are permanent fixtures and stand as shuttered reminders of what might have been available if this format of the game were sufficiently popular. You’ll find the usual stadium standards like fish and chips, with the pavilion’s restaurants offering fairly bland food to members and their guests. The beer and beverage selection is fine, but nothing special.
Facilities: 9
Plentiful and well-maintained. It won’t take you long to get to and from your seat, either during play or in the innings break.
Getting There: 9
The Oval is very well served for public transport, with multiple Underground stations within walking distance and national rail services available from nearby Vauxhall. Multiple bus routes from around town, both south and north of the river, stop nearby.
Getting Away: 9
Thanks to the limited crowds and the bounty of options available, you won’t find it difficult to get away from the ground at the close of play.