Last Thursday we were invited to pop along to Durham Cricket ground to watch the Durham Jets play a home match in the T20 Blast series.
If I’m honest, I wasn’t particularly excited about this as I had no idea how to tell the difference between a stump and a wicket (still don’t actually) or how to tell a four from a six (that one I do know now) but Mr Frugal was quite excited when he heard it was a T20 Blast match and not an actual cricket match – he assured me that these matches were shorter and more exciting than traditional cricket matches. The kids were really excited too although having never picked up a cricket bat in their lives, I have no idea why!
I think I expected it to be filled with old men watching quietly as the teams keep going in for tea or taking a break because of the weather. Or the light. Or just because it was teatime!
But I was so wrong, it was a great atmosphere made even better by the fun hats and inflatable noisy sticks (no idea what the actual name is) that we were given as soon as we walked into the ground. It was unallocated seating but we got some great seats right at the front and settled in to watch the match which was A LOT more exciting than I thought it would be.
After I was given a quick cricket for dummies guide by Mr Frugal, I really started to enjoy the match and actually understood what was going on for most of it. It was fast-moving with just one break for half time and by the end of the game, it was such a close run thing that I was actually stood up screaming with the rest of the crowd. Durham Jets lost by just one run in the end but it was so exciting and enjoyable that I almost wasn’t bothered about the actual result.
Although there were all sorts of people – young and old at the match, the organisers are clearly focussing on family and it shows because we really did have a blast (see what I did there)!
After the match, we were lucky enough to meet most of the Durham Jets players and they signed hats and pictures for the kids who are now cricket mad! We’re already planning to go to the next match that the jets are playing and we’re hoping to get along to a match that Freddie Flintoff is playing in as we’ve heard that he’s come out of retirement just for the T20 series!
If you can get along to a match, I’d highly recommend it!
