NASSER ON FORTRESS EDGBASTON
THERE is no question Edgbaston is one of England’s favourite grounds because of the atmosphere and the way it has become such a fortress. It has only got better since the redevelopment, which has seen a magnificent new pavilion structure emerge that compares favourably with any stand at England’s other Test venues. It is an imposing place.
Let’s be honest, the ground was a bit run down and in need of a lick of paint a few years ago, but not any more. Now it is a vibrant, modern venue without losing any of the atmosphere that makes it such a partisan ground.
It isn’t just the Eric Hollies Stand that provides the unique buzz. Stand in the middle and you can sense it all around the ground. When you are doing well in an Edgbaston Test, it feels like the whole country is behind you.
Even when England are losing, the crowd are totally supportive and prepared to give the opposition plenty of flak without it ever becoming nasty or boorish.
The crowd have played their part in making Edgbaston one of England’s happiest hunting grounds, losing just eight of the 49 Tests that have been played here, because they are the proverbial 12th man.
Nothing against Lord’s, which is my favourite ground in the world, or The Oval, but sometimes you feel many of the spectators are there for a day out as much as the cricket. At Edgbaston it is all about what’s going on in the middle.
It is like the crowd are heading to this part of Birmingham thinking: ‘We are going to make this as difficult as possible for England’s opponents.’
The Brummies go there to have fun, too, and while what goes on in the Hollies Stand — songs about Shane Warne and the like — might not be everyone’s cup of tea, it always provides something for the players to enjoy even during a turgid session.
And woe betide any opposition player on the boundary who takes them on, because there can be only one winner.
The only time it is different here is when India or Pakistan are playing and there is a lot of support for them among the Birmingham public. It is still a partisan venue, just in a different way.
I said when we looked at The Oval’s 100th Test that I had mixed memories of the place but I really enjoyed playing at Edgbaston and only have positive memories.
It was where I scored my first Test century against India in 1996, having a bit of luck along the way when I touched one down the leg side off Javagal Srinath only for umpire Darrell Hair to say not out. No DRS then, luckily for me.
Then, a year later, came the only time I felt in complete control at the crease, when I scored a double hundred against an Australia team including Warne and Glenn McGrath at their peak.
To do that in an Ashes Test we went on to win — and to have my mate Graham Thorpe at the other end when I got to 200 in front of a crowd creating a phenomenal atmosphere — is one of the best memories of my career.
My first game as captain was at Edgbaston, too, when Alex Tudor ended up unbeaten on 99 as we defeated New Zealand in 1999. It was just a shame that particular series did not end there. The e examples I ca can give go on and on. How abou about the 2005 Ashes and one of the greatestgreate of all Tests when, on that dramatic final morning, the crowd never stopped backing Michael Vaughan’s team as Australia inched towards victory? The home fans got their reward when England scraped home in a thriller. Andrew Flintoff consoling Brett Lee afterwards is one of cricket’s iconic images and Flintoff was central to so much of the Edgbaston drama at other times, too, such as when he smacked the ball into the crowd against West Indies only for his dad to drop the catch!
And when he was bowling reverse swing to ricky Ponting in that 2005 match, and his classic spell against Jacques Kallis when South Africa visited three years later. It proves there’s usually something at Edgbaston for bowlers, too.
I’ve never been too sure about the Edgbaston floodlights — all shaped like a little ‘e’ — but I can’t imagine the ECB would stage a day-night Test here if there were any concerns about the quality of the artificial lighting.
And I don’t know if I’m imagining this, but we do seem to get more rain at Edgbaston than any other English venue. There’s many a time we’ve been sitting in the Sky studio filling in when the weather has intervened.
Hopefully that will not be an issue now and the weather gods will help make this day-night Test a total success.
With the crowd firmly backing England, of course.