Damp Cardiff passes its first test

Cardiff was very much under the spotlight last night as it hosted its first one-day international since the somewhat controversial decision to award it an Ashes Test in 2009. While the rain was out of the authorities control, several papers reported on things that were.

In The Times, Christopher Martin-Jenkins gave the venue a warm(ish) pass mark, while noting:

“It may be safely said that it will have the shortest straight boundary for any Test match on the river side. Sixty yards is barely over the internationally prescribed minimum and it will be no more than a forward push for six when the likes of Andrew Flintoff start to put bat to ball against Australia in 2009.”

Charles Randall in The Daily Telegraph was a bit more upbeat:

“Sophia Gardens has the advantage of close proximity to the city centre and a variety of transport options – not least the feet – allowing much easier access than, say, the isolated Rose Bowl at Southampton, where traffic jams and congestion have marred major occasions.”