Disagreeing with Jack Fingleton

“The beauty of the Worcester ground, I think, is slightly exaggerated,” Jack Fingleton wrote in Brightly Fades the Don. “When you look at the ground with the Cathedral at your back, the Worcester ground is no prettier or uglier than most English county grounds though it has a pleasant pavilion.” Sadly, the old pavilion is no longer here, replaced by a modern block tower carrying the name of Graeme Hick, and as much flair.

Sixty-one years on from Fingleton’s tour and the trees have grown on the banks of the River Severn, leaving the top of the Cathedral to peek over them towards the ground. At the New Road end there is a restricted view and the best place to sit is in the ladies stand, a quaint, tiled-roof building with a small collection of reserved seats for women. When watching from there the cricket is what interrupts the scenery.

Apparently there have been requests to the local council to trim the trees, allowing all the spectators to idle between the game and the church, but they have been rejected. Twenty years ago there were fears the tower would collapse, but the restoration was completed last year, costing around £10m.

As a budding greenie, there’s no desire to call for the chainsaw, and the foliage encourages spectators to shift their seats for the variety of views. I don’t think the beauty of the ground is exaggerated and it was enjoyed by a strong crowd on the opening day of the tour game, from the moment Graham Onions ran in to Phillip Hughes with the bells chiming to 11.

The Cathedral should stay in sight for the rest of the game, depending on the thickness of the predicted rain clouds, but the ground is as close as the Australian squad will get to it. In Fingleton’s time as a player and writer it was tradition for the side to inspect the church the night before the tour game, but a similar visit was not in Ricky Ponting’s plans. “No, that was the previous captain,” he said, referring to Steve Waugh’s team-building expeditions.