I'm certainly enjoying it and had I been able to justify not appearing in work today i would have gone - might have left the cap behind this time though

So how about some forecasts. I'm going for 322 all out

182-5

sorry mis-read it - still 4

Scotty I'm erring towards thenodrog's view on this. I've twice made casual enquiries at the TO window and got 11,500 as the answer, the last enquiry was Thursday. I think JW has to put a good spin on things and the facts will be that we are 1000 down on year to date sales but will fall around 2000 short of the 14000 you suggest for last year. Saturday will show a lot. I doubt if more than 5000 will "walk up" - knock that off the attendance and you'll have the ST figure. My money is on around 16500 - 17000 attendance which gives 11,500 - 12,000 St holders. I really would like to be wrong..............

My eldest just texted to say he got in at 9.45 after queuing from around 8.00am. Thousands looking for tickets apparently which has to be great news for cricket in general. Wish I could have gone.

Chelsea couldn't sell their allocation for Wigan.

He certainly did, but had a smaller bar bill than Scotty Now I don't know a great deal about cricket - I understand the slips but once we get to the gully and silly mid-off (or is it on?) I'm stumped (sorry ) Two adults and 3 kids went, for three of us this was our first full day's cricket. I didn't know how I or my kids would react to watching for 8 hours but in the end needn't have worried. So here's our great day out, it was really very, very good. We set off, to my amazement, at 8.30am and were in the ground by 9.15. Inside for two minutes and we're grabbed by a photographer offering us a picture with Goochie (I knew who he was, and recognised him). This turned out to be free (excuse the early sceptisism) and we had some fun with GG as he's a WHU fan. Betfair then gave us more wads of stuff including the very useful ticket holders, brilliant idea. The kids went to the nets but I suddenly felt really ill and had to sit down for lots of coffee and the biggest bacon roll I've ever seen. Soon felt much better but was obviously feeling a bit dozy: Bloke on npower stand: "Who are you with?" Me: "Sorry" BONS: "Who are you with British Gas? Norweb?" Me: (remembering the ticket holder) "No one, I bought my own ticket" BONS: strange who is the idiot look Me: "Oh, I see SWEB!!!!" Me: "Sorry I've come to watch cricket not buy gas." We headed off to our seats, spotting Ste B with four pints and me nervously glancing at the prices of everything and thinking I haven't got enough cash to get through today. Delighted to find the seats in E3, row 9 were very close to where we usually chose to sit for the T20. Facing the pitch we were to the right of the white two-tier stand. Settled down to find we had 7 Aussies behind us. The one directly behind me had that truely annoying ability to turn every sentence into a question by raising his voice on the last word. Great I thought, seven potentially annoying away fans right next to us. Within half an hour or so I'd changed my mind as the banter was tremendous, really funny, my favourite being half way through the day as we sat down after cheering what turned out not to be a catch, I was tapped on the shoulder "Mate, you always cheer a good ball?" The first hour or so seemed to drag but I decided this was the settling in period. The kids were restless as they expected a T20 start. Back out after the rain break and we lost two wickets in 5-6 minutes which livened things up. I thought this was the only bad stroke Flintoff played and most around me thought it was a stupid shot to play. Lunch - glad we took a cool-bag full of goodies as the queues were huge and expensive. Why is it at rock concerts the ladies can use the gents but when I try the opposite at the cricket I get told off? Headed back to Gooch's booth to find they had the foresight to print FIVE copies of our photo - talk about good sense, I'd expected one and to have to beg for two extra - and Goochie stopped to chat and sign them all. Mike Gatting signing autographs on the npower stand at tea - dare I go back? After lunch two more wickets down quickly and I felt we were in for a really good afternoon of skittling the Aussies. Didn't turn out to be that easy. In the last England batting session we had Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee on the boundary in front of us. By now the crowd was more than a little boisterous, Lee was brilliant, took it all in good humour and had some good retorts. Even laughed at the really cutting stuff about Ponting and Gillespie. England kept us all entertained with what I felt was positive bowling at the Australian attack, though I did feel we lacked a truely cutting edge. The wickets seemed to fall every 30-35 runs and usually just as one thought "this pair have settled in". I most enjoyed watching Giles as I could follow the ball from his hand to the batsmen, the fast bowlers I settled for watching only the batsman. As the wickets fell it seemed England were reasonably in control but lack the ability to really have a go at the middle to lower order thus taking full advantage of their position. I don't like Shane Warne's attitude but he clearly is a truely professional sportman (note BRFC players) and, presuming he's not a renowned batsman, his performance at the crease easily made him Aussie player of the day. Without Warne I think Australia could have been all out for less than 200 - he was really stubborn. Petersen was on our boundary for a while, he looks arrogant and self-possessed, but in fact found the time to talk to children and sign auotgraphs, even staying behind at tea. Impressed by him as a person and fielder. Overall a good days cricket, 300 or so runs and 12 wickets, excellent spirit in the crowd, real enterainment all round. Full marks to the Australian lads behind us who kept it going all day, even when things looked very bad for their team. We will be going at the next opportunity. This was our eighth visit to OT in two seasons and we have yet to be disappointed - and they say cricket needs to learn from other sports? Just hope they don't use football as a model.

Rovers 1 Fulham 3 16,500

Oh............bugger. Does anyone know the actual total. When I bought an extra ST this week the TO told me it was around 11,500. Posts on here suggest it could be 13,000, so just where are we at. It would be good to get the figure from the club, even if it is disapointing news.

Like the majority of posters I've seen nothing of the game, myself I was listening as I half-dozed in front of the cricket before going out on my bike before the full-time whistle went. The impression I gained and was going to post last night but didn't was: Emerton will hopefully get the plane home with his cricket playing countrymen. He's always been awful and proved it again today. Qantas are doing cheap deals at the moment - so said the advertising at OT on Friday, which made me smile! Dickov is a total liability to the team and club. Last season we had to tolerate it, this season we should not, sack him. The rest - nothing has changed and why should it have done? The team has a poor no - unpredictable - attitude which leaves the support wondering what will happen next. I didn't post yesterday to avoid a knee-jerk response to my disappointment, sadly I feel the same this morning. Bitterly disappointed the side appear to have let the fans down, again. For me the worrying aspect of this result is many fans will react by thinking the Fulham game means nothing more than a repeat of last season. Rovers will be very fortunate to get 16000 next Saturday. All summer I've had no buzz about the new season, only studied the fixtures yesterday. Came within a gnat's whisker of not renewing the STs but instead bought four, that's one extra on last year. The main reason to renew was for the kids - I wish I hadn't bothered. We really needed a win yesterday just to get the fans buzzing but you can't expect a professional footballer to understand that.

Now there's a thought, probably the one with Hendry on the back. We are in E3, row 9.

PS - Still got the hat Don......he said nervously

I thought the idea of going on the second day was it gave a chance of seeing both sides bat? Right I'm off to buy the picnic, sun cream and pack the cool box. Can't wait.

Probably is phil - the Visa bill just arrived asking for the ST money theno I'm simply saying if people feel so strongly do something

1. I was out of the country 2. Never heard of Espanyol before, who, what are they? Obviously a spanish club. 3. I'm sick to death of those with the loudest voices when it comes to criticism also being those who are the least likely to get off their backsides and DO something about it - regardless of the topic.

Other than several T20 matches at OT the Test on Friday will be my first experience of professional cricket. Never been to a full day before and must say I'm really excited about it, and i'm not really a cricket fan but it's growing on me. Any tips on how best to get through the day?

I very much hope you will be there.

Thanks Flopsy. I'll try that later. BTW I'm not expressing a view, simply interested to hear the interview in full as it was new for me.

I hadn't planned to contribute to this thread - other than maoning about the personal abuse - but I heard part of a radio interview on Five Live which gave me a new perspective on the issue last night. Now I was driving with the kids so I may have got some of this wrong but these are views I have not heard so well explained before. The interviewee was not, IMV, radical but most certainly committed. The young man was what we might refer to as a "British Muslim" Apparently, to some (maybe all, I don't know) a muslim is muslim first and a "national" second. In fact the nationality is seen to be largely irrelevant. Muslims are seen as a part of an expanding world-wide movement. There is a muslim word to describe this but I have forgotten it. The young man interviewed stated all mulims have a duty to protect, aid, defend one and other regardless of where they live. He did not believe in the concept of British muslims - one is either British or a muslim, not both. He believed "British" muslims, to be subjugated, down-trodden, persecuted and was not able to condemn those who sort to defend other muslims. He wanted to leave the UK to raise his family in Syria, believing the Arabic world to be more "blessed" as this is the seat of muslim and there must have been a reason why the movement started in the Arab world. He also wished to move his children from what he sees as the corrupting influence of western society. Couple of questions please: 1. Has anyone got a link to this in the Five Live archive. I can't find one. It was at 7.00pm last night 2. I'd like to know more on this subject. Has anyone got something factual I can look at. A link or something, without starting another flame war please. cheers

Thanks. Am I allowed to smile at the last bit?

theno I'd just like to point out I was laughing at bellamy's joke concerning your ability to put a spin on just about anything. I most certainly was not mocking anything connected to the debate in this thread.....but hey don't you waste an opportunity to have a dig at someone.

On Thursday I was whizzing along the A50 towards Derby at 12.00. I was very surprised by the number of people, myself included, who pulled into the Services, parked, stood by their cars for two mintues and then whizzed off again. Even the road seemed to go quiet.