Liz-Core Online: The Ashes

The newly completed Members stand at the Adelaide Oval, ready just in time for the Ashes 2nd test!

Last week Andy and I took Friday off work and went to watch the cricket. This wasn't any cricket, it was The Ashes, second test. It was at the Adelaide Oval in North Adelaide and we went for the first three days of the five day test match. England emerged victorious on Day 5, bringing the series score to 1-0 (the first test, in Brisbane, was a draw). We had General Admission tickets which meant we could stand or sit on the grass of The Hill. We ended up standing for half of each day and sitting in 'silver' seats for the other half. No one was checking tickets so the worst thing to happen was being asked to move by the actual silver ticket holders, but that didn't happen because we chose our seats well hahaha. The new Members stand was finished just in time for this test but alas it was always a third or a quarter empty! It looks good though.

The first two days were days of excess: plastic cups and plastics cups of mid-strength beer, XXXX Gold (the only beer they serve on the grounds, still $6.20 a pop for 3.5%), sun and heat (it was clear, blue skies Friday and Saturday, and well above 30 all three days, 38 (That's 98F folks) on Saturday.) and of course the Barmy Army . They sang some lovely songs, like We All Live in a Convict Colony to the tune of Yellow Submarine, and More Sense Of Humour to the tune of Waltzing Matilda:

Once a jolly Aussie sat down at a cricket match

Sat in the shade of the BARMY ARMY
And he sat and he sighed and then the poor Aussie cried
Why have the Poms got more humour than me?

MORE SENSE OF HUMOUR
MORE SENSE OF HUMOUR
WHY HAVE THE POMS GOT MORE HUMOUR THAN ME
Cos I'm thick as a brick
I'm a seventh generation skip
That's why the poms got more humour than me

And so the Aussie sits there
And he starts to think a bit
Thought he'd make a song
That his mates could enjoy
So he thought up a song
And it didn't take him very long
(Falcetto) AUSSIE AUSSIE AUSSIE
OI OI OI

Source

Many of them were dressed up (see the horse below). I believe that it is the Amry to blame for making a day out at the cricket a great one (the atmosphere they create rivals music festivals, watch video below), although I'm sure going with a diehard cricket-fan-from-birth, who could answer all my dumb questions, helped... and also that our team was winning.
Sunday was a sober day, even the smell of beer made me want to vomit, but we witnessed Pietersen bat a double century (big deal in cricket) before rain ended the third day at the tea break.
It was a great weekend overall and I will definatly welcome another weekend of cricket in the future even though I am a hurting unit this week :)