World Cup opening day is frenetic, fantastic fun

SAM MORSHEAD AT THE OVAL: There is no lack of self-confidence about the governing body's presentation of a competition which essentially snubs 90 per cent of the planet but, as an occasion, the opening day lived up to its own hype

“The World’s Greatest Cricket Celebration,” boasts the giant billboard.

You can’t miss it, emblazoned as it is across one stand in 500-point, white block capitals. It demands to be seen, which ties in neatly with the ICC’s intentions for their flagship tournament.

There is no lack of self-confidence about the governing body’s presentation of a competition which essentially snubs 90 per cent of the planet but, as an occasion, the opening day of the 2019 men’s Cricket World Cup lives up to its own hype.

London, and indeed England and Wales in general, might not have been gripped by World Cup fever in the build-up, but organisers can’t be accused of not trying.

The party in the Mall on Wednesday evening was an easy target - damp and easily comparable to 1999’s blunderguff of past-their-best fireworks and the Duke of Kent - but at least it created some public attention.

^{South Africa fans get into the party mood}

Who are these men meeting the Queen? Why is the road to the palace lined with these flags? What on earth is going on?

“What on earth is going on” is a line we often trot out in relation to the game we love, and usually in a negative context - be that tea breaks with half-a-dozen runs left to get, bad light being called despite floodlights pumping out megawatts since dawn, or a 10-team World Cup at a time when the global cricket playing field has never been more even.

Yet here, that the ICC were asking the question actually made sense. The general public have been hidden from the game for so long that visibility will be critical in bringing them back to the party, or to its doors for the first time.

Early-morning commuters at Vauxhall station - a few minutes’ walk from The Oval - looked baffled when they emerged from the Tube network and were immediately faced with a 20-foot replica of the World Cup trophy, and there were one or two curious glances inside the gates of the Henry Fawcett Primary School (a Jos Buttler-sized hit from the venue), where 10 giant floating balls bobbed up and down above the eyeline of the fences as they were readied for the opening ceremony.

What on earth is going on?

If questions needed asking, plenty of folk were on hand to answer them.

Outside the ground, volunteers - clad head to toe in combination of purple and yellow which made them look a little like the three-eyed aliens from Toy Story - encouraged punters in the right direction with smiles and cheers and high fives.

The ICC have looked to build on the success of the Games Makers at the 2012 Olympics, bringing kind-spirited people into the centre of the tournament and letting their natural enthusiasm fuel the competition and keep it chugging along.

Some have come a good distance to be part of the occasion, shuttling in on trains from across the Great London area and beyond - Maidenhead, Surrey, Tunbridge Wells, Watford - and they are all delighted to be there. What a difference that makes from a customer service perspective, by the way.

Thought has gone into accommodating the whim and whimsy of cricket-mad kids, with virtual reality batting experiences behind the Vauxhall Stand and corridor cricket classes being run by coaches beneath the Peter May.

The message wall

Uber delivered free food to the seats of random fans, using a sort of Kiss Cam for the ravenous; at half-time, Mark Chapman oversaw supporters running around the outfield in oversized helmets; a live guitarist chirped up during breaks in play, his instrument carved out of the shell of an old Gray-Nics; at one point jugglers appeared on one another’s shoulders by the Alec Stewart Gate.

It was relentless, riotous, overstated, hyperactive fun. And those in the stands loved it.

Yes, there were teething problems.

Many supporters found themselves stuck outside the main gates as the first few overs were being bowled, trapped in a queue for reprinted tickets which it is estimated stretched into the low thousands; some complained about the length of the wait for food during peak periods and the prices are so heavily inflated they might just as well be quoted in Papiermarks.

But largely, the event was intelligently planned and smoothly executed, down to the smaller details like the easy availability of recycling units and banks of free-to-use mobile phone chargers.

Excitement levels were high, as evidenced by the scribbles of hundreds of guests on a wall inside the Hobbs Gate; messages of support for their teams.

“I didn’t come all the way from South Africa for nothing!”

^{A high five contest on the concourse}

“I’ve got £100 on ya to win the cup, England!”

And a personal favourite…

“Good luck both teams, let’s hope for a good day of cricket.”

As we well know, though, these occasions are about more than the sport.

The ICC have grand ideas about legacy, while the ECB hope the competition will help inspire another generation to take up the game.

Watching young boys and girls take aim at a water bottle (a makeshift stump) during a drinks break and swinging wildly in the VR nets, with grins stapled to their cheeks, gives the impression that it might be possible, until you realise that these kids are the lucky ones who have already been introduced to cricket, and whose families have the time and financial resource to take them to the opening match of a World Cup.

The crowd is predominantly white, it is predominantly male, a large percentage are over 25 (this correspondent knows all too well how he fits neatly into all three boxes), a hard truth of the sport’s appeal in this country.

Perhaps it will evolve - the ECB of course insist that radical plans for The Hundred are designed to instigate such change - but for now this fantastic, frenetic, fabulous occasion is still pretty private.

Our coverage of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 is brought to you in association with Cricket 19, the official video game of the Ashes. Pre-order your copy now at Amazon.co.uk