Trans world sport.

[Longy]

It is fair to say I needed a break from the grind. So last night I went here

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Home of the Las Vegas 51s, who are the triple A affiliate of the New York mets. This basically means that this is the mets 2nd team and a few of these players will get sent to New York at some point if they perform well. They were playing interstate rivals Reno Aces who are affiliated to the Arizona diamondbacks major league team.

The ticket prices were very reasonable, so I took the highest priced one for a massive $25. Which gave me this view

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The first row right behind the catcher. This would cost you well in excess of $100 at a major league, so I was excited to have the opportunity to be so close. It is quite something when the batter fouls the ball off and it nearly hits you in the face but the netting saves you!

Unfortunately they were letting all sorts into this area and I did ask someone working from the 51s to remove him.

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The game was a lot of fun and a real slice of Americana which isn't really that common in somewhere as ridiculous as Vegas. The home side ran out 6-4 winners and they even managed to remove the gentlemen after the 7th innings, though he might just have left after a disappointing rendition of "take me out to ball game" which is always sang during the 7th inning stretch.

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A view from the cheap seats!

I am sorely tempted to take a trip to la on Saturday for more sport but will probably try and be sensible!

[Longy]

About time we had some domestic sport in this thread. This weekend I was here

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for day 4 and a last minute decision to go to 5 of the 1st test between England and Sri Lanka.

If pushed I would say cricket is probably my favourite sport now, it always used to be football but I am somewhat disillusioned by a lot of things going on in football at the moment (cheating, diving, disrepect towards officials, FIFA....) and cricket has always been my default 2nd love.

This was only my 2nd visit to Lords and my first trip was only last year to watch Nottinghshire win the CB40 trophy, was very much a blind spot in my sporting cv, having been to all the other traditional test venues in the past before lords. There is a certain atmosphere about the place that is unique in world sport, it really couldn't be more reserved middle class England if it tried.

I was there with a friend who I met in New Zealand watching the England tour there and she brought this Sri Lankan Whiskey

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.

We managed to polish the bottle off before Lunch so my recollections of the afternoons play and onwards are slightly hazy. Though I am pretty sure it was a good days play and it was great to catch up with a few other people who I had previously met watching cricket in various places round the world.

I stayed over in London last night admittedly with an eye on going to day 5 and what an excellent choice that was! Just the chance to watch Kumar Sangakarra bat on what is bound to be his last tour to the UK was worth the £20 admission. His record really is amazing http://www.espncricinfo.com/srilanka/content/player/50710.html and in the two thirds of his test career when he wasn't wicketkeeper he averages over 70 which no one but Don Bradman has achieved in cricket history.

I also got to watch an amazing final session, with England falling one wicket short of victory as they managed to get the ball to reverse swing later on in  the day

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.

[mondatoo]

It is fair to say I needed a break from the grind.

 

[Longy]

More posts coming ITT soon.

Tour de France today.
4 days at the Trent bridge test match.
A week in Glasgow for the commonwealth games, via 2020 game at Chester le street.

[vegaslover]

More posts coming ITT soon.

Tour de France today.
4 days at the Trent bridge test match.
A week in Glasgow for the commonwealth games, via 2020 game at Chester le street.

Looking forward to 'em