A pass for Mr Rahane please
“Hi. My name is Ajinkya Rahane. I am from the Hampshire County Cricket Club.” The lady guard at the entrance of the Ageas Bowl said in reply that he had to go to the accreditation office close by and get his ID before she could let him in.
India’s Test specialist quietly made his way to the place he was directed to, came back with a valid pass and eventually got in to enter the gym. That’s how it is here. It won’t matter even if you happen to be the host county’s star overseas recruit, who slammed a century on County Championship debut last month.
“Oh, you are from the first team. How lovely,” another lady accompanying him back to the entrance was heard saying.
Immortalised on the wall
Ageas Bowl is a relatively new venue. It was opened in 2001 and has been the headquarters of Hampshire County Cricket Club since then.
For a county team over 100 years old, it might have been a tough proposition to preserve its history in a new place. The management here has found a unique way to do that. They have put up small plaques along the walls with the name of a player on each of them and a few lines on what made them special.
Among those finding a place are international names like Barry Richards, Gordon Greenidge, Andy Roberts, local stars like Mike Barnard and heroes of the yesteryear like Lionel Tennyson. Cricket writer and commentator John Arlott too finds mention.
This again reminds one of the fact, barring a handful of places, state cricket associations in India do not pay attention to these things.