The current heatwave in the UK is making it impossible to play or watch the game. (Photo by Harry Trump/Getty Images)
Welcome to the future. Not the English white ball cricket team without the perspicacious leadership of Eoin Morgan and the talismanic Ben Stokes. Nor a Proteas team that looks a whole lot more resilient and less likely to choke than many of its predecessors. But a future of cricket in which playing and watching may no longer be possible given the climate emergency.
It was getting close to 40°C in Durham on Tuesday 19 July. The cricket ground at the Riverside – which is not in Durham at all but about 15 or so minutes’ drive to the north in Chester-Le-Street – is a cheerful place, mainly because the locals are so resolutely jovial. But it is a rather unassuming sports arena and, importantly in the context of the weather conditions, almost entirely devoid of covered seating.
Its one redeeming feature is that from one side of the ground there is a pleasant view of Lumley Castle. Upon winning the toss, Proteas’ caretaker skipper Keshav Maharaj sighed with relief and opted to put England into the furnace without a second’s hesitation and then told the interviewer that not only had the tourists had a couple of games to build up form but also “to get used to the hot weather”.
For a South African cricket captain to speak about the English weather in such terms should convince even the most ardent climate change denier that something peculiar is transpiring.
Before the end of the first powerplay, the English were wilting. And I don’t mean the fielding team — although it was clear by then that Janneman Malan and Rassie van der Dussen had got the measure of both the pitch and the home team’s new opening bowling pair of Sam Curran and Matty Potts. I mean the packed crowd, many of whom were by now staggering for shade behind the stands and, in some cases, receiving medical attention.
There were long queues for an inadequate number of water fountains. At one point the whole Wi-Fi system went down due to the heat, and customers were forced to dig for cash at the bottom of their wallets and handbags as the one-touch card payment machines became inoperable.
Trains were not running because the lines couldn’t cope with the heatwave. Britain’s infrastructure is simply not prepared for what is heading at it fast.
It was as hot in the north-east of England, if not hotter, than anything I have experienced at Newlands over the past 28 years. In the North-East of England.
Watching cricket should not feel like a test of character and endurance.
As I say: welcome to the future.
Cricket, like most sports, will have to start to prepare for a very different way of playing the game, if playing cricket outdoors is even to be a viable proposition in 50 years’ time if global action to mitigate the risk posed by runaway global warming does not rapidly – and by 2030 – scale up.
How, and whether, cricket can adapt is an interesting question – but one for another time.
An important one-day international result must be reported. Well, actually, it was an entirely inconsequential one, save that it was the first encounter between two sides that will spend the rest of the English summer battling it out in all three formats of the game.
The Proteas were ruthless and effective, with both bat and ball, grinding down their opponents. They look to be a very balanced, as well as happy outfit. Add in their currently-injured captain, Temba Bavuma, and their top-gun bowler, KG Rabada, and here is a team that ought to be capable of winning either or both of the two world cups that are on the horizon – the T20 one in October and the 50-ball one next year.
Whereas the rapid improvement in England’s red ball cricket has taken on biblical proportions and is more of a resurrection than a reset under the inspired leadership of new captain Stokes and coach Brendan McCullum, it’s new white ball leadership seems to be struggling. New skipper Jos Buttler failed again and did not exude much authority in the field and there were some peculiar fielding placements; at one point poor Jonny Bairstow – he of the miraculous recent test batting performances – was running from deep square leg to deep square leg between balls as left-hander Heinrich Klaasen and the right-handed Van der Dussen milked singles off of Moeen Ali. Not smart in any weather, let alone Tuesday’s.
Stokes has decided that this is one format that he can afford to forsake. I really can’t blame him. Van der Dussen batted superbly in compiling 134 off of 117 balls; he really is a fine all-format batter and one of the best in the world. Lungi Ngidi and Anrich Nortje are a formidable fast-bowling duo and they bowled well. Maharaj and Tabraiz Shamsi also bowled well and provided interesting and effective variety through their different types of left-arm spin.
Bairstow showed glimpses of his recent golden form, as did Joe Root, who eased himself to 86. But it was a losing cause as all the big-hitting batters failed, leaving Root far too much to do in the last 10 overs, consigning the world champions to a 62 run defeat.
But few if any of these details will stick in the mind. Instead, it will be the heat that leaves the greatest impression – the first match of a new era of climate-challenged matches – and, maybe, the fact that it was Stokes’ last one-day international.
One-day cricket is neither fish nor fowl, regardless of the climatic conditions. Test cricket, as the recent series between New Zealand and England proved, is the finest test of ability and can provide unmatchable entertainment. T20 cricket offers a more intense test of skill than the 50 over format, whose day has come and gone.
While his decision may attract more attention, I have decided to declare that as with Stokes, this will be my last 50 over cricket match.
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