SCG Luv

I lived in Surry Hills, Sydney for a year or so, within walking distance of the SCG. On big game days (like the Swans playing at home in the AFL or a one-day international), you could hear the crowd going up in a big cheer. There are several pubs around the SCG, some of which I frequented over the years: the Cricketers, the Bat and Ball, the Olympic (especially before Rugby Union games). Over the years, I went for tests against the Windies (January 2001), England (2003 - where I saw Steve Waugh get his epic 100, with a four off the last ball of the day), and then of course, India in January 2004 (the Oval 1979 test all over again; more on that in one of my next posts).

But this moment is for talking about the SCG, with its beautiful green stands (including the old-fashioned members' stand) and its lovely high lighttowers which bathe the ground in a radiant glow. The Hill no longer exists, replaced by the Doug Walters stand (where I've spent most of my sunburned time watching test cricket at the SCG), and neither does the old, beautiful scoreboard, which has now been replaced by an extremely informative electronic scoreboard complete with giant television screen. I've also watched from the Brewongle stand; the only time that I've sat in a covered stand (and brother, did it feel good to get out of that scorching Aussie sun). I'll be looking for familiar sights and sounds when the test starts tonight, feeling just a bit homesick.