Just for the love of cricket

CHENNAI’S MA Chidambaram stadium played host to a thrilling ICC World Cup cricket match between England and West Indies on Thursday, but the spectacle on the pitch was bettered only by the passion and enthusiasm of the energetic crowd.

Much of the stadium remained empty, but what the attendees lacked in numbers they made up for in exuberance and gusto, cheering every ball, wicket and boundary.They created a fitting atmosphere for what turned out to be a dramatic encounter between the two Group B teams.The crowd was an interesting blend of die-hard England and West Indies traveling support, but the vast majority of supporters were neutral-India fans who had come to watch the game in their own backyard.It was this mix of spectators that made the atmosphere so electric. India’s passion for cricket shone throughout the day, with flags waving fervently for both sides and the host nation until the last fan left.Much of the home support seemed to have chosen their favoured side from the offset.A West Indies win being beneficial for India meant that the majority of the neutral fans adopted the Caribbean team, for one afternoon at least, as their own. This meant that the Windies had a great boost in the form of the noisy backing of the crowd, which ensured an imposing atmosphere for the English players. England was not without great support too, and the Cross of St George could be seen being enthusiastically waved across the stadium, without fail, every time England scored a boundary or took a wicket The stadium began filling up as early as 1pm, with fans eager to get a glimpse of the sides warming up. But the real crowds did not arrive until much later in the afternoon, a constant stream of spectators arriving until as late as the end of the English innings. When the crowd finally reached its peak, the atmosphere was one to be savored, more comparable to a wild celebration than a sporting contest. The noise and color of the crowd, which included tribal drumming, colorful banners and flags and excited singing and chants throughout the match was worth the entrance fee alone, no matter what the spectacle the two teams served up on the pitch.