Test Match Special - Incredible England comeback sets up series decider

Episode Date: September 13, 2020

Jonathan Agnew is joined by former England captain Michael Vaughan to react to an astonishing 24-run win for Eoin Morgan's side in the second one day international, which sets up a series decider with Australia on Wednesday. We hear from both captains Aaron Finch and Morgan as well as bowler Chris Woakes to get their thoughts on a thrilling encounter. WIth the last England international of the summer approaching on Wednesday, Aggers is joined by Lancashire Chief Executive Daniel Gidney and Hampshire chairman Rod Bransgrove to discuss how this summer's matches were organised in regards to the bio-secure bubbles at both Old Trafford and the Ageas Bowl.Picture: Adil Rashid of England celebrates the wicket of Alex Carey of Australia and victory in the 2nd Royal London One Day International Series match between England and Australia at Emirates Old Trafford on September 13, 2020 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Stu Forster/Getty Images for ECB)

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from BBC Radio 5 Live. I'm Jonathan Agnew. Welcome to the Test Match Special podcast. We're looking back on a brilliant victory for England here at Emirates Old Trafford. And again, they look destined to lose. We'll hear from Michael Vaughn, and you'll get reaction from Owen Morgan, Chris Wokes and Aaron Finch. And we'll go behind the scenes to find out just how all this summer's men's games have been delivered at only two venues. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 live.

So England had beaten Australia by 24 runs. Australia was set at 232 to win this second one-day international and with it, of course, the series. They're bowled out for 207. But having been 144 for 2 in the 31st over, Labashane and Finch going really well, they lost 6 for 22. Well, first of all, 4 for 3 in 20 balls, 6 for 22, 8 for 63 in all, as they threw away a game that really. looked to be there. Finch was out for 73, Labashane 48, but then that collapse at the end as Owen Morgan had to juggle the bowling around.

He brought Joffre Archer back, he brought Chris Wokes back, and that worked, left him a little bit exposed at the end, but the Curran brothers restored to the side, did a terrific job when Adder Rashid took the last wicket. England were also in trouble at one stage. There were 140 for six, there were 149 for 8. When Wokes was out They got to 231 for 9

Thanks to a stand of 76 Between Tom Curran and Adul Rashid Tom Curran made 37 Adder Rashid 35 not out And gave those bowlers just enough To bowl out So a terrific game of cricket it was Well I think just going through us bowling figures

Once again for Wokes 3 for 32 Archer 3 for 34 Curran at Sam 3 for 35 Tom Curran They're 10 overs two maidens No wicket for 28 And to go with those runs, 37 not out, he was actually out, sorry, 37 out. It's not often, I don't think, that a bowler might be considered man in the match for getting no wickets.

But he's got to be in the frame, Michael Vaughn. Well, absolutely. I mean, there's something about this England side, and it has been the case for a year or two, that they just never stopped believing. You know, they just win games of cricket and change the momentum of games with pure belief and wonderful skill. Australia, what can I say about them? but that was done. Yes.

You know, the pitch wasn't an easy one, but, you know, some of the shots, and you go, Glenn Maxwell just misses a straight one. The captain himself,

he set, he's in, all right, did a little bit. Chris Wokes' delivery, but you shouldn't be getting out to that kind of delivery. When you're in,

controlling the game. Australia, in that dressing, they know they should have won the series tonight. I mean, it was an easy game for them to win. But this England side,

you give them a little bit of a sniff, you know, you give them a little bit of hope of winning, and very rarely do they miss out. You know, you go back to that 149 for 8 in that first innings when England are batting and all of a sudden, Adel Rashid, when was the last time he batted? You know, he suddenly finds a way of getting a few runs.

You've got Tom Curran who always believes and has got a great mentality towards the game. And they get to a score of 231 and we all thought it was competitive, but then Lavishane and Finch played with so much control and skill, particularly the way that they attacked Adel Rashid. I think we all felt that once Adel Rashid had been hit, it was going to be very difficult for England to win the game to get the amount of wickets. But, you know, Chris Wokes found a way, Geoff Wright,

I thought was magnificent with the new ball. Man of the match, he's been confirmed, yeah. He was magnificent. He bowed with great pace. You know, I'm surprised he's man of the match with what Chris Wokes did with his 26 runs as well. But, you know, all of that pack of scene bowlers, Tom Curran just bowling the length, didn't get the wickets.

Sam, his brother, did. But Australia, that's the second time. Now, in the space of a week or so, that they've collapsed from a winning position and that's a real area of concern for Justin Langer and Aaron Finch I'll say, and I said it during the day that how Steve Smith doesn't get in this side

another saying it's precautionary how Steve Smith cannot get into that one day team I will never know well he'll be playing on Wednesday sure without any question he's got about at three Stoines has got to be removed from the side they're trying a few things Steve Smith is just too

too good of player not to be playing in the 50 over team and I know he got hit on the head and they're saying it's precaution but they'll say also the one on Friday I'm sorry Steve Smith gets into any white ball team for me for Australia absolutely I was just looking at the screen to our right here is showing lots of

shaking of heads and forlorn faces in the Australian dressing room as the wickets fell and it's going through the wickets that fell and I think it was particularly Maxwell's a lot of them you could see the replay the reaction the dressing group it was just a straight ball really wasn't it? Yeah straight ball you look at Pat Cummins

you know he played a nice shot off out of Rashid suddenly he plays an almighty hacker off Sam Crum when you've got a batsman and Alex Carey at the other end Mitchell Stark comes out first ball and plays a huge shot when you've got Alex Carey at the other end

so the actual thought process about the chase particularly when the pressure was on for Australia didn't look quite right for me but England brilliant you know they just have this knack we were talking on Commershire

they just looked like a team that had too many weeks in the bubble and they did look like that and I don't think Owen had a great night as a captain I don't think he was absolutely on his game his bowler's got him out of a little bit of a hole but they just find

a way and as I say this thing it's a great mentality to have that when you get a sniff that you really enjoy it and you can see they enjoy the tight situations and they just know how to win they've won so many tight games they've won so many key moments whether it's been in test match cricket T20 cricket 50 over

cricket they've got a group of experienced players now that played a lot of whiteboard cricket that they just know how to win games of cricket. It's interesting though because it wasn't through noise and enthusiasm in the field it wasn't tigerish in field, actually the heads have dropped a bit and you're right, it were worth saying they looked as if

maybe they've gone a game too far. Maybe, maybe they really, you know, we talk about this belief but maybe realistically they thought we've got no chance here, we'll just have a bit of a go and see where it takes us. I think the wicket of Finch, you know, Labashane, of course that Finch is still out there and all of a sudden you get

Mitchell Marsh, the wicket of Finch you could see gave them a massive boost. We're going to hear from Chris Wokes. Any moment now I think I can see him down there I'm about to talk to Alison Mitchell when he gets the go-ahead. It's interesting to hear what he has to say about how Inga came back. And it was that spell of his along a Joffre Archer that turned things around. So I can see a television light there, lighting him up, shining down on him.

Of course, it's absolutely pitch black here. And let's join them now, Alison Mitchell and Chris Wokes. On those sort of wickets, I think we just always felt we need to get up to a score. But I think you always probably feel that you're a little bit short. but we just I think we always believed actually with the ball I think especially the way we started we always felt like it was going to get harder and harder and we just stuck to the task

tried to execute skills of hitting a good length for as long as possible and we always felt that if we picked up a couple of wickets at a key time then we would put them under some pressure and thankfully we did that it was a brilliant second spell how do you sense that you and Joffra Archer complement each other when bowling at opposite ends

yeah he bowls a lot quicker than I do so yeah I think you know I'm doing my thing at my end and you know he clearly does his thing but um you know it's great to have some large offering your team because you know when you're a little bit up against it you can you know give him the ball and you get that little bit of X factor from him which is brilliant but obviously just me trying to do my other thing at the other end try and keep it as tight as possible and you know pick up the occasional wicket and put them under pressure but you know we've got the ball moving a little bit which helped you know

we execute our skills did you feel that was going to be the key just finding a little bit of moving off the surface at that stage yeah I think so I think we you know pretty much From the start, we decided to go cross seam to try and, you know, rough the baller, get one side rough and then see if we're getting in reverse. And thankfully, at some point, we did. You know, that's when me and Joffra came back and we got a little bit of sideways movement. And, you know, that's when you try and cash in. And, you know, we did. What impact did the ninth wicket stand have at that stage?

England looked like, you struggled to get up to 200. Yeah, definitely. I think, you know, when I got out, I was, you know, disappointed. I felt like I could have, you know, built a partnership with Tom. And at that point, I was probably thinking if we can get up to do. we've got something to bowl at. So to get to 2.35, I think it was in the end. It was brilliant.

Both Adil and Tom, a fantastic partnership and effectively has won us that game, really. What does it say about the belief of the side to win from any position? Yeah, I think we've got great character in that dressing room. I think we never, you know, the reason why we obviously did so well

in that four year lead up to the World Cup. And obviously at the World Cup as well, you know, we've got that belief that we can win from any position with both bat and ball. And we showed we can do it with the ball today. where at one point probably we looked a bit dead and buried so great character in that dressing room for sure

congratulations tonight Chris, well done thanks allie there we go that's Chris spoke with Alison Mitchell confidence is so much in well in all cricket isn't it but especially one day cricket and if you're not used to winning you lose games like that and if you are used to winning you win games

when you all seems lost yeah Australia has struggled really in one day cricket for a while now they've won so many World Cups you go back to 2015 they're fantastic but you've always felt they've been a bit scratchy for two or three years. I think there'll be a lot of England Crete fans out there

wishing there was a Justin Langer kicking the bin gift that they could put on social media. Anyone that's seen the test, the documentary that followed the Australian scene where he kicks the bin at Hedley after the defeat, you can only imagine what Justin Langer's thinking. I mean, seeing what he's just seen because he drives a very, very determined ship.

I was walking around the ground, you could see the players this morning kind of practicing hard. exactly what he demands. I think Owen Morgan might hear from any second now. He's got into that interview slot down there on the boundary edge. So he'll be talking to Alison Mitchell. Any moment now when she gets the go-ahead. We're simultaneously doing it.

Here's Alison with Owen Morgan. Outstanding win. Not from nowhere, but having the bowlers to execute plans as well as we did, particularly when Australia started to gain momentum in that strong partnership between Lavishane and Finch having Archer and Walshain. having Archer and Wokes very accurate, consistent bowlers that can use reverse swing or potentially cross-seem deliveries

to try and dry up runs and create chances. They did that perfectly well today. And once we sort of broke into partnerships, I think it was very difficult for batsmen to come in and get going, certainly the case when we batted. So our bowlers, I think, have made us look good today. Still, our batterers need to learn to groove in innings on a wicket like this.

It is the weakest side of our game. it's the reason that we want to play on slow wickets so hopefully we'll continue to learn in that regard but we're thankful that our lower order batting group and a few of the bowlers contributed with runs today because it really did make a huge difference towards the end you had some important choices to make in terms of when to bring Archer and Wokes back

what was it that just made you say this is the moment well the game was running away from us and I sort of felt that it's no use having Jofra having two or three overs left and Woksey having two or three overs left if Australia are going to chase it down the 40 second over so sort of went all in and hopefully the plan was to try and bowl Australia out

it didn't work as quickly as we thought it would have or Australia would have won the game but it was nice for everybody to contribute in the bowling department. Testaments of the skills of your bowlers but you're also in a way surprised that we've seen two very dramatic Australian collapses. Yeah here I think

they can only answer what went wrong from our side I give huge credit to our bowlers they're a very strong side Australia and to create opportunities like we did and make inroads in that middle order is really outstanding we saw in the previous game where their middle order was actually really strong we found it difficult to make or create opportunities but today was completely different

what do you still want to see from the batting though because notable again the power play a bit of a struggle on this surface Yeah, it's been extremely challenging. It's obviously a new surface in a few days' time. But again, we're hoping that it's slow and hopefully subcontinental like in order to try and expose ourselves and gain a little bit of rhythm

because we've only been playing T20 cricket and the shortest form recently and you almost need to go back to gaining a little bit of rhythm and facing more balls out in the middle and establishing innings as opposed to a bit of a crash-bang wallop innings. And you'll have played in games

where you've lost from winning positions. What sort of psychological impact could this have on the Australian dressing room? Here, again, I've played in sides that sort of haven't had the rubber the green or continue to lose games that go tight. I certainly know that winning them builds confidence when in a change room and Bill's belief,

so it'll do that in our changing room. Congratulations, Owen. Well done. Thanks, Sally, thank you. Owen Morgan. And let's hear then, from the Australian captain, Aaron Finch. When collapses happen like that, concentration out in the middle? Yeah, potentially.

I'm sure guys had their plans and I thought guys stuck to their plans. They were just beaten, which is never ideal. But at the end of the day, England were too good. Were you happy with your bowling effort though? And there was the ninth cricket stand which pushed England above 200 in the end. Yeah, I think it was one for 81 in the last 10 overs, which wasn't ideal. On a wicket that we felt if we executed really basic skills, it was going to be a tough, tough wicket to score boundaries on.

and we probably just went away from that a little bit in the second half, in that last 10, sorry. How much of a concern is the middle and the lower order, I guess, given what happened in the T20 as well? Oh, the lower order, their jobs to bowl well. Our job as bad as is to get the runs, and we didn't do that. How'd you reckon you'd be able to turn it around for the third game? Yeah, we'll be good. We'll be ready to go.

We'll look forward to it. Thanks, Aaron. Cheers, thanks. Yeah, well, I think that's probably summed up for the mood of the Australian captain there. Pretty tight-lipped, wasn't it? Let's have a stat attack. It's been that sort of game. Great. Win for England.

It's the third time in the last four occasions that they've tried to defend a target between 20260 that they've managed to win. They'd only done so in one of 12 before that. So that's three times in four since 2018. Six wickets between over's 31 and 40 inclusive. The first time England have taken six in over's 31 to 40. The first time Australia have lost six,

which is about the weakness of Australia's middle order and tail exposed once again. joint worst collapse for Australia for their third to sixth wickets going for just three runs Tom Curran has a nice little one scored 30 and went for less than 30 in his 10 overs the first England player to do that

since Graham Swan back in 2007 before that you've got to go back to Freddie Flintoff who had such matches four times in 2003 Joffra Archer 29 wickets in his first 16 ODIs that's the second most for an England player after 16 games

one wicket behind Jimmy Anderson level with Stephen Finn. Excellent. Thank you. Andy. 40 seconds, Michael, to look ahead to Wednesday. I wonder how much a blow that is for Australia. Anna, this could be a fresh pitch. Yeah, fresh pitch. They'll pick themselves up. You know, teams generally do that these days. There's a few concerns for England. I mean, Morgan's just admitted to that. I like this idea of playing on these slower wickets to try and prepare for the World Cup. That's exactly what you want to do. If you want to go and win another World Cup, English conditions are completely different to India. So here's probably

the perfect venue to play on those kind of wickets. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live. So Wednesday will be the final game of the men's international summer after six tests, six one-day internationals and six T-20s. Manishy played against four separate touring teams. It's a great effort to get the games on. It looked at certain points unlikely we get any cricket played at all this summer. And as you know, the matches have been hosted at two grounds exclusively,

the Adjiaz Bowl in Southampton and here at Emirates, Old Trafford. But how have these venues managed to deliver this? What were the numerous pitches to prepare, logistics to organise in unprecedented circumstances? Well, let's talk to the Hampshire chairman Rod Brandsgrove, who's somewhere on the line. And below the commentary box in the stands, Daniel, the chief executive of Lancashire. Nice to have you both with us. Well, let's start with Rod. Come on, Rod.

Can you believe that we've seen so many games completed? No, I can't, frankly. and I can't believe that it's nearly over already it seems to have gone incredibly quickly really I guess that it's been so frenetic that time has passed very quickly and I'm very proud and pleased with what we've had the potential to do here this summer

yeah and Daniel how about you here while sitting in the sunshine at Old Trafford nobody in the ground of course but you've got another good game set up yes absolutely fantastic and welcome to Sony Manchester I think it only rains in Southampton doesn't it oh don't you two start up up but no we've been absolutely thrilled this summer it's been it's been really hard work i've you know doing this a while and i've never had a summer quite like this one and an international

venue only normally does two to six days of international cricket and it will be 21 which is really some going and uh you know for what ourselves and egers have done i think you know can't really be understated really i think it's it's been remarkable and being very very challenging for us to do this for all sorts of different reasons. But look, we're here, we got through, and all credit must go to the ECB, but particularly the West Indies team and the Pakistan team and now the Australians.

But I go back to right at the start when the West Indies team had to come. They flew into Manchester Airport, into the private terminal, and they had to quarantine here for two weeks, and they were just unbelievably fantastic to host. So going back to that start, what some of these teams have had to sacrifice

to come here, huge credit to them. Yeah, absolutely. I'll hear here to that. Rod, I remember ringing you up earlier on in the summer and saying, come on, what is the chance do you think of you being able to stage these test matches and being in the hotels and so on? We had a good chat about it.

And it seemed even then that it seemed a long way off for the reality of actually being able to do it and all the logistics and so on. When did you start to really think, actually, hang on a minute, there is an opportunity here for this to be done. Well, I guess not until we were actually appointed as one of the grounds with Old Trafford to stage these matches. You know, we've been overlooked so many times that it wouldn't have surprised me if it would have happened again.

But once we started work on it, it was very clear that there was an enormous amount of new learning to be done. And you've actually stayed in both of the hotels, so you will see the extent to which we've had to modify the hotel business to make. make sure that we have one-way systems for pedestrians and protection in lifts and restaurants and the like. It's an extraordinary process that we've all gone through. And it's been very well led as Daniel said by Steve Well, Elworthy and the ECB team. But equally, you know, the groundsman at both grounds, when you bear in mind also that our grounds was having his first year at the Aegeas Bowl. To be placed with those sort of demands in the first year is something quite extraordinary. and all of the other people on the operations side

that have worked so hard with the ECB to make sure that we could deliver these consecutive matches at just two grounds throughout the summer. It is actually a spectacular effort by all of these people. Daniel, when did it sort of dawn on you that actually you would get this huge responsibility up here? Well, I think when the ECB outlined and I understood the importance and massive,

of security for the game of getting the matches on from a broadcast perspective and for the distributions for all first-class counties. I think we realised that having a hotel, having invested in a hotel in the similar way to Hampshire had done was going to be helpful. But, you know, as Rod said, but none of us could take anything for granted. I think at that point, we, Steve Davis, our Ups director, put together a 50-page PowerPoint, which was really kind of us laying down our thinking, initial thoughts,

of how we would do it. and that definitely saved us some time the ECB did something similar and then we effectively swap notes but you know over 100 risk assessments as Rod says you know one-way systems anti-back

test matches and one day internationals are usually physically wearing for the teams but this one's been very mentally wearing because you're constantly concentrating on very small things like oh I've touched a door handle that's got a red sticker on it

that means I have to immediately anti-back or oh I've gone down the wrong staircase so it's constantly thinking and concentrating on stuff that you wouldn't normally think about at all and I think that's been an element that's been very very challenging and then also support what Rod says about the ground

teams I mean Matt Merchant's been here 30 years but I don't think any ground anywhere in the world has ever done three test pitches back to back and I think it's an astonishing achievement what the grounds teams have delivered really and I think it's something that as a game we can generally be proud of of as a whole. Yeah, I'm looking at them now, actually, out there again rolling and getting

everything organised and so on. Did you, I mean, what's the feeling for both of you, I'll start with Daniel this time, that you're actually doing this for the greater good. I mean, we'll get to the nitty gritty and how much you might have made out of it or not, or lost perhaps, during the course of this chat, but was the main driver, the fact that actually you were doing this for the whole game? without doubt aggers i remember when tom was in front of the DCMS committee and they talked about a potential loss to the game of the best part of 300 million pounds which you know that could that level could have seen some counties go bust and i think when you think about it in that sense and the number of people that could lose their jobs across cricket this became an imperative for the game as a whole to get these international days of cricket then it became a real collective purpose to say how do we actually do this something that's a whole to get these international days of cricket then it became a real collective purpose to say how do we actually do this something that's never been done and I think

it did become something that was massively important for the whole game and I have to say the solidarity from my colleagues across the whole county

network has been amazing and the support that we've had and even those venues that were due to host international cricket this year everybody understood that this was

a singular one-off summer that it was about getting the games on and broadcast and that was the priority that's interesting Rod isn't it because it wasn't so long ago you're almost all pitted against each other in terms of having to bid against each other

and so on to make it work. So have you felt that same solidarity? Oh, without question. I mean, the relationship between Lancashire and Hampshire actually has been quite tight throughout this process and I know that Daniel and my chief executive, David Mann, worked very closely when they were preparing for the fixtures and we've been wishing each other good luck

throughout the whole series. Certainly, the greater good is, is uppermost in in in in all of our minds throughout all of this and and in fact the i think i've mentioned to you before the fees for staging the matches were very modest we've done we've done very well in the business sense i'm not making any complaints about that we've we've had full capacity of use of the hotel for for more than two months now and and that's helped us to reopen our hotel business but the biggest plus of the whole um situation was that um we were able to rescue so much of what is the largest broadcasting rights agreement we've ever had

with the various broadcasters and salvage an awful lot of what otherwise would have been lost income this year so we're very proud of having done that for the whole game what about the brief at the start because i mean obviously yes from experience you know we've we've experienced both grounds and and a lot of them both and they're obviously very different and here at old Trafford, obviously more or less in the middle of Manchester, compared to the Ageos Bowl outside and fresh, but then there are other aspects that have made others. Old Trafford's got good points to it as well. But did you have the same sort of a brief and the same sort of idea of what you were going to provide as far as this bubble was concerned and how it's actually

going to work? Let's start with something you rod on that one. Yes, I think that the notion of the bubble, the biosecure bubble, was applied equally to both venues. Obviously, both venues, you've got different characteristics, different benefits, other things. But the truth is, all of the grounds in the United Kingdom now are very, very good. They're excellent cricket grounds or the international grounds. And it just happened that we're the two grounds that have hotels which are integral to the whole stadium. And so we were able to comply more easily with the concept of a biosecure bubble. And for that, you know, we're very grateful.

And I think that the rules regarding that were essentially. similar in both venues. I don't know whether Daniel feels then. Yes, very much so. I think the template was there. As I said, we'd done a 50-page PowerPoint would work through with the ECB, but ultimately, you know, you're talking about multiple zones, one-way systems, socially distance, restaurant, perspex screens, PPE for all staff. You know, there was a template that was, you know, working closely with the public health in both areas for them. And really, once you kind of understand, understand what the rules were and also a lot of this was around providing confidence to the

overseas boards to go do you know what we can do this safely and a thing that I think also massive credit to the ECB because of the cost was was the regular testing I think you know I think I said before we started that that whatever the venues did actually core to this strategy was going to be an ECB commitment to do weekly testing and they've done that and it's been expensive but without it these days could not have gone ahead so I think a combination of space for the overlay for all of your thermal screening and everything and the hotels the space the one-way systems purse-pit screens and everything and also the testing I think a combination of those things has enabled this to happen and what is definitely true of both

grounds and I can certainly say is that the attitude of the people involved the stewards, those who are doing all these tests, people who are sitting in these little booths, monitoring temperatures all the time. It's infuriating at times, going around different parts of the ground, show your parts, heavy temperature tests. Okay, we've got used to it. But it's been done in such a very gentle, kindly way, actually,

by all the staff from both grounds. That certainly helped. Yeah, I know Jason Holder was particularly taken with our 80-year-old Stan the Legend Pritchard. Yes, he was. what we have got to know which COVID testers to go to and which ones to avoid and believe me there's a little list from both grounds

as to the ones that we've definitely avoided over this last three months or so how about entertainment for the players what did you try and lay on down at the Aegeus rod to give them something to do well obviously we had some internal entertainment with pool tables

and dartboards and various other activities to just occupy minds for the evenings and the like. But of course we've also got the benefit of a lot of space around the ground and plenty of practice areas and

walking areas. And fundamentally I think what was very popular with the players and the officials alike was the golf courts which they were able to play on subject to booking times and what have you. And I just walk around it actually was good enough yes i think i think any any space to to to walk around get away from the from the interior feeling of the bubble um was was beneficial and um and i you know i've been

getting quite a lot of letters and notes back from some of the players and officials that used the the the golf course and some of the other entertainments and um and really found that a great break from from the sort of the the the feeling of being stuck inside the bubble all of the time, which I think was slightly relaxed towards the end. I think one or two people managed to get out to go fishing and various other activities to restaurants and variously. But generally speaking, being cooped up inside anywhere for a long period of time is always going to be difficult if you don't have things to distract you. Very true. Daniel, what have the players had here? We've got a very nice dartboard over there in the Red Rose Suite that we've made plenty of use off

at a table tennis table, for which are very grateful, thank you. What are the players had. Yes, well, the players have had a number of things here. You know, your usual kind of racing car and golf simulators. And, you know, I know the West Indies love their dominoes. So, but, you know, different things. I know that the BBC did have a particularly aggressive table tennis tournament, if I remember rightly, one night, which was quite entertaining.

But I think, you know, one of our big things here was that we got some fantastic products for the food. I mean, the West Indies loved our red pea soup, which I think. I think the chef got a bit fed up because he was asked to make it, like, eight days in a row. And then the Pakistan team loved their homemade rotis. So, you know, I think it's very difficult. And, you know, when you think about these young guys who are effectively cooped up for a long period, and so it's just trying to understand, you know, what are the things that they can do,

whether it's a particular type of food choice or a particular type of playing or entertainment, relax. It's just trying to do what you can and listening and, you know, being able to do different things at different times. Yeah. There is, of course, a bottom line to all this, and we talked a bit about, for the greater good, if you like. But, Rod, let's start with you. As far as, you know, the bottom line there is concerned, will you have made money out of doing this? I don't think we would have made a spectacular amount of money. I think the hotel would have washed it. facing a little bit more. But frankly, the stadium itself was really offered largely on an on-cost basis. And in fairness, you know, the ECB picked up all the costs. So from that point of view, we benefited from staging these matches, not only sort of from the reputation point

of view, but clearly, you know, a certain amount of financial gain, particularly in the hotel business. But what it also enabled us to do was to, if you like, cash flow. the reopening of the hotel, which otherwise would have been quite a big burden for us. So I think it's been beneficial all round, but hopefully, in the major sense, beneficial for the game as a whole. Yes. Interesting you mentioned reputational there, because I know you've battled to get test cricket staged regularly there at the Adiospo. You couldn't have done any more this time than to show that you're more than capable of doing so. I'd like to think so, I guess. And, you know, and I think that the ECB, you recognize this but let's just always remind ourselves that we now have you know seven very very

good test match grounds and um and the six that get the fixtures don't particularly want to give them away so you know there is some competitive tension there but i'd like to think that that that club if you like might be increased now to seven and um and we'll have a role because i'm not quite sure that um biosecurity i don't think we've seen the last of biosecurity no uh in international sport so so we may be called into action again sometime in the future. Yeah, and Dan, how about you as far as the club and finances go? Yeah, very similar to Rod. Obviously, the template was the same from the ECB,

very much on stadium-wise was on a cost-plus basis, cost-recovery basis. I think the hotel obviously benefited. And actually, one of the other things that's helpful there is people have seen, you know, the hospitality industry has been decimated with. You think of the mental health issues of staff being on furlough for five months and actually, for us to actually be able to give our staff work, I think has been something that has been fantastic for those individuals. So I think definitely from a hotel and the hotel staff side of it, we've benefited.

And I think another thing that people underestimate is actually, you know, when you've got significant sponsors such as Aegeas and Emirates, actually has been able to give significant value back to them in a very difficult year when, you know, whatever organisation you are, a lot of sponsors and partners are often asking for money back and, you know, we've been absolutely delighted with the support we've had with Emirates and our major partners, and I think that's something that has really, really helped us, no doubt. Well, they've certainly had an opportunity to be name-checked, haven't they,

let's face it, over the course of... I'm just looking at the ground staff trudging off again. I mean, how do they map out these pitches as well, Daniel? I mean, yeah, this one looks a bit tired, but I'm not surprised. I mean, they've staged those three consecutive test matches on here. Did they sort of map the ball out at the start? Yes, they do. I mean, to be fair, they've been doing this a long time. Last year with the World Cup, we had a very similar issue.

We had more days than anybody else. I think it was seven, including two semifinal days, if you remember. So the guys have been doing it a long time. The challenge comes when you have multiple TV pitches because it's all about camera positions, and sometimes you might have to put one on a box balcony, which I think we've had to do this year, so you create a TV pitch out of nowhere

so I think it is very difficult but I'm incredibly proud of them and particularly with the three back-to-back test pitches I think it was England three opposition nil I think it was and that was a really remarkable effort by the ground staff you mentioned Rod about you haven't seen the end of biosecure of sport and bubbles and cricket and so on

would you do it all again? if asked yes of course and you know and I think that there's a there is the potential in future for for touring sides to be concerned about traveling the country and staying in in hotels until such time as there is you know a viable vaccine for the coronavirus or COVID-19 so you know sort of semi-standing by to see if we needed next year and and any time in the future I think you know having provided such safe and secure options for the travelling sides this year, you know, I think that, you know, some teams may say, well, you know, the current status of this pandemic,

we still feel that we need some kind of protection to travel to other countries. Yes. I mean, it's difficult to see it happening without a hotel on site. Would you agree with that, Rod? Well, it's very difficult to make it work without a hotel on site. You know, I don't particularly want to start, you know, this isn't a promotional campaign for the U.S. Bowl. I think it does give us a very unique role where biosecurity is required, together with Emirates Old Trafford. So, you know, I think that we have that up our sleeve, and we're more than happy, obviously, to provide, to host these matches wherever possible. But equally, I think we'd all like to see a return to the status quo at some stage, whatever that is.

in future and make sure that all these amazing grounds are being properly used. Yeah. I suppose my last question to both you really,

Dan I'll start with you, is can the game survive another summer like this or many more summers like this? I mean the broadcasting contract is obviously in place but much of that was built around the hundred which they're hoping is obviously

good to start next year, a year late. What are your thoughts? Yes, I believe so. I think the thing I've learnt about the industry of cricket is that we're collectively very resilient and that we have clever creative people and that we are problem solvers

and so I absolutely believe that we will make it work whatever it is I think if you take the international venues one of the big challenges particularly over the upcoming winter is is you know confusion around the rules around business events and confidence and events and that's big parts of our businesses you know for us and the Aegeas and I think the thing that that Rod and I can talk about is that, you know, by doing behind closed doors,

which has 300, 350 people in a complicated indoor environment safely, you know, there's actually a lot that we can share with the rest of the game in terms of how we can keep those taps on, those lights on from that conference and events business. And, you know, with our safe in one place element in terms of the conference piece, it's really important to be able to pay the bills over the winter for these, for us larger venues in cricket, but I do believe that we can and we will. Well, our thanks to the Hampshire chairman,

Rod Bramsgrove and Daniel Gidney, the chief executive of Lancashire, not just for joining us earlier, but also for their hospitality all summer. You can watch the highlights of the dramatic second one-day international on the I player and the BBC Sport website. The next cricket is a T20 blast commentary on Monday,

including the London Derby and the Rose's match, and then we'll have the last men's international match of the summer from Wednesday. at 12.45. You're listening to the TMS podcast from BBC Radio 5 Live.