A new survey conducted recently has revealed rain to be the biggest attraction for paying spectators of sporting events. According to the survey ,a whopping 83% of those polled say rain puts them in a philosophical frame of mind which they say helps negate some of the crass materialism all around .
At Durban Thursday evening , large groups of spectators were seen soaking in the atmosphere , many cheering on the downpour as it washed out the India-Scotland fixture. Said Mahesh Sangalikar who has flown down from Mumbai to watch the series. “You see, I have spent around Rs.10 Lacs (around US$ 40,000) on this trip , so naturally I am very happy.”. His wife Manju added that she loved nothing more than the feel of rain on her head as she sat drenched in the stands. “It’s a wonderful feeling ..the thrill of staring at the covers on the pitch for hours on end is a truly special one.”
Most spectators seem to agree. The play call-off announcement was greeted by a massive cheer that rang across the stadium. People were seen joyously hugging one another even as they reluctantly made their way back home. Martin Van Rip Offheimer sums it up : “We could enjoy the rain at home I suppose but it’s definitely more fun when you’ve paid a lot of money to enjoy it at the stadium !”
They were not so lucky the following evening as play repeatedly interrupted rain during the India-Pakistan encounter. Said a visibly peeved Patricia Schoonderbeek : “Frankly , this is ridiculous ! No sooner do we begin to enjoy the rain than the players come on back to the field. We’ve paid good Rands for the cricket so its disappointing that the cricket should get in the way”. Things came to a head on Saturday at Johannesburg as a section of the crowd took to the streets in protest against the non –rain interrupted match that had finally unfolded. Riot squads had to be called in though it all eventually petered out without any untoward incident. Many felt this was the one damp squib in an otherwise satisfactory tournament.
Sources say the findings have not come as a particularly big surprise for administrators who have more often than not got it spot on while planning games during the rainy season. On the rare occasion when they might have botched it up a bit , chance has inevitably come to the rescue by ushering in unseasonal showers.
At Durban Thursday evening , large groups of spectators were seen soaking in the atmosphere , many cheering on the downpour as it washed out the India-Scotland fixture. Said Mahesh Sangalikar who has flown down from Mumbai to watch the series. “You see, I have spent around Rs.10 Lacs (around US$ 40,000) on this trip , so naturally I am very happy.”. His wife Manju added that she loved nothing more than the feel of rain on her head as she sat drenched in the stands. “It’s a wonderful feeling ..the thrill of staring at the covers on the pitch for hours on end is a truly special one.”
Most spectators seem to agree. The play call-off announcement was greeted by a massive cheer that rang across the stadium. People were seen joyously hugging one another even as they reluctantly made their way back home. Martin Van Rip Offheimer sums it up : “We could enjoy the rain at home I suppose but it’s definitely more fun when you’ve paid a lot of money to enjoy it at the stadium !”
They were not so lucky the following evening as play repeatedly interrupted rain during the India-Pakistan encounter. Said a visibly peeved Patricia Schoonderbeek : “Frankly , this is ridiculous ! No sooner do we begin to enjoy the rain than the players come on back to the field. We’ve paid good Rands for the cricket so its disappointing that the cricket should get in the way”. Things came to a head on Saturday at Johannesburg as a section of the crowd took to the streets in protest against the non –rain interrupted match that had finally unfolded. Riot squads had to be called in though it all eventually petered out without any untoward incident. Many felt this was the one damp squib in an otherwise satisfactory tournament.
Sources say the findings have not come as a particularly big surprise for administrators who have more often than not got it spot on while planning games during the rainy season. On the rare occasion when they might have botched it up a bit , chance has inevitably come to the rescue by ushering in unseasonal showers.
The cricket money is chasing increasingly shorter versions of game. Time was when 