Latest news with #cricketfans
Daily Mail
10 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
I've been all over the world watching cricket for decades - these are the top 20 grounds you must go to before you die, writes Wisden Editor LAWRENCE BOOTH
A huge part of the glory of international cricket is the shapes and sizes of the arenas in which it is played. Backdrops, walks to the ground and the ambience of a seven-hour day in the sun make up just as much a part of being a spectator as the actual cricket itself, and picking a ground to plonk yourself at is a key consideration.
Daily Mail
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Howzat for a view? Dream flats that give owners one of the most coveted views in cricket with terrace overlooking the Oval go on sale
Cricket fans who want to stay at the heart of the action will be bowled over by a set of dream flats overlooking one of the sport's most iconic venues. The plush properties at Oval Mansions offer exceptional views of the Oval in south London and have now gone up for sale for between £400,000 and £600,000. Those who can stump up the cash will be the envy of cricket lovers across the country as they take in the Tests from the building's stunning roof terrace. And they can even bring friends along to watch the drama unfold, though strict limits are sometimes enforced for the highest-profile games. During the Ashes series between England and Australia, spots on the terrace are so highly sought after that plus ones are limited to just one per flat, with management regularly having to eject those who manage to sneak in. TV coverage from matches at the Oval regularly cuts to the swish viewing point, which was built just after the ground itself in the 1880s and is the last remaining building which mimics the shape of the hallowed stadium. And things often get slightly out of hand up on the terrace, with tenants telling infamous stories of when fans brought cheese fondues, Magnum bottles of wine and even full English breakfasts up to the rooftop to enjoy during a match. Joe Redmond, who has rented a flat at Oval Mansions for around two years, reminisced about the last Ashes series whilst watching Tuesday's ODI match between England and the West Indies from his vantage point. The 28-year-old, a civil servant at the Department for Transport, took the day off to watch England's third successive win with his girlfriend's dad, David Bartley, who had travelled from the Midlands for the match. He said: 'We made sure we moved in a week before the last Ashes test. 'We've seen some great Tests up here. We saw Stuart Broad's last wicket up here. 'It's nice to go between the ground and the terrace... It's a different atmosphere up here - it's great.' Mr Redmond recalled answering the door to a BBC camera crew accompanied by England cricket legend Phil Tuffnell during the last Ashes Test in August 2023. 'Phil Tuffnell came up here and filmed a bit, saying it was the best terrace in the world,' he added. 'He got us to do stuff like pretend someone had just got a wicket. 'It was crazy during the Ashes. People were getting to the terrace for 8am to secure a spot. 'One group had a massive cheese fondue, another group had a massive bowl of punch... One guy had a Magnum (1.5 litre) bottle of wine he was sharing round. It was the best atmosphere.' Another tenant, Olga Tyurina, had invited friend Ollie Carter over to watch the match. The 29-year-old has lived at Oval Mansions for around a year and a half and believes watching on the terrace is better than forking out for a ticket in the ground. 'I've seen quite a few matches,' she said. 'I've never been in the stadium - it's better seats up here: no queue for the toilets, cheaper drinks, cold beers. 'I've seen people bring a full English up here for a Sunday morning match. There can't be many places with a view like this. 'My husband came to view our flat and said, "That's it - that's where we're moving". I didn't complain.' Greg Morris, who works in software sales, moved into his flat at Oval Mansions just three months ago and says the terrace was a huge selling point in the move. 'The view definitely had sway in my decision,' the 30-year-old admitted. 'I was a member at the Oval when I first moved to London, but this view is mental - you might as well be in the stands. 'I've got the day off work to come and watch. It would be hard to argue against this being the best cricket property in the world. I think it's one of the prettiest stadiums in England.' Henry Stalder, 23, also recently moved in and said: 'I have been to the Oval a few times. A few of my friends are members... But I saw this place come up and thought it was perfect. 'It saves on the membership fees. [The terrace] was a big selling point. The main attraction. I've got a few friends coming up later. It's a different, fun view. It's like having a season ticket included in the rent.' Management consultant Tom had brought his friend Dom, a doctor, to the terrace for the ODI match. 'It's my second season of cricket [at Oval Mansions],' Tom said. 'I've probably seen 20 or 30 matches... It's so convenient and not a bad lifestyle. 'It would be good to do an Ashes weekend. The quality of the Oval itself attracts high-profile games. With the quality of the view, you might as well be in the crowd. 'You can bring friends up and not have to worry about forking out for beers and stuff. The view was the main reason me and my housemate moved here. 'We are both big cricket fans, and opportunities like this don't come around often.' Anish Ram, who works in trading, agreed the terrace was the main draw to his flat, which he moved into around nine months ago. 'It's a different kind of experience up here,' the 24-year-old, who took the day off to watch the ODI, said. 'I'm a pretty big cricket fan... It's the main reason I came here.' Meanwhile, marketing worker Ollie Pearce and girlfriend Freya Hatter, a marine biologist, came up to the terrace with a meal deal on their lunch break. Mr Pearce, 28, also recently moved in and was excited to catch some matches from the terrace. He said: 'I've only been to the one so far. Surrey versus Yorkshire. We saw Jonny Bairstow back at York and Surrey won, which is always good. 'You can't really beat it, can you?' The building's halcyon days fell during the iconic 2005 Ashes when cricketing greats mixed with tenants and the world's media on its rooftop to watch England beat Australia to win back the Ashes urn for the first time since the 1980s. TV teams rented flats and moved their operations to the building, while some directors were said to have left their seats in the corporate stands in favour of watching from the terrace.
Arab News
5 days ago
- General
- Arab News
Kohli ‘lost for words' after 11 die celebrating Bengaluru IPL win
BENGALURU: Virat Kohli said he was lost for words after celebrations of a dream IPL title turned to tragedy when 11 mainly young cricket fans were crushed to death in Bengaluru. Hundreds of thousands had packed the streets Wednesday to welcome home their hero Kohli and the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) after they had beaten Punjab Kings a day earlier in a thrilling Indian Premier League final. But the euphoria of the vast crowds in the southern tech city of Bengaluru ended in disaster, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi calling it 'absolutely heartrending.' Karnataka state Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said most of the 11 dead were young people and there were 47 others injured in the crush after a stampede near the city's M. Chinnaswamy cricket stadium, where the players were parading the trophy for fans. Kohli, who top scored in the final, said earlier it had been 'as much for the fans' after the 36-year-old finally celebrated winning the IPL at his 18th attempt. Later, Kohli wrote on social media: 'At a loss for words. 'Absolutely gutted,' he added, alongside a statement from the RCB team saying they were 'deeply anguished' at what had unfolded. One of the people injured described to AFP how a 'huge crowd' had crushed her. 'They stamped on me,' said the woman, who did not give her name, from a wheelchair. 'I was not able to breathe. I fell unconscious.' Most of the dead were young fans who had gone out just to catch a glimpse of their sporting heroes. Street food vendor Manoj Kumar mourned the death of his 18-year-old son, killed in the stampede, who he said he had stopped from working on his stall so he could study. 'I wanted him to go to college,' Kumar told the Indian Express newspaper. 'I brought him up with a lot of care. Now, he is gone.' A grieving mother outside a city mortuary said her 22-year-old engineering student son had also died in the crush. 'He was crazy about RCB,' she was quoted as saying by the Indian Express on Thursday. 'He died in an RCB shirt. They danced when RCB won and now he is gone. Can RCB give him back to us?' Authorities had already called off RCB's proposed open-top bus victory parade through the streets after anticipating vast crowds. But organizers pressed ahead with the welcome ceremony and celebrations inside the stadium. RCB's social media account posted a video of cheering crowds lining the streets as the players waved back from their team bus on their way to the stadium. The team said they cut short the celebrations 'immediately upon being made aware of the situation.' Siddaramaiah said that the stadium had a capacity of 'only 35,000 people, but 200,000-300,000 people came.'
The Independent
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Cricket fans in India were celebrating their team's win. A stampede turned that joy into tragedy
A sea of cricket crazy fans were packed inside the Indian stadium, celebrating a long-awaited victory of their favorite team. Outside, more crowds were pushing at the gates, hoping to catch a glimpse of their cherished cricket stars. The turnout of the crowd was far more than expected. Tens of thousands tried to force their way inside. Then tragedy struck. Panic and a chaotic run toward the stadium gates turned into a deadly crowd crush in India's southern Bengaluru city Wednesday, leaving at least 11 people dead and more than 30 others injured. Most of the victims, including young students, were trampled upon or suffocated after getting caught in crowds that swelled beyond control. The stampede was yet another incident of a crowd crush in a country where poor crowd management often leads to accidents. It also underscored that passion for cricket stars in India — where fans of the game closely follow the players' every move — can easily turn deadly if crowds are not managed properly. The incident took place when crowds outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium began swarming into the premises, where state authorities were celebrating the Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricket team. The team had on Tuesday finally won the final of the Indian Premier League — the world's most popular T20 cricket tournament — after 18 years. Joyful crowds had poured into the city streets all night. By late afternoon on Wednesday, tens of thousands began moving toward the stadium. City police later said around 50,000 people had gathered within the stadium's 1-kilometre radius, and more crowds were continuing to stream in. Some fans scaled over stadium gates and outer walls. Others tried to break the metal gates. Soon, people began falling on each other. B.V. Shivkumar's 14-year old daughter, Divyanshi Shivakumar, was with her mother and aunt. The three women approached the gate, but fans jostling to enter the stadium caused them to collide with each other, Shivkumar said. Then a crush followed. Divyanshi suffered head injuries. Her mother and aunt rushed her to the hospital, where she later died. 'My wife begged the police and everyone there, but nobody helped,' Shivkumar, who uses only one name, said at his Bengaluru home, surrounded by relatives who were there to offer condolences. Shivkumar said he was particularly incensed by the fact that while people were getting caught in a crush outside, the ceremony inside the stadium continued. 'Who cares about the people's loss?' he asked. Cricket is followed by hundreds of millions of people in India, where it draws record television and digital viewership. For decades, it has also been a crucial part of India's global brand. For many fans, catching a glimpse of their favorite cricketer is no less than a dream come true, even if it means risking their lives. Karnataka state's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, said at least 200,000 cricket fans were out on the city streets on Wednesday, at least four times more than what authorities had expected. His deputy, D.K. Shivakumar, said that 5,000 police officers had been deployed to provide security, but the 'young, vibrant crowd' grew 'uncontrollable." 'This tragedy has overshadowed the joy of the victory,' he said on social platform X. The incident has since turned into a political tug-of-war, with opposition parties raising questions about hasty arrangements. India's cricket management authorities have said they did not know who planned the event and that players inside the stadium were not aware of the crush until they began receiving phone calls. Meanwhile, India's top cricketers and franchise teams have shared their condolences. The tournament's biggest star player, Virat Kohli, wrote on Instagram: 'At a loss for words. Absolutely gutted.' Families of the victims are grappling with a sense of disbelief and anger as to how a scene of celebration spiraled into a tragedy. Divyanshi's father said authorities should have prepared better so that lives lost could have been saved. 'It's the parents who will suffer now,' he said. —— Saaliq reported from New Delhi.
CTV News
6 days ago
- General
- CTV News
At least 11 people die in a stampede outside a cricket stadium in India after IPL win
Fans gather to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru cricketers, winners of the Indian Premier League, at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru, India, Wednesday, June 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Aijaz Rahi) BENGALURU, India -- At least 11 people are dead and more than 30 injured after a stampede on Wednesday as crowds tried to enter a cricket stadium in southern India's Karnataka state, authorities said. The crush happened as tens of thousands of cricket fans gathered outside the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru city to celebrate the winners of the Indian Premier League, the world's most popular T20 cricket tournament. Karnataka state's Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who only uses one name, said the crowd tried to break one of the stadium's gates and enter to take part in celebrations. Eleven people were killed and 33 others were injured, Siddaramaiah said, adding that most of the injured were stable and receiving treatment in hospitals. 'At a time of celebration, this unfortunate event should not have happened. We are saddened by this,' he told reporters. 'No one expected this crowd,' he said. Cricket fans had come out to celebrate Royal Challengers Bengaluru's first Indian Premier League title win on Tuesday. The team had given away free passes to fans for the event through its website, and urged them to follow guidelines set by police and authorities. Local TV news channels showed some people stretched out on the ground and emergency personnel carrying people into ambulances, while celebrations inside the stadium continued. D.K. Shivakumar, the deputy chief minister of Karnataka state, told reporters that 'the crowd was very uncontrollable.' The Board of Control for Cricket in India, which organizes the IPL, in a statement called the incident 'unfortunate.' 'This is a negative side of popularity. People are crazy for their cricketers. The organizers should have planned it better,' BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia said. Stampedes are relatively common in India when large crowds gather. In January, at least 30 people were killed as tens of thousands of Hindus rushed to bathe in a sacred river during the Maha Kumbh festival, the world's largest religious gathering. By Aijaz Rahi
