# Chapter 9: Fans, Media & Money

Cricket · Chapter 9: Fans, Media & Money · Insporta Book (https://book.insporta.app/cricket/interesting-facts/chapter-9-fans-media-money/)

The game around the game: superfans, writers, crowds, money, sponsors, games, museums, charities and cricket on film.

## 9.91 Famous Fans

The superfans who became as famous as some players.

### Test 1: Superfans

- He kept the name and the number 10 long after Tendulkar retired. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary)
- He has cycled to grounds across India and into neighbouring countries. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Sudhir Kumar Chaudhary)
- He waved a flag and led chants at matches for more than seventy years. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Percy Abeysekera)
- 'Chacha' means uncle in Urdu. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Chacha Cricket)
- His dances were part of the carnival feel of Test cricket in Antigua. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Antigua Recreation Ground)
- His witty one-liners from the Hill became part of Sydney's cricket lore. (Source: Sydney Cricket Ground history)
- Fans living in Britain came together to follow the team. (Source: Bharat Army (thebharatarmy.com), history)
- The early 1900s, the 1940s and 1999. (Source: ESPNcricinfo)
- 1877, 1928, 1932, 1952 and 1982. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Test records)
- He often plays the theme from 'The Great Escape'. (Source: BBC Sport, Billy Cooper)

## 9.92 Writers and the Press

The writers, editors and magazines that told cricket's story.

### Test 1: Cricket writing

- He wrote on concerts as lyrically as he wrote on Lancashire's batting. (Source: The Guardian archive, Neville Cardus)
- He kept a copy of Wisden with him through captivity. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, E. W. Swanton obituary)
- He had earlier edited The Cricketer. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, David Frith)
- His books include an account of the Bodyline series from the inside. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Jack Fingleton profile)
- It came from a batter's mangled version of his name. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, R. C. Robertson-Glasgow)
- He was a voice of Test Match Special for decades. (Source: Lord's (lords.org), MCC Presidents)
- It publishes long-form writing about the game. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, The Cricket Monthly)
- 1921, 1932-33, 1979, 1993 and 2014. (Source: ESPNcricinfo; Wisden; The Cricketer)
- 1873, 1888, 1901, 1907 and 1945. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, profiles)
- It is one of the oldest sports magazines still published. (Source: The Cricketer, history)

## 9.93 Crowd Traditions

Bays, terraces, party stands and the crowd habits that make each ground different.

### Test 1: Crowd culture

- The bay became a byword for a lively, sometimes rowdy, crowd. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au))
- Fans came as nuns, superheroes and much else. (Source: Yorkshire CCC, Headingley)
- It brings the feel of a Caribbean fete to the ground. (Source: Barbados Cricket Association, Kensington Oval)
- Spectators watch for free from the walls of the Dutch fort. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Galle International Stadium)
- Chickie's Disco was part of the noise of Caribbean cricket. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Antigua Recreation Ground)
- It follows the Boxing Day Test in Melbourne. (Source: Cricket Australia)
- Thousands of fans followed his every move in unison. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Merv Hughes profile)
- From about 62 degrees west to about 145 degrees east. (Source: Atlas)
- Some grounds now ban the snakes. (Source: Cricket Australia)
- Long snakes can stretch for many metres along the stands. (Source: Cricket Australia)

## 9.94 Pay and Prize Money

Strikes, testimonials and prize money, from shillings to millions.

### Test 1: Money

- The usual fee was 10 pounds; three of them gave way and played. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, England v Australia, The Oval 1896)
- Victor Trumper and Clem Hill were among them. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, the 1912 dispute)
- The national testimonial raised thousands of pounds. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, W. G. Grace profile)
- The winners of the 2023 World Cup received four million dollars. (Source: ICC, World Cup history)
- Australia collected it after beating India in the final. (Source: ICC, World Cup 2023 prize money)
- Most of his income came from endorsements. (Source: Forbes, highest-paid athletes 2020)
- Bobby Abel, Tom Hayward and Tom Richardson played; George Lohmann and William Gunn did not. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, England v Australia, The Oval 1896)
- 1895, 1896, 1912, 1975, 2020 and 2023. (Source: ESPNcricinfo; ICC; Forbes)
- 20 pounds, about 4,000 pounds, about 9,000 pounds and 4 million dollars. (Source: ESPNcricinfo; ICC)
- Tens of thousands of readers took part. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, W. G. Grace profile)

## 9.95 Cricket Games

Video games, dice games and the playground versions of cricket.

### Test 1: Games

- It was made by the British company Codemasters. (Source: Codemasters, Brian Lara Cricket)
- Publishers used a local star to sell the same game. (Source: Codemasters, Brian Lara Cricket)
- Its cricket games were among the most popular sports titles of the time. (Source: Codemasters company history)
- Otherwise the batter scores the number he showed. (Source: Popular game rules; BBC)
- A page ending in zero usually means out. (Source: Popular game rules)
- Its games have carried licences from Cricket Australia and others. (Source: Big Ant Studios)
- It appeared on home computers of the early 1990s. (Source: Audiogenic, Graham Gooch World Class Cricket)
- 1993, 1998 and 2019. (Source: Games publishers)
- It needs no bat, no ball and no space. (Source: Popular game rules)
- Children have played it with a pencil and paper scorecard since the 1920s. (Source: Owzthat, game history)

## 9.96 Museums and Treasures

Caps, bats, a stuffed sparrow and the museums that keep cricket's treasures.

### Test 1: Memorabilia

- It sold for just over a million Australian dollars. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Shane Warne's cap auction, 2020)
- The bank sent the cap on a tour of Australia. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Shane Warne's cap auction, 2020)
- He refused to swap it for a new one over 145 Tests. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Shane Warne's cap auction, 2020)
- It fetched 100,000 pounds at a charity auction in London. (Source: Guinness World Records, most expensive cricket bat)
- It covers many sports as well as cricket. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au))
- It was set up by a local cricket lover and holds hundreds of signed bats. (Source: Blades of Glory Cricket Museum, Pune)
- He was playing for Cambridge University against MCC. (Source: MCC Museum collection)
- 1936, 2008, 2011 and 2020. (Source: MCC; Melbourne Cricket Club; Guinness World Records)
- Lord's, the Blades of Glory museum and the National Sports Museum. (Source: Atlas)
- Jahangir Khan bowled the ball at Tom Pearce of MCC. (Source: MCC Museum collection)

## 9.97 Cricket for Everyone

Blind cricket, school cricket and the charities that use the game for good.

### Test 1: Inclusion and charity

- The ball must bounce on its way to the batter. (Source: World Blind Cricket Council, rules)
- Teams must include players from each class of sight loss. (Source: World Blind Cricket Council, rules)
- Seven countries took part. (Source: World Blind Cricket Council)
- Millions of children have played through its programmes. (Source: Chance to Shine (chancetoshine.org))
- Volunteer coaches work with schools and communities, especially on HIV awareness. (Source: Cricket Without Boundaries)
- The Ruth Strauss Foundation supports families facing the loss of a parent. (Source: Ruth Strauss Foundation)
- Over a thousand of their minibuses have been handed over. (Source: Lord's Taverners)
- 1950, 1998, 2005 and 2019. (Source: Charity histories)
- The calls let the batter prepare for the sound of the ball. (Source: World Blind Cricket Council, rules)
- Batters and fielders track the ball by its sound. (Source: World Blind Cricket Council, rules)

## 9.98 Sponsors and Brands

The companies whose names went on bats, shirts, series and grounds.

### Test 1: Sponsorship

- It was the first sponsor of English Test cricket. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, Cornhill Insurance Test series)
- The Madras Rubber Factory also runs a pace foundation for young bowlers. (Source: MRF company history)
- The group's name was on the shirts through the 2011 World Cup win. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, India team sponsors)
- The airline also sponsors grounds and teams in other sports. (Source: Lancashire Cricket, Emirates Old Trafford)
- It followed Cornhill as the series sponsor. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, npower Test series)
- Its logo was on England's kit through two Ashes-winning summers. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, England team sponsors)
- Earlier the ground had been the Foster's Oval and then the AMP Oval. (Source: Kia Oval history (kiaoval.com))
- 1963, 1978, 2005, 2011 and 2013. (Source: ESPNcricinfo; ground histories)
- From the late 1980s to today. (Source: Kia Oval history (kiaoval.com))
- The deal made it the Kia Oval. (Source: Kia Oval history (kiaoval.com))

## 9.99 Cricket on Film and Television

Films and documentaries about cricketers, from 'The Final Test' to 'Warnie'.

### Test 1: Cricket on screen

- It starred Jack Warner, and real England players appeared in it. (Source: British Film Institute, The Final Test (1953))
- Shreyas Talpade played Iqbal, coached by Naseeruddin Shah's character. (Source: Iqbal (2005), Mukta Arts)
- It followed Dhoni from Ranchi to the 2011 World Cup. (Source: Fox Star Studios, M.S. Dhoni: The Untold Story)
- It mixes interviews and footage with family film. (Source: Sachin: A Billion Dreams (2017))
- The family's back-garden net changes his summer. (Source: British Film Institute, Wondrous Oblivion (2003))
- It covers the years under Andy Flower and Andrew Strauss. (Source: The Edge (2019), Noah Media)
- It was called 'Warnie'. (Source: Channel Nine, Warnie (2023))
- 1953, 2003, 2005, 2010, 2016 and 2017. (Source: British Film Institute; film producers)
- The film was a surprise hit in 2005. (Source: Iqbal (2005), Mukta Arts)
- It linked the team's rise to pride and politics across the Caribbean. (Source: Fire in Babylon (2010), Cowboy Films)

## 9.100 Crowds and Attendances

Record crowds, empty stands and a city's farewell to a touring team.

### Test 1: Crowds

- The total was 350,534 over the match. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au); ESPNcricinfo)
- 373,691 people watched the five days at the MCG. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au))
- 91,112 came to see the Ashes Test against England. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au))
- It was his first series as captain. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, the 1936-37 Ashes)
- Crowd anger at a run-out led to the stands being emptied. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, India v Pakistan, Kolkata 1999)
- Virat Kohli's 82 not out won it for India off the last ball. (Source: ICC, Men's T20 World Cup 2022; Melbourne Cricket Club)
- The Melbourne derby was played at the MCG. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au); Cricket Australia)
- 1937, 1961, 1999, 2013, 2016 and 2024. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club; ESPNcricinfo)
- 80,883, 91,112, 350,534 and 373,691. (Source: Melbourne Cricket Club (mcc.org.au))
- Frank Worrell's side had played a thrilling series that began with the first tied Test. (Source: ESPNcricinfo, the 1960-61 series)

Sources: Primary/official sources only, no Wikipedia citations: ESPNcricinfo, Melbourne Cricket Club, MCC, the ICC, charities' and companies' own histories, Guinness World Records. Broadcast rights, franchise economics, Wisden, Test Match Special and the Barmy Army are asked in Knowledge Testing.

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