Happy New Beer.....

Aaaaahh …… I can smell it now. Even though I am about 30 hours air travel away from Cape Town, the distinct smell of my definition of a new year in South Africa is teasing my nostrils.

For over a decade whilst plying my trade behind the microphone my ritual would always be the same on day one of the Newlands test match. Following the first two sessions I would venture out onto the generous balcony in front of the commentary box and inhale, filling my nasal passages with the agreeable and unmistakable aroma of hops brewing from the ground side brewery nestling in the shadows of Table Mountain.

It was always late in the day that a subtle change of breeze on an often pristine afternoon would allow that simple pleasure to invade my senses. That snapshot signalled to me that a new year had dawned and the old, no matter how wearisome or successful, was consigned to history. What a venue Newlands is and how lucky South Africans are to call it their own!

In my travels it is right up there with the very best. I would only rate Lord’s alongside it as a comparable venue for pleasing aesthetics. It is extremely special, unique and an idyllic stage for the theatre of cricket. Where better to watch a test match unfold on a sultry cloudless day with a cooling breeze to maintain comfort levels?

Recently I was lucky enough to work at another venue that, although not in the same sublime category, had me singing its praises on air. The newly built Dubai International Cricket Stadium is spectacular and stands tall amongst the best of them. It rises proudly from the desert in the middle of the Dubai Sports City to welcome teams from afar. It was officially opened on April 22nd 2009 and comfortably holds 25,000 spectators in luxury rarely seen at a venue of this magnitude.

The state-of-the-art facilities for spectators, players, media and officials confirm its world status. It is one of the most scenic grounds in the world but does present the ground staff with its own distinctive challenges. Due to the desert conditions, some 27 tonnes of dust is vacuumed from the grass surface annually. Over a weekend of non activity and desert breezes it is not unusual for the necessity of 4 kilograms of dust to be hoovered away.

Whilst it may not have the 100 000 capacity of the MCG, the din and enormity of 120 000 packed to the rafters of Eden Gardens, or the spectacular replay video screen that measures 11 200 square feet of the new Dallas Cowboys Stadium, it is set to make its mark amongst the best around.

It does however represent a mere dot on the sporting globe when compared to the world’s biggest venue. The mammoth Rungrado May Day Stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea claims that status. In 1995 190 000 people crammed into that stadium to watch a professional wrestling match. The contestants performed some 250 metres away from the nose bleed seats, rendering the contest basically unwatchable.

The Dubai stadium has got my attention and I’m sure it will have yours in the future. But right now as I observe the Cape Town Test whilst burning the midnight oil from Los Angeles I swear I can smell the hops. How comforting.

Happy New Beer!