England v South Africa, NatWest Series, Saturday 28 June 2003
The Oval, London |
 The Oval crowd will enjoy a new view in the near future |
The Oval is set for an overhaul, and Surrey chief executive Paul Sheldon cannot wait for the builders to turn up having been granted planning permission. The �23m project will see a new stand sweep across the Vauxhall End, with terracing on either side, increasing the capacity by a further 4,000.
"The key objectives were to improve the atmosphere, get the people closer to the action and get the facilities up to the 21st century," Sheldon explained.
"The hotch-potch we've got at the moment is frankly awful and if we hadn't got planning permission, the consequences would have been dire.
"Now we've got that [planning permission] in our pocket, we're off and running - it's very exciting times at the Oval."
The renovations are scheduled to start in January 2004.
"By the time the Australians come in 2005 we'll have a thoroughly modern Oval," Sheldon added.
But there is a catch. With more than 30 yards being shaved off the playing area in certain areas, it may have to be renamed the Kennington Circle.
Christmas has come early.
Jacques Rudolph's first international appearance in England got Jonathan Agnew thinking of a potential Yuletide XI. With two Kings, in Collis and Reon, and a Wiseman in Kiwi Paul, the team is taking shape.
Reon can take the new ball with John Snow, and in the absence of turkey, Allan Lamb is an option in the middle order along with his fellow international colleague Robin "Red Breast" Smith..
And there's a (Peter) Roebuck, but no Reindeer.
 Els won the Claret Jug at Muirfield 12 months ago |
South African sportsmen are out in force at The Oval, and not just cricketers. Christopher Martin-Jenkins went in search of some golf tips from Open champion Ernie Els in the hospitality boxes, while international striker Shaun Bartlett was in with the punters at the Vauxhall End.
And while Els may be the winner when it comes to wining and dining in the sun, Bartlett takes the cricketing honours.
"I'm a huge cricket fan," the Charlton Athletic player admitted.
"I was pretty useful in my time, opening the bowling and batting at number three, but I had to choose between football and cricket."
Els, whose boyhood heroes were Ian Botham and Clive Rice, confessed to not being "that good".
"I played for the school and the province. I always enjoyed my sport and I had a little bit of talent, but golf was the number one sport. "
For the time being, while Bartlett revels in a few weeks off fresh from scoring for his country against the Ivory Coast, Els is beginning to focus on the defence of his title at Sandwich in the third week of July.
But he will have the week off after the Open Championship, just in time to watch the first Test at Edgbaston.
"They're a young side and if they can keep their wits they could be a really good side," Els said.
Jacques Kallis "did a Nasser Hussain" at the Oval, pointing to his back on reaching his ninth limited-overs hundred.
Eagle-eyed Aggers was quick to spot that South African all-rounder Kallis, in his first international outing since the World Cup, had changed his number from three to 65.
And it was enough for the team to start talking numbers, and why players pick the one-day numbers they do.
Such vagaries are beyond even the normally statistically steady Bill Frindall. But an answer has been found. Kallis changed his number in honour of his ill father who is 65, as he confirmed.
"I changed my number when my father got diagnosed with cancer a few months ago," Kallis said after his knock.
"My sister's helping him at home, and I just showed that I'm fighting for him here. I hope he enjoyed it."
MMIX
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