Cricket and Adelaide as the World sees it may not be what locals expect.
Step out of Australia, anywhere in the World and when asked where home is, you get 3 likely responses, if you say, “Adelaide”.
“Whereabout is that” ? is one, albeit not many.
“Oh Adelaide” …. silence or they talk about Sydney or Melbourne is the second.
It’s the 3rd response that says it all. I have heard it so many times that you realise that Adelaide and cricket are inextricably tied to the hips.
Adelaide and its Oval
Those outside who know about Adelaide talk enthusiastically about Adelaide and cricket. To some it’s a tick in their bucket list having met someone from Adelaide and talked about cricket. When I say cricket I mean the legendary Adelaide Oval.
Conversation would cover stories about the hallowed grounds of Adelaide Oval, Bradman and the legendary greenskeeper Les Burdett. Not to mention famous victories and defeats.
Brian Lara and the bees at the Oval also got a mention and I was there when it happened so it connected straightaway. Lara always did well at Adelaide Oval and I guess we are delighted in hosting one of the all time greats, in the home city of the greatest batsman ever. Thats Bradman if you do not know it yet.
The need to keep up with cricket
I have gone for work interviews that quickly changed to discussion about Adelaide Oval. I have been asked if I have seen tests at the Oval in person. If the greens are indeed exceptional. Deep down I always wondered if I got a leg up because of my home city.
Keeping up with cricket in Adelaide became a must in order to hold on to conversations. The the other party expects you to know much more about it.
The recent record breaking score of 36 is right up there.
Even the careful and stoic BBC World News revised the score 2 times from 39 to 38 to 36 on that day because no one expected it from the Indians. And of all places, it happened at the Oval, famous as the batter’s paradise. The perfect pitch and short boundaries, opportunities not to be missed. Mind you, not taking anything away from Cummins or Hazelwood who both had a ripper of a game.
How cricket and Adelaide saved me
Adelaide and cricket even saved me from possible incarceration as well. I handed over my passport and entry form to the Immigration Officer at Harare Airport , Zimbabwe. He scanned the passport and then the form. He looked up and accused me of “disrespecting the country” for failing to complete a field. I still cannot recall what field as it was so trivial.
I was sent to the sin bin for a more senior officer to handle my case. Note, going to the immigration sin bin on occasions is an occupational hazard. The Americans went to town with it after 9/11.
Produced my passport to the senior chap and he noted with a smile that I was Australian. Once he saw the place of issue as Adelaide, the conversation turned to cricket faster than Usain Bolt.
By the end I am sure I was one step away from an invitation to his home for dinner. We shook hands like 2 long lost friends and I went thru. Undeniably a bond formed.
What part of the World knows about Adelaide
Now lets get into the nationalities when it comes to awareness about Adelaide.
The Americans can be safely ruled out from this discussion as Sydney is already a challenge.
The Brits know that Adelaide exist and more so because of cricket but they rather talk about Perth. It about the unfair bouncers arising from the WACA and the psychological breakdown of their batters.
The Scots among the Brits know that Adelaide has an Arts festival as they host a sister one, the Edinburgh Art Festival. Continental Europeans know their geography and history so it is likely to be a nod and an acknowledgment and desire to know more.
Cricket and wine do not figure in these discussions despite the continental links and a surprise to me.
And finally the Commonwealth countries and where cricket is on the calendar.
Adelaide features in their mind map because cricket from the West Indies to South Asia is such a mainstay. And close to a religion.
And we on our part recall Sabina Park, Headingley, Eden Gardens, Centurion and Galle. Eden Gardens with a slight regret of course. And its always centres around the legendary SACA grounds.
The perception of wine and Adelaide
.I am sure the expected question that will arise from the above is the role of wines and the association with South Australia.
Unfortunately the general perception amongst foreigners is that Australia is known for its wines like Chile, South Africa, France, Italy and Germany . But not Adelaide specifically.
They have less of an idea that South Australia is the wine capital of Australia.
Riesling from Eden Valley, Cabernet Sauvignon from Coonawarra or Shiraz from Barossa do not fit in the equation outside of Australia.
I know how great the state of South Australia is in wine but that is after coming over.
I guess we have to do more to put South Australia ourselves on the World map. It will to raise our industry’s goodwill value in the books and in the mind.
In the meantime let’s plug on about Cricket and Adelaide.