An English summer for the ages has brought cricket back into relevance

It was the end of May, the Cricket World Cup was about to commence, there were plenty of groans and moans as to why the World Cup was taking place in a rain-persistent country. There was a push for a Wimbeldon-esque stadium cover or even to shift the tournament to a country where it doesn’t rain as much.

The start of the English summer saw World Cup matches abandoned and curtailed due to the rains, but in hindsight we just have to accept the fact that that is a part of playing cricket in country where it originated.

Looking back at the summer we were lucky to witness the greatest ODI ever which happened to be the World Cup final at Lord's, and an electrifying Ashes Test match at Leeds. They were games that could be enjoyed by amateurs as well as veterans, kids as well as adults, males as well as females.

If it was not already, we can clearly now say that cricket is officially on the world map. News channels in America, Canada and other countries where the game is not famous, were broadcasting highlights of the World Cup final; that run out by Jos Buttler has probably been replayed a billion times across the world.

New Zealand v England - ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 Final

Kids were taking to the streets with their cricket bats, people who were unfamiliar with the sport were finally taking interest, and you could see the immediate growth in the popularity of the sport.

ODI cricket in England seemed to be dying before the World Cup. The traditionalists stuck to their love for Test cricket and the young generation of fans took a liking to T20 cricket. But the intensity of the World Cup final got everyone involved to such an extent that even hardcore football fans who couldn't stand cricket were taking their shirts off and celebrating when Buttler rattled the stumps to clinch the World Cup for England.

Now coming to the Ashes, if you thought that Test cricket was boring and that people didn't have time for the five-day game, then think again. Each and every Ashes Test this year was watched at full capacity, as the English crowds flocked in to back their team.

The best example of that was the third Test at Leeds, when England were on the ropes. Everyone thought the game was over well before the close of play, but the crowd never gave up. They cheered every single run even when the hopes of a win were diminishing.

Ben Stokes was brilliant, and his miraculous innings left everyone gasping for breath. If you add the atmosphere at the ground, it was just the perfect mix - a classic example of why we love Test cricket.

It was attritional, it was absorbing, and when Stokes hit the last shot over cover for four it was an answer to all the critics, an affirmation that Test cricket is truly alive.

England v Australia - 3rd Specsavers Ashes Test: Day Four

What helped the Ashes this year were the pitches and the Duke balls which made it a fair battle between bat and ball. If you were not Steve Smith, then batting was a challenging task. And despite a fair bit of assistance for the bowlers, they had to work hard and remain consistent with their plans in order to take wickets.

I am not sure how we can top this British summer of cricket, but it has definitely left us asking for more. Cricket fans have been rejuvenated, and everyone would be hoping for more summers like this.

Cricket is not perfect; the grey area of some rules and some umpiring errors were present throughout the summer. But while the ICC try to improve and correct that, we should take it in our stride and continue to enjoy watching the beautiful game.

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