loudest and most hostile crowds

[ImpatientLime]

i saw burgey recently in another thread mention pontings innings at old trafford in 2005 and mention how hostile the crowd was. i was there that day, the only day of that ashes i went to and it was electric and brutal. the explosion of clarke leaving to jones and gillespie padding up to hoggard were as good as anything i've experienced in any arena live.

got me thinking, what other great cricketing days are there in history where the noise and hostility of the crowd is as memorable as the action itself?

the western terrace 2019 during stokes slogathon a great recent example.

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Western terrace gets fairly loud. So does the Hollies stand but that more banter and fun than hostility.

 

[Pothas]

Banter and fun. Two things that do not go together.

 

[ImpatientLime]

hollies is full of absolute dickheads in my experience.

bay 13 level of obnoxious wanks

 

[stephen]

The MCG when Starc bowled McCullum in the 2015 WC final was simply magnificent. It was the only time I can really remember being impacted by the crowd through my tv.

 

[Pothas]

hollies is full of absolute dickheads in my experience.

bay 13 level of obnoxious wanks

Sat in the Hollies a couple of years back and it was fine, nothing unpleasant at all. Most people can't really be bothered to watch the cricket but if they want to spend loads of money to drink **** beer out of plastic cups and not watch any sport then good for them.

 

[Line and Length]

The WACA crowd during the 2nd Test of the '74/75 series would rank right up there. The chants of "Kill, kill, kill!" from a section of the crowd as either Dennis Lille or Jeff Thomson ran in was as hostile as I can recall. Prior to the test, Thomson had said in an interview, "I like to see blood on the pitch."
Quite a contrast to the crowd behaviour at Sydney in '70/71 when reacting to John Snow felling Terry Jenner.

 

[vcs]

The crowds in India during the climactic moments of the 2001 series are the best I've ever seen.

 

[honestbharani]

The 2004 Chennai Test Vs Australia - Day 4. I was sitting in the Pavilion stand literally right next to the Aussie team (juz the barricades between our row and them). It was the post tea session and it was after that soul sucking partnership between Martyn and Gillespie (who was in as night watchman from previous day). Gillespie got out and then a couple of wickets went quickly. Crowd basically jeed India back into the game even before Gillespie's wicket but after Kumble got two, think it was Warne who was next in and he was sitting right on the other side of the barricade, trying to listen to some music and keep the crowd noise shut. As he even walked in, looking back at the crowd behind and above him, I was telling my cousin he had let the crowd get to him and won't make it past few balls. He was out for nought 2nd ball. One of the most amazing live cricket crowd experiences I have ever had.

Also, can never forget the standing ovation to the Pak team after THAT test in 1999. I guess its the opposite of hostile but it certainly was loud and very moving.

Honorable mention to the only CSK game in 2018 as well as that game when Albie Morkel won us the match needing something ridiculous like 48 in 2 overs.

 

[Adders]

Day 3 Adelaide 2013 when Mitch Johnson was running riot. I thought to myself at the time that World Cricket has not seen or heard the likes of this since Lillee and Thommo as L and L just mentioned

 

[cnerd123]

inb4 Burgey brings up Gavaskar's thoughts on the matter


The award for most hostile crowd has to go to the 1996 Eden Garden fans who literally burned down the ****ing stadium after India lost to SL in the WC semi-final

 

[SteveNZ]

The MCG when Starc bowled McCullum in the 2015 WC final was simply magnificent. It was the only time I can really remember being impacted by the crowd through my tv.

Disagree, naturally. I was in the beer queue, about to go sit in my seat at the G when I heard an (admittedly) almighty roar. Figured it couldn't be anything good as far as I was concerned, and it wasn't. It was incredibly loud.

 

[AndrewB]

The England tours of the West Indies in 1954, 1960 and 1968 all had a match in which play was suspended due to fans throwing bottles onto the pitch.

The Multan Test of 1980-1 between Pakistan and West Indies "was interrupted by an embryo riot on the second afternoon when Clarke, the infuriated victim of some prolonged orange-pelting, removed a brick boundary marker and scored a direct hit on the head of the leader of a local students' union."

 

[sledger]

I imagine the smell in quite a lot of grounds in the subcontinent (e.g. chennai) is very hostile indeed quite frankly

 

[England First]

Best I’ve personally witnessed is probably Trent bridge 2015 broads spell and also Trent bridge 2011 again Broads hat trick against India. Not seen a cricket match outside of England. I’d love to go to India and my Mrs wants to go to Jamaica so I might do I. The future.

Best I’ve seen from TV. Well all the ones mentioned really. Especially India Australia 2001! And the next best I’ve seen is India Pakistan 1999. Also the holding vs boycott over. The overcrowded West Indies stands went absolutely bonkers. The Caribbean really did use to have the craziest cricket fans. West Indies Australia series in 1999 is a good example. And basically any test series in the 80s.

 

[NotMcKenzie]

The award for most hostile crowd has to go to the 1996 Eden Garden fans who literally burned down the ****ing stadium after India lost to SL in the WC semi-final

If anything, the Indians, particularly at Eden Gardens, have lost their touch just a bit

 

[Tom Flint]

Queens park oval the best for me, it was brilliant and probably the loudest, for a cpl game about 6 years ago. It was packed and the closest you'll get to an 80s west indies atmosphere again. Such a shame I may not experience it for a test match

 

[Burgey]

The roar when Steve Waugh hit Dawson through cover off the last ball of the day to bring up his ton in Sydney was as loud as I’ve heard at a cricket match. Only thing I can recall in Australia being close was when Lillee bowled Viv last ball of Boxing Day 1981, but I wasn’t there myself

Used to get regularly hostile on the old scg Hill back in the days when the limit of beers you could bring in was one carton per person per day

Non-cricket aside - river plate stadium 1996 River v Sporting Cristal of Peru in a Copa Libertadores match was the only time I’ve felt genuinely scared at a sporting event. But it was worth every terrifying moment.

 

[Shady Slim]

you straight out don’t get more wild crowds than the gronks who come and spectate playing park cricket at the penrith grounds in the nepean district

i’d like to see these alleged roaring crowds in chennai and kolkata spend forty overs offering you a hit from their bong and then run away squealing when the off duty police detective in your squad goes over to give them the what for tbh

 

[honestbharani]

Should we start a cricket fights thread? Not of international players or anything, juz stories of cricket related fights the forum members have gotten into IRL?