i can go to one of the two weekend matches, but not both. other factors influence decisions now. will saturdays overnight rain result in sitting in bright sunshine looking at a bright green expanse of outfield with no cricketers on it?. will the flanelled fools be lining up for the stretchers as a result of pre match football?. which day of the two will be better weather?. who would i rather watch gloucestershire or surrey ?. i think ia am favouring sunday and hope they cover the bowlers run ups properly this time.

I suspect you have an understanding wife/partner like mine. One day is fine - but two days would be taking a liberty!
From bitter experience - ALWAYS go on the first possible day. It might rain on the second day and you've run out of possibillities. Also, if you go onthe first day you never know what unforeseen circumstances may arise which make it possible for you to go on both days after all. That's the strategy I'll be adopting.
Besides, Tango Kirbo plays for Gloucs and he's always worth watching...

You have a great "cricketing" mind, Steve. You can teach us so much.

What about an article on "how to watch as much cricket as possible without alienating your wife/husband/partner?" You seem to have a complete handle on this important subject.

And give away all the secrets?
I once found myself vacuuming at 7.15am in order to be able to justify driving to Chester Le Street at 9.30 for a day of cricket that was ultimately rained off anyway.
And before you laugh - we've all done it....

when my marriage was much younger, i suggested a trip to mount grace priory, there isnt much there, 15 minutes worth. i then said yorkshires at home and its only another half hour down the road!. it wasnt wo bad when spouses got a ticket she would come and read her book or come and go to the shops but i cant afford to pay for someone who is not interested.

I'm in the lucky position of having a cricket-mad wife. I suggest that you all try (again) to get your partner interested in the great game. If it doesn't work, try another partner.

I am going to Sundays&Mondays games and then to Edgbastan for all four days,all it cost me was a big tin of paint and a new paint brush for the wife to use in my absence.

Although we're being flippant there is actually a serious point here. My wife isn't that keen on the game but thoroughly enjoys the atmosphere and the event - expecially if it's a nice day. In the old days of joint membership she would probably come ten or twelve times a year - since we did away with joint memberships I probably ateend 7 or 8 fewer days than I used to. I really don't undertsand the change that was made - we would never spend less than 10 -15 pounds and very often would have had lunch if it was a Sunday..
I wonder if - even now - the club would consider a member + spouse rate at a premium of £30 or so? (About the cost of the jumper I had to buy in the club shop this afternoon because i was so cold..)

I am not being flippant my wife hates cricket, but when i got home from the game today she had not took the top off the paint, tin idle or what.

my wife hates cricket unless its a corporate invite and my son is happy enough to go along to T20 but won't stick out more than one innings of an FPT game. This limits my attendance so its great to read feedback from true fans who do get there.

I think we should check out John's wifes charge out rates for when we need to call up a painter for the new pavilion.

We could watch her painting on the webcam (if it works).

Perhaps she could do something creative like Michelangelo and paint pictures of all our great players over the years on the ceiling?

my wife in general does not like cricket. she cant even say cricket, she calls it oxo. when i played she was not interested, when i want to go to watch not interested, but when our sons played you could not keep her away.

I think it would be good for YCCC to encourage wives to come to more matches by giving some kind of combined membership. My wife is showing an increasing interest since our kids left home and she really enjoyed the three days we had at the Barbados Test together, but the spectators there were very entertaining!

She surprised me a few weeks ago by asking if I would like to go to the Riverside Test this month, so we are going for the first two days - nice seat on balcony, adjacent to members facilities. As we live in Tayside, it is always a long way to travel to either Yorkshire or Durham (I am member of both),
but I hope we will see some good cricket (with nice weather) this Summer. My favourite ground is Scarborough, where I have happy memories going back to late 1940's and I still retain my connections with York CC (the County Champions!).