Well played, Notts ... ticketing policy hits the sweet spot

AS THOUSANDS filed into Trent Bridge on this sunny Tuesday morning for what promised to be a thrilling final day, Nottinghamshire's inspired, intelligent decision to throw the doors open free of charge was vindicated.

- Will Macpherson

Notts announced the decision in the evening session yesterday and a few hours later were scrambling for extra stewards and volunteers as demand exceeded expectation; shortly after 10pm, they confirmed that all 17,063 tickets had been snapped up. Those who had already bought tickets were refunded.

The call tapped into the cricketing zeitgeist on two fronts; the first is that cricket's wider affordability and accessibility are under the microscope. At a time when the cost of living is spiralling out of control, ticket prices were a major contributing factor to empty seats at Lord's last week, which embarrassed the MCC; early indications are that they have learned from a lesson, but let us see how they price things next year.

Notts have learned from the past. In 2018, India went into the final day, a