England is "set to play in front of the biggest crowd to watch a cricket match" in the country during the 2019 Cricket World Cup, according to Charles Sale of the London DAILY MAIL. London Stadium is "due to be one of 12 venues hosting 48 games" -- with two matches expected to be staged in Stratford, "including one England fixture in front of a sell-out" crowd of 60,000. That will make it, "by far," cricket's top U.K. attendance, with the biggest dedicated cricket ground, Lord's, having a capacity of 30,000. 2019 CWC Managing Dir Steve Elworthy traveled to New Zealand "to study the best technology for drop-in cricket pitches that will be incorporated for Stratford." ECB CEO Tom Harrison said, "It would be an amazing statement to have 60,000 people in a ground in the U.K. watching World Cup cricket. London Stadium has the right dimensions. There are not a lot of other stadiums that have the capacity to fit minimum boundaries in." London Stadium is "not being considered" for the CWC opening ceremony "because of the drop-in pitch complications." The second game at the stadium would "probably be an India versus Pakistan match, if the draw allows, to take full advantage of the big Asian population in east London." Cricket in Stratford -- with the running track covered and the retractable seats removed -- would also allow the stadium to "showcase its potential as a multi-sport venue." The camera positions used for athletics "would work equally well for cricket." And the promise of cricket following on from the World Athletics Championships in August is also "going to help sell an elusive naming rights deal" (DAILY MAIL, 3/21). In London, Ben Rumsby reported what would amount to a test event "could also be held at the London Stadium next year in the shape of an Essex Twenty20 fixture." The stadium's use for the CWC, which has the "full backing" of the Int'l Cricket Council, is seen as "a way of helping turbo-charge the tournament." Using London Stadium for CWC matches "would not be without controversy," with the England & Wales Cricket Board "having guaranteed 11 venues a certain number of games in the tournament" in '14. Some of the additional revenue generated "could be used to compensate those venues which lose out" (TELEGRAPH, 3/20).
