Sport

Minimasters head to Natwest T20 Blast: ‘Cricket is more fun than football’

Our sporty Minimasters Joseph, 10, and Sam, 5, travelled to the Kia Oval last week to watch Surrey take on Somerset in the Natwest T20 Blast – cricketing’s most exciting competition – here’s everything they got up to.

Having travelled from Southampton, Joseph and Sam got to enjoy the adventures of the Kia Oval in the sunny afternoon, interviewing bowler Mathew Pillans and meeting other kids and families also coming down to enjoy the game.

But what is T20 cricket? Well, the short format usually results in explosive play as teams strive to achieve the highest possible run total in a short space of time. A T20 game takes place over approximately three hours with each team completing a 20 over innings. With such a limited time to score as many runs as possible, fans can always expect high drama and explosive play with batsmen aiming to smash every ball out of the park.

Before the match, Joseph and Sam got to meet Surrey bowler Mathew Pillans, who although he wasn’t playing on the night managing to answer some of their toughest questions.

Mathew Pillans and out Minimasters

Mathew Pillans and our Minimasters

Joseph: What makes a good cricketer?

Mathew: “I think a good cricketer is someone who is involved in all aspects of the game. Not just learning how to bowl or bat or whatever, but learning about the different aspects of the game; what to do in certain situations and learning as much as you can.”

After grilling Pillans on all things cricketing (sticky wickets and all), Joseph and Sam headed over to the Peter May Stand, the Kia Oval’s family stand, to welcome a whole host of families arriving for the evening’s entertainment. We even managed to chat to a few kids on camera where Josh told us that more families need to go to the cricket because it’s so exciting. “Even though football is really popular, cricket is much more fun,” he told us.

There were tonnes of other games and fun stuff happening at the Oval before the match too, including a bowling game inside a giant inflatable cricket helmet, which Joseph and Sam where able to blag some freebies at, including mini bats, face masks and furry hats.

Then it was time to head inside to the ground to watch the match. A whole evening of cricketing action came to a head, and it was a close match, but the home team managed to secure a win with a 15-run lead.

Check back soon for videos of Joseph and Sam’s full interview with Mathew Pillans and our chats with other families in the Peter May Stand. Plus, Natwest T20 Blast continues at the Kia Oval this month – get your tickets now at Ticketmaster.co.uk.