Eden Park Test. Poem by Michael Walker

It had been some seasons since a cricket test was played
Eden Park, so I took the chance to see three days,
Instead of listening to the radio or watching Sky.
I wanted to see the drop-in pitch too-a compromise.

I noticed many improvements in the long interim.
The park now looked like an international stadium.
The silver stands and grey seating sloped down
To greet the grass, cut in a crisscross strip pattern.

The corporate boxes, high on the covered stands'
Who would want to be in those coveted places?
I was happy in the partly-covered eastern stand,
Able to move from the blazing sunshine to the shade.

I glanced at the new big-screen-scoreboards often.
Meanwhile, the Barmy Army sang William Blake's 'Jerusalem':
'Til we have built Jerusalem/In England's green and pleasant Land.'
Mainly because the opener, Peter Fulton, making a comeback,

Had scored two aggressive hundreds, a win for the Black Caps
Looked very likely on the last day, but I thought that Blake's
'I will not cease from Mental Fight' must have inspired
Matt Prior's lively match-saving century, down to the wire.

-April,2013.