Sideline Sid Sports correspondant & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Sideline Sid has just rediscovered one of lives big lessons – never presume anything, (especially when on the other side of the world). While he boasted of sending his weekly blogs from the other side of the world, his best-laid plans went widely astray after the first week's copy from London.

Fantastic Wi-Fi (free) coverage in London and Paris (nominal charge) in three star accommodation didn't lead to the same on the five star Cruise Liner cruising around Italy. While the glossy brochures purported to Wi-Fi on the Luxury Liner – it was hugely expensive at something that equates to around a dollar a minute for short term use, and slow as.

However Sideline Sid's ticked off one item on his bucket list in the first week of the trip, when Sid and Mrs Sid went to the first day of the First (Cricket) Test, between England and the West Indies at Lords. The power of the internet delivered the tickets to the travellers a few weeks before leaving home - in spite of being addressed to just Tauranga with no country stated. A hand-written message suggested the envelope had originally gone to Australia before someone suggested try New Zealand.

While Lords is a small ground compared to the likes of the Gabba, MCG and SCG in Australia, the spiritual home of world cricket is very compact, with seating for around thirty thousand spectators.

The word Civilised comes to mind when describing our day out at Lords. With car parking non-existent and people arriving by tube, bus or taxi everyone seemed to arrive at the ground at once. The English have made an art form of queuing, with the first queue a mass of people all trying to get into the ground at the same time, before the first ball was bowled.

A real shock to the two laid-back Kiwis, was being frisked by the security staff just inside the gate. Security in London with the Olympics just around the corner is patently obvious with armed police and military on show at a number of places.

With near capacity for the first test match of the summer, just getting to our seats in the lower grandstand was another test of patience. Cold and chilly with no more than 12 or 13 degrees, the Kiwi travellers were decidedly cold in contrast to the well rugged up English and West Indies fans.

In spite of the wind ripping through the stand, the first priority for the English fans seemed to be to open what seemed to be a compulsory bottle of bubbly (sparkling wine). Then began a never-ending parade of people who were bringing endless supplies of beer back to their seats.

The lunch break was a further marathon of queuing with long lines to go to the toilet, purchase food, replenish the beer stocks and purchase match memorabilia from the Lords shop.

Lunch on the nearby nursery green was also very civilised with plenty of picnic hampers on show. A test match wouldn't be the same without kids with bats and balls in the break in play. At Lords the youngsters were dashing between the diners, playing their version of the game unfolding on the field of play.

Unlike New Zealand and Australia, where T-shirts, shorts and jandals are often the required dress, the Lords crowd ranged from suits and blazers to people well rugged up for the cold conditions.

One of the joys at test matches in New Zealand is the supporters wearing the colours of their nation and carrying their flags and banners - especially the English Barmy Army who come in full voice. Not so at Lords where the civilised approach seemed to take all the fun out of the occasion.

Lords regulations states, 'All spectators are reminded that flags, banners, musical instruments, klaxons, rattles, fireworks and other items which may constitute an annoyance to spectators are prohibited inside the ground”. The regulations further stated, 'The wearing of fancy dress and oversized hats inside the ground is prohibited”.

While the atmosphere was very different from the laid back ambience in our country, you could almost smell the history of the ground that dates back so many decades. With polite applause for good shots and fielding the order of the day, it was a very different day out for two Kiwi cricket fans looking inside the English fans' approach to the game.

Seeya at the game