An A-Z of everything bound to happen at Invades Cricket

A- Ali (Moeen)

England’s previous all-format spinner and explosive batsman is expected t0 tear it up at The Riverside this Friday.

B- Boonies

Come on, it’s Durham and it’s cricket. Of course there’s going to be a higher density of boonies than anywhere else north of The Oval.

C- Chopping

Inevitable, always. Friday is going to be a pretty torrid day to be one of the lagers on draught at Chester-le-Street.

D- Drinks deals

Invades cricket tickets come with exclusive drinks deals to ensure you get value for money and a great day out.

E- Electric atmosphere

Exams are over, pints will be flowing and sixes will be scored; you’d have to be foolish to not expect a banging atmosphere on the day.

F- Flair

This isn’t test cricket. Expect some outrageous, flair and bold attacking cricket from the first ball.

G- Grandstand

Seating for the game will be held in the Invades exclusive Grandstand, ensuring a packed-in and buzzing atmosphere.

H- Horrible chat

Let’s be realistic, we all have that mate who is bound to drop some horrible chat after a day of drinking and partying. Let’s hope the cricket sobers them up.

I- Interviews

It’s about time we run it back and repeat our semi-famous “biggest ick at the cricket” TikTok from last year, be prepared.

J- Jockey outfits

A timeless classic of an Invades outfit, I expect we’ll see many a group of lads dressed head to toe in faux jockey uniform.

K- Kolpaks

A Kolpak is an overseas player; with both teams possessing international superstars such as Hasan Ali and Ashton Turner, expect some serious international input on the day.

L- Loose antics

It’s Invades, of course it’s going to be a little bit loose. Would you really want it any other way? I doubt it.

M- Middle order magic

Both teams are stacked in the all-rounder and middle-order departments. If wickets fall early, the fun won’t stop straight away.

N- Noooooooooo run

It may be T20, but I’m sure that we’re bound to hear a few of these from the batsmen during the nervous first couple of overs of settling in.

O- Outswing

Chris Woakes is playing, don’t expect delivery after delivery to be straight and raw pace. With the nation’s favourite Jimmy Anderson 2.0 in town, there will be plenty of outside edges targeted with outswing.

P- Purple, just purple everywhere

Be it an array of DU Cricket kits or your run of the mill DURFC blazer as a flex to all onlookers, purple is expected to be the dominant colour on the day. Durham County don’t even play in purple, however…

Q- Quick singles

When a boundary isn’t on offer, still expect some opportunistic running to clinch those all important decisive runs.

R- Riverside views

If cricket isn’t your thing, soak up the sun and enjoy the beautiful riverside views not too dissimilar to Durham.

S- Sixes

You should get a decent arm workout in with the amount you’ll be raising the six card into the sky on Friday.

T- T20

Pretty self-explanatory. Rather than watching five days of cricket, you’ll see both teams bat for 20 overs, lasting just a few hours.

U- Uppercuts

Don’t worry, we’re not on about boxing this time. An uppercut is a typically T20 shot in which the batsman ramps a high and fast ball over the wicketkeeper and past the boundary.

V- Vibes

You didn’t think Invades would be boring, did you? Foolish.

W- Wickets

Be it through blistering pace, crafty spin or outrageous fielding, wickets are inevitable and a sure way to get the crowd even more roused up.

X- XI (x2)

Yeah, I struggled to think of anything beginning with X. Anyway, there is bound to be two XI’s taking the field, so I guess I’m at least accurate.

Y- Yorkers

Yorkers (balls pitched inches short of the batsman aiming to sneak under the bat or force an LBW) are commonly used in the latter overs of T20 games as a way of minimising easy runs.

Z- Zero danger of boredom

Whether you love cricket or have no interest in it at all, there is something for everyone this Friday. Boredom is unlikely and fun is inevitable.

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All images via Invades