watching cricket

A few weeks back, we finally had a chance to watch a cricket game at Basin Reserve, the old ground a block from my house.
It seems cricket is trying desperately to figure out ways to stay relevant. Most of those ways involve playing different, shorter versions of the game. This game was a 20/20 match (each team bats for just 20 overs). What this means is that the whole game lasts about three hours, but as few as two players on each team ever get to bat.
It's probably a good idea, especially since a full test lasts five days, and even the one-day version of the game is 50 overs each team, which can last eight hours or so. But the real attraction of the day was the old stadium.
Basin Reserve is one of the oldest grounds in New Zealand. I don't remember hearing just how old it is, but about 100 years is probably a good guess. There are a couple sets of stands, but most of the seating is on a grass berm that circles the ground.
On non-game days, the stadium is always open - the walkway around the playing field is used as an extension of the sidewalk. On game days it has a pleasant, picnic-type atmosphere, with a game going on in the middle of it all.