It holds a personal memory for me; for, back in the 1970s, my father took me to see my first ever test match there. I loved everything about it: the excitement of the day out, the presence of a crowd gathering with rising expectation, all intent on one thing: the match itself, with the lightning excitement of each ball played, set within the longer and more leisurely rhythm of overs and innings. But what I most remember, looking back, what set the day apart, was that for the entire day I saw my father completely happy.

– Malcom Guite, on the Oval

Seeing your father completely happy is a rare thing. One that should always be documented.

Perfect timing from Malcom’s Poet’s Corner with the US upsetting Pakistan in the Cricket T20 World Cup.

Guite, Malcolm. “Poet’s Corner.” Church Times, 31 May 2024, https://www.churchtimes.co.uk/articles/2024/31-may/comment/columnists/malcolm-guite-poet-s-corner. Accessed 9 June 2024.