Debasis Sen, Centurion: Master blaster Sachin Tendulkar enjoys a rare honour amongst the Indian batsmen at Super Sport Park in Centurion. Tendulkar happens to be the only Indian to score a test ton at this venue back in 2010. He scored a gritty 111 runs off 241 balls that included 13 hits to the fence and a huge six off Paul Harris.
As you enter the main reception of the Super Sport Park stadium or the Home of the Titans, the first sight that draws you towards is on the honour board. The management of the Titans decided to honour the greats who scored a hundred or has taken a five wicket haul at the venue much like the way it is at the Lords.
There is a similar honour board in the change room of the home team.
According to Karen Smithies, the administrative officer of the Titans, “Actually this is the second season that we moved since having this new change room. We wanted to feel it like a cricket dressing room with heritage and so forth and obviously the five wickets haul or a hundred at this venue gets recorded on the honour board in the home dressing room.”
Taking us back to that momentous occasion when the master blaster scored his 50th test ton, Karen said, “Obviously it was a very special moment for him (Sachin) scoring a 111* and a very special moment for Super Sport Park as well. Jacques Kallis went on to score a double hundred while AB (de Villiers) contributed with a quickfire 129 runs. So, yes very proud moment similar to Lords what they do. We feel it is more unique in the dressing room as it inspires the young Titans players coming through.”
“Well if you look at those boards, there are the names of some fantastic cricket players not just from South Africa but all over the world. Someone like Sachin Tendulkar in cricket terns is huge. Tendulkar was one of the best player that has ever played the game,” says Karen.
The away dressing room is still the same at Super Sport Part. Previously both the dressing rooms used to be side by side.
According to Karen, “The dressing rooms used to be pretty much together. It was more like a longer dressing room leading on to the steps directly on to the ground. We felt that we needed a little bit of move away from that. Hence we got more of a wider dressing room for the home team. It’s something that we felt to move with the change in time.”