The fifth and final Ashes Test began Thursday at the Brit Oval in south London, and, with the series drawn so far, there’s going to be a lot of passionate noise coming from the ground, but steps have been taken to ensure that the PA system does not disturb non–cricket-loving local residents.
Competitions like the ICC World Twenty20 have had an influence on cricket in general, and now international matches are louder and more boisterous affairs than those in the past. To comply with new licensing regulations, the operators of the Oval brought in acoustic consultancy Sharps Redmore to reduce the sound levels being heard at neighbouring flats.
Public-address specialist Ateis UK was contracted to supply three of its Messenger L loudspeakers, which produce a tight, 7-degree “beam” of sound and are controlled using a DSP lobe system. “There’s more audio accompaniment to cricket matches these days, and games like those in the Twenty20 often take place in the evening under floodlights,” notes Neil Voce, sales director of Ateis UK. “So there’s more chance of annoying the neighbours than with a more traditional match that starts at 10 a.m. and finishes at 6 p.m.”
The Messenger loudspeakers are positioned along the rear of the Peter May stand, which is the nearest area of the ground to the surrounding residences. The lobe centres of each loudspeaker have been set at a downward angle of 24 degrees, reducing the overall sound level by up to 15 dB and preventing back-spill on to the windows of the flats.
Another aspect of the new installation has been beneficial to broadcasters working at the ground. “Because the sound is pushed down into the stand,” says Voce, “it is not propagated across the field of play, which makes interviewing players on the pitch easier and prevents the delayed sound from reaching seats on the opposite side of the ground.”
Clive Stephens, operations director of the Brit Oval, adds, “We want to provide the best possible coverage and quality to everyone who comes to watch cricket at the Brit Oval, but we also realise that not everyone who lives nearby is a fan of the game. So we try to ensure that local residents are not disturbed or annoyed by sound coming from the ground.”
England needs to win to regain the tiny urn containing the Ashes of English Cricket (actually, the burnt remains of the wicket bails used during a match at the Oval in 1882 when Australia beat England for the first time on English soil, prompting a newspaper to publish an obituary for the domestic game). Australia, on the other hand, needs only a draw to keep the trophy. Whichever way it goes, the cheers of the crowd might still disturb the neighbours, loudspeakers or no loudspeakers.
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