Adelaide Calling
Inside Scoreboard Ever been to the inside of a manual scoreboardIJ In the one at Adelaide Oval, which despite all the modernisation has decided to stick to the manual one over a digitised version, it has been all set for the India-Pakistan match much in advance. The nameplates of Indian batters and bowlers had been logged in and the names fixed on the expected batting line-up four days before the match begins. It’s a lot of sweat and toil in there, sometimes the temperature inside going up to 50 degrees Celsius! Six highly trained manual scoring experts are at work inside the scoreboard at all times. How do they know what’s happeningIJ Well, they see through chinks, call up the men on the outside and have some pulleys and stuff to keep tabs. The one at Adelaide was set up in the 19th century and has stood tall as its quaint and charming mascot.
Hill of Grace
The Hill & Grace restaurant, a high-end eating place inside of the Adelaide Oval, speaks of class, charm and exclusivity. Started by head chef Dennis leslie, a Filipino wedded to fresh local produce and a fusion cuisine cooked the French way, has kept the impeccability of service and menu so distinct that this restaurant figures as the best place to eat in South Australia. The setting sun on one side, a ringside view of the Oval ground, a hill rising on the other side and a glass visage of up to 56-year-old wines, this restaurant is all about distinction. This Sunday, the elite members of the Adelaide Oval Club (they pay a $4000 annual membership fee) would be sipping the bubbly at the India-Pak match. Those willing to cough up $85 to $285 per person for a single lunch or dinner can book themselves in on non-match days for a wine-and-food matched experience, savouring a range of acclaimed Henschke wines and more than 160 wines, all South Australian. The unique collaboration also means Adelaide Oval is now home to the world’s only complete set of Hill of Grace wines on display – a priceless collection from 1958 to the current release.
Picture perfect
The Bradman Collection and the 3D innovative blueprint of the Adelaide Oval are just two of the many highlights of the Adelaide Oval, set up in the 19th century. One of the most picturesque stadia in the world, sitting alongside the Torren river with gentle hills rising in the north, this Oval is surrounded by beauty and serenity. It is also the place where the infamous Bodyline was unfolded by Douglas Jardine. Walking distance from almost everywhere in Adelaide, this towering icon fetes its football and rugby as much as its pullout cricket cricket pitch.