Perched beneath an open flap on the side of the lorry, the beckoning wave of the happy cats immediately draws the eye. These golden knick-knacks, known as maneki-neko, are supposed to bring good luck and fortune to those who possess them, but here, amidst a sprawl of cables, cabins and a whirring generator, they serve a different purpose.
It is day two of the one-off Test between England and Zimbabwe at Trent Bridge and The Independent has been granted a rare look behind the scenes with Sky Sports’ award-winning cricket team. For close to two decades, the broadcaster has served as the ECB’s primary partner, showing every home international and much, much more besides. This is one of 166 match days to be covered across 129 actual slots on the calendar this summer; it is a hectic time.
