Wine columnist RICHARD CALVER went with the locals and drank beer at the Ashes, but there’s a whole galaxy of cricket stars promoting wine and beer. 

BEER is the drink of choice at the cricket. My son and I attended day one of the third Ashes test at Headingley and it was noticeable that the beer stalls were doing a roaring trade from the get-go. 

One newspaper report said that 100,000 pounds worth of booze had been sold by 2pm on that day even though the temperature was mild. 

 At lunch time the crowd was thick and lines for food and drink moved slowly: I queued for a beer and a cider and a fellow pushed in front of me. 

Instead of getting angry, I shrugged and he turned round and apologised, buying my round of drinks, with a smile and a handshake offered up. 

Despite the hostility on the field there was a great feeling of celebration and camaraderie in those who were lucky enough to get a ticket to the spectacle. 

Australia had Mitch Marsh as a hero with his flashy 118 and the English had Mark Wood as a counterfoil, with his pace, bounce and exceptional wicket count: five wickets for a mere 34 runs.

These memories were cemented when a recent “Daily Wine News” top story was “Can ‘2005 Ashes villain’ Ricky Ponting sell wine to the English?” 

Ponting has launched a wine range in England. Ponting Wines is a collaboration between the cricketer and winemaker Ben Riggs, with wines made from fruit sourced in Ponting’s home state of Tasmania and vineyards in SA, where Riggs is located. 

Ponting was a villain in English eyes because during the fourth test of the 2005 Ashes he batted extraordinarily well, producing a draw. His seven-hour, 156-run innings at Old Trafford derailed England’s chances of going two-one up in that series. 

Whether his name as a legendary cricketer, now commentator, will be enough for his product to successfully penetrate the English market is an open question but is a good marketing angle, given the experience of other cricketers.

Ponting’s not the only cricketer to use the power of their cricket persona to flog alcoholic drinks. Joe Root promotes Centurion IPA and it is admirable that all profits from the sale of this beer are donated to the Sheffield Children’s Hospital Charity, of which Root is the patron. 

Stuart Broad, David Warner’s nemesis throughout the current Ashes series, runs pubs, has a Castle Rock ale named after him and was previously an “ambassador” for Australian Hardys Wines. 

England captain Ben Stokes sells United Breweries’ London Pilsner beer. 

Perhaps overshadowing all of these endeavours is the work and promotion of Sir Ian “Beefy” Botham, arguably England’s most successful cricketer ever. 

Botham Wines sell Australian wines to the British. On his website he declares: “Although it’s no secret which team I side for in the cricket, I’m the first to admit that when it comes to winemaking, Australia is world-class.” 

The website also tells us about the research that Botham commissioned before he launched his range of wines. Projecting from the research findings, 13 million consumers claim they find it difficult to choose a wine and over 19 million say they just look for a name that they recognise.  So, for any new wine/beer brand to be successful, it seems that there must be reassurance provided to consumers and that Sir Ian has done so through a name they recognise and trust. 

Celebrity marketing works: in a study conducted in 2019, the US had 14-19 per cent of advertisements featuring celebrities endorsing products and brands. As Botham Wines planned, celebrities attract customers. 

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