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10cc star sees first match - and does love cricket

Justin Dealey
BBC News
Reporting fromThe Oval, London
Harriet Heywood
BBC News
Getty Images A black-and-white image of Graham Gouldman on stage in the 1970s, singing into a microphone. He has long curly hair and is wearing a shirt with a guitar strap over his shoulder.Getty Images
Graham Gouldman had never been to a cricket match before, despite co-writing the hit 10cc song

A rock musician who co-wrote a song with the lyrics "I don't like cricket - I love it" has just gone to his first match - nearly 47 years after the hit was released.

Graham Gouldman, a founding member of the band 10cc, had never seen live cricket, despite the 1978 hit "Dreadlock Holiday" being adopted as an anthem by many fans of the sport.

But with the help of BBC Three Counties Radio, Gouldman saw England beat the West Indies in Tuesday's one-day international at The Oval.

"After today's experience I can say 'I don't like cricket, I absolutely love it'," said Gouldman, 79.

He added: "I've had a really lovely day really, enjoyed it... great atmosphere, great people.

"I just had a wonderful time."

Asked if he would attempt to write another hit about his first match, he said: "When you have had a nice experience like this I'm sure somewhere, at some point, something will crop up in a song."

Lily May-Symonds/BBC Graham Gouldman, who has grey hair and is wearing glasses and a blue raincoat, stands on a balcony at The Oval. The pitch and the stands can be seen behind him.Lily May-Symonds/BBC
Gouldman said he really enjoyed his day the The Oval

He is the only original member in the current line-up of 10cc, which formed in Stockport in 1972.

The band had five consecutive UK top-ten albums and twelve singles in the UK Top 40, including three chart-toppers.

Gouldman has said "Dreadlock Holiday" was inspired by a man he met on holiday in Jamaica.

Earlier this year he told The Guardian he asked the man "do you like cricket":[]}