BARELY a couple of miles from Trent Bridge, fans have been cheering India and England on in the Old Market Square.
The Nottingham Riviera bar has opened two weeks early – and is showing the Test match action on a large TV screen.
It has given those not lucky enough to have tickets the opportunity to see the game while sitting out in the open air.
And hundreds have already taken that chance, with Nick Chambers among them.
The 42-year-old, of Hucknall, said the outdoor bar was an ideal way to watch cricket.
"I think it is a great idea," he said. "It is not like actually being at the ground, you can't replace that, but it is good to be able to watch it, even if it is just to have one pint while you are waiting for a friend."
The bar will remain open until the beach and other attractions are added to it in the coming days, ahead of the school summer holidays.
Jim Dowling, 33, will not be here when that happens but he has been making the most of the bar.
He is over from Ireland for the game and has been spending the days he does not have tickets for watching the match in the square.
He said: "I had heard that they were doing this, so I came down to see what it is like. It is good to be able to come to an outdoor area and watch the cricket with other people."
It is not just the cricket that people have been watching at the bar, with the World Cup semi-final between Argentina and Holland also attracting a crowd on Wednesday night.
Bar manager Lee Harmston said: "This is a new idea and we are seeing how it goes but the response has been promising so far.
"Some people have watched the live cricket, some have been watching the highlights which are shown later in the day."