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London — <\/span>Working from home is the new normal for millions of people in the UK, and Surrey County Cricket Club has seen an opportunity to increase its presence in the south London<\/a> Field.<\/p>\n Surrey, one of England’s most successful teams, are encouraging hybrid workers to come and do their jobs at Kia Oval, a 180-year-old ground just south of the River Thames. <\/p>\n In the winter, it upgraded the Wi-Fi and set up separate work areas with desks, access to electricity and clear views of the game. \u201cWork from the Oval,\u201d it has been dubbed.<\/p>\n It pondered whether it was “the best home office in the country” and crucially assured prospective employees that “we won’t tell your boss.”<\/p>\n Hundreds of people have taken up the opportunity to work at the Oval hosting three home four-day County Championship matches this season. <\/p>\n England’s premier competition has been mocked for decades due to its relatively low attendances \u2013 the description of a man and his dog is regularly recited, albeit inappropriately.<\/p>\n That was certainly not the case at the Kia Oval on Friday when Surrey hosted Sussex on their first match day. Over 6,000 people attended, the crowd was pumped up by the glorious weather and the prospect of a full day \u2013 over seven hours \u2013 of cricket ahead. <\/p>\n Although the capacity of the ground is around 27,500, it’s actually not a bad crowd during a weekday. oval sold out England test match<\/a> against other countries and for Surrey’s short-format games. <\/p>\n Harry Ashton, director of Elite Finance Solutions, usually works from a coworking space in nearby Wimbledon. He took advantage of the opportunity to work at the Oval for only 15 pounds ($20). <\/p>\n Referring to his local club in the north-west of England, he quipped, “It’s not as good as Lytham Cricket Club.”<\/p>\n Later some of Ashton’s friends joined in and after a few hours of work, they enjoyed a beer or two. After all, it was Friday and the beginning of a three-day weekend as Monday is a public holiday in the UK. <\/p>\n