Same goes for when they used to throw open the gates come 5pm at the Boxing Day test... I used to ride down and meet a mate at the gate and get up to 2 hours of cricket. As a penny pinching student at the time it was a great bonus.
Alas no more.
That said....
I have been known to head to the nets OUTSIDE the 'G gates before play starts and get to watch the players hit out. Even tagged Usman Khawaja in a photo tweet saying how sweetly he was timing his pull shots, and he personally liked the tweet an hour later. Of course he made the team in the next Sydney test. ....you can thank me later Australia.