A rant about the cricket coverage

[Alf]

The Ashes the death of English cricket? Nope. A greedy ECB and flaming Sky are the culprits. Highlights of tests on Channel 5? Don't make me laugh. You never get the true feel of the game from highlights, and that's if you can get Channel 5 at all, which I can't.

What on earth is the ECB thinking? If people don't see things on the telly they don't exist, don't they know that? How are children going to know cricket even exists if they can't see it. Madness. Utter madness. It's been bad enough never seeing any of the tours, but no home matches?! Never to see my beloved Oval?

And where's my nearest ground to go in person as an alternative? Taunton, for heaven's sakes.

Honestly, I don't know whether to scream or cry.

Stumped, Alf

Sorry, I just needed to get that out of my system before I 'sploded.

 

[frank]

alf cricket has gone the way of most sports . how much ££££££££££££££££££ can we screw out of .sorry can we get . :? :?

 

[johnelliott]

I don't have subscriiption TV, I understand though, that you have to pay to watch the cricket and there are adverts as well???????????

 

[llangatwgnedd]

What on earth is the ECB thinking?

££££££££ Thats what they are thinking.

Stop their grants lottery money or what ever they get off the goverment
until they are back with the Beeb

 

[trevtheturner]

I agree with you entirely, Alf. Highlights don't really interest me, for the reason you give and the fact that they are history.

Sky will not persuade me to part with £££££££££££££££s, nearly 400 a year, to watch what is probably about 50% adverts. Of course the ECB will make a substantial short-term financial gain but I fear that in the longer term it will find it to have been an ill-judged move.

Do you know whether or not Test Match Special will continue on BBC radio?

Cheers,

Trev.

 

[Alf]

Trev,

You've summed it up exactly. But TMS lives on, thank goodness. Pass the cake while I start counting pigeons...

Cheers, Alf

 

[Frank D.]

We have some crickets around here during the summer, but you don't see them on TV much. :wink:
Frank D.

 

[dedee]

For many years now I have preferred the TMS commentary over C4 or even the BBC televised broadcasts. The TMS team offer so much more by way of atmosphere building, old cricketing anecdotes, book reviews and interesting interviews with cricket lovers. And I can listen in the workshop, the car, the garden, at the beech etc.

Also do not forget www.cricket.org - ball by ball written commentary - great to have in the background at work.

Andy

 

[Vormulac]

I have to agree, it's been a long time since I sat down to watch the cricket on tv, as TMS is more accessible around the house, garden, workshop - it's more entertaining too.

It's sad that the ECB can't see past the golden bucket full of diamonds, but as long as Blowers and his buses still ride the airwaves then life goes on.

Vormulac 'angry but looking on the bright side'

 

[trevtheturner]

Thanks for the info on TMS, Alf.

I'm with you all on this.............cake, pigeons, red buses, "oh, my goodness me, there's a helicopter"............and even cricket. What more could you want? The batsman's Holding, the bowler's Willey????????

Cheers,
Trev.

 

[UKTony]

Not a cricket fan chaps, lifelong Chelsea fantatic, i can only say that what Sky has done for football is worth every single penny and double again they make the experience around the watching the actual game a pleasure

5 points clear and smiling

 

[Alf]

Not a cricket fan chaps, lifelong Chelsea fantatic

Nobody's perfect...

Cheers, Alf

 

[frank]

alf have chelsea got a football team :? i thought they just had flower shows and boutiques :wink: :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

What's cricket?

 

[Alf]

What's cricket?

Dammee, he must be a bloomin' foreigner, don'tya know! <monocle drops from eye in surprise> But an opportunity to air a variation on a classic:

One team is in, the other team is out. The team that's out tries to get the team that's in out. When the team that's in is out, the team that was out is in, and the team that was in but is now out tries to get the team that was out but is now in out.

When the team that was in but then out gets the team that was out but then in out, the team that was in but then out goes back in again, and the team that was out but then in before the team that was in then out got them out is out and tries to get the team that is now back in out. Then they go back in.

When the team that is now in is out, it tries to get the team that was then out but is now in.

And whoever gets most runs wins.

Verily, when you can follow a Test Match, no other sport or game will phase you by being too complex...

Frank, I believe Chelsea have some sort of exiles team for varied nationalities.

Cheers, Alf

Enjoying the news from Port Elizabeth

 

[frank]

tony its a number 43 at the take away deep fried and crispy 8)

 

[Bean]

I thought Chelsea was a sort of Bun :? or do they play that funny sort of game with the round ball ???


Bean

 

[trevtheturner]

Both, I think, Bean - so they haven't really got much going for them, eh?

Never mind, goodwill to all men, etc................ :wink:

Cheers,

Trev.
(proper shape ball fan!)

 

[Bean]

Trev being a sticky sort of bum must help to stop the ball rolling away, :? I suppose :wink:

Bean

 

[Losos]

Alf - Thanks a million for that definition of cricket which I've been searching for - I've had various attemps to explain Cricket to the people in this country, all unsuccessful I think I'll just hand them a print of the definitive explanation from now on BTW I first saw it printed on a cooks apron many years ago, do you know who originally penned such a masterpiece :?: