Off Topic Cricket Thread

My memory's a bit hazy on this, but I recall a time In the sixties when BBC1 would show just 20 minutes of the home tests, from 6.10 pm to 6.30.pm. That was it. Presumably they had the whole thing on BBC2, but we didn't have that at the time. I think you had to have some kind of upgraded telly.

 

Must confess my interest only really started in the seventies, but I vaguely remember the fledgling BBC2 showing a bit of test cricket. Wasn’t the one day game, originally (I think) the Gillette Cup invented for telly? Or was that the Sunday League?

 

I always remember the wonderful commentary from Richie Benau growing up.
Waiting for the start of the test match at 11am and Richie saying "morning everyone".

 

Benaud , Jim Laker, John Arlott, people who could say very little and still give you something to relish.

 

I used to work with John Arlott's son, Tim. He was a difficult man, apparently. Tim would speak of him with a kind of reverent disdain.

Brilliant commentator, though.

 

My Dad used to go on tour as an umpire with El Vino’s the Fleet Street bar (his playing days were for Stanmore CC) which were fairly boozy affairs by all accounts. Once they went to the Channel Isles and spent sometime with Arlott Sr on Alderney. My dad wasn’t very complimentary about him, an unpleasant chap apparently. Great commentator though, as you say.

 

Marvelous, that.

 

Steelsy+ is a good free service

For now

 

All that, without any adverts between overs either - defined your summer school hoidays

 

Cricket broadcasting right being sold to the highest bidder?
They can stick that right up their Chaminda Vaas !

 

Ashes Update - The English team will be struggling to get a bat before the first test at the Gabba, here in Queensland.

Its raining cats & dogs, night & day.
I'm trying to build a house and pour a slab but rain is predicted for the next 10 days.
Absolutely, p!ss poor, Richie!

 

I blame my poor O levels on being distracted by Bothams' Ashes, whilst trying to study

 

Love this memory lane type of thing.......

Sure Tests were on BBC2 the whole day, those were the days when the Sunday of a Test was a rest day........ If I remember correctly the cameras were only at one end of the ground so you only saw the batsman's back every alternative over and God knows how the commentators could judge an lbw call, just had to rely on the umpire's actions to confirm or deny the appeal....... it was all so innocent back in the 70's.......

Who remembers the Rev David Shepherd standing on one leg because of nelson?...... and Dickie Bird only giving lbw if all 3 stumps would have been blown out the ground........

 

I do !

 

So England's first of 2 warm up games abandoned with only 29 overs of play possible ! Hameed got 50 odd not out and Burns 30 odd not out. Hardly an adequate run out, all players that were involved in the T20 World Cup are still in quarantine. So with only 1 more warm up game against our own Lions left it does look like were gonna be seriously under prepared for the test to come. I remember when we used to play all the provincial sides with most of their test players playing for them, but with all the other forms of the game to fit in on the tour these games are no longer possible. Just feel that come day 1 of the opening test we aren't gonna be ready for Stark and Hazlewood to come steaming in. Hope I'm wrong

 

Don’t fret too much mate.
Our Aussie team and board are doing everything possible to disrupt ourselves as well.
We’re in the cusp of appointing a self-centred, photo uploader as captain…….. oh, wait a minute, we’ve already done that.

Maybe we can appoint someone who is looking to further their career as an influencer / possible FansOnly appointee?

Anything is possible in these time. I’d like just a cricket captain who has no outside interest but that seems impossible nowadays.

 

Oh dear oh dear the wheels are coming off lol

 

Excellent, get a covert Englishman in their side to derail them from the inside. This is superb lol

 

Smith makes it back as vice captain to Cummins.

Still, it’s only a title, as David Warner well knows.