I can’t believe that the BBC is seriously thinking of doing away with its local radio sporting coverage as of 2013. It seems on the face of it complete insanity.
It has been a possibility for some time now, given the need for the BBC to keep trimming back. Now with the huge edicts imposed by the Conservative government, dear old Auntie Beeb is preparing to do more than trim. As a result there is a very real danger that the county cricket commentaries we all know and love will be one of the casualties.
First and foremost, there’s the issue of people losing their jobs. We shouldn’t lose sight of this amongst our own personal dismay at the possibility of not being able to keep up with the action on a ball-by-ball basis. Secondary to this, there’s the overwhelming feeling of being suddenly cut off not just from the sport we love but from the on-line community that has built up over the years. It really has become more than just a network of like-minded fans but almost a little family of our own, all brought together through being able to listen to the games via the internet. It may be melodramatic to use the word ‘heartbreaking’, but it does feel potentially like the end of something very, very special that just can’t be replaced.
Cricket coverage has been marginalised for years on terrestrial television. The redoubtable Test Match Special on the radio has continued to serve those who follow cricket at the highest level, but unless you have access to Sky you’re particularly screwed if you want to follow any county cricket at all. There seems to be a general feeling of ‘county cricket isn’t important,’ or ‘people only want to watch the national game’. Well, tell that to the supporters of county cricket, to whom the excellent internet coverage is a godsend. You may think that there aren’t many when you look round the near-empty stands during a four day game, but statistics don’t always tell the full story.
In my case I support Surrey. But I can’t just click my fingers and find myself in Kennington. There’s over three hundred miles between my home and London: nipping on a bus to catch an afternoon’s play is not an option. In fact the Oval may as well be on the moon as far as I am concerned. This is where the county cricket commentaries are invaluable. And it’s not just me: there are dedicated followers all over the world who are even less able to make the journey than I am.
Then there are the people who are not physically able to visit the Oval: those who are virtually housebound through reasons of illness or infirmity. Watching the numbers change on CricInfo is hardly a substitute for hearing the action. Add to the fact that the quality of the commentaries/standard of coverage is second to none and the idea that such a fine output from the BBC might be done away with seems nonsensical.
It might seem a difficult battle to fight and ultimately it may prove a futile one, but if enough people make their voices heard then perhaps we may yet keep our internet sports coverage. Put it this way: we can’t afford to lose it.
Once it’s gone, we’re never going to get it back.
Showing posts with label County Cricket. Show all posts
Showing posts with label County Cricket. Show all posts
Sunday, 9 October 2011
Wednesday, 6 April 2011
Here we go again!
So, here we are. The first championship game of the year is hurtling towards us like...a giant hurtling thing. I’ve been quite bursting with anticipation (not a pretty sight at the best of times) over the last few weeks for the start of the county championship, even although it feels pretty odd that Mr R won’t be fit to take to the field for some time yet. As a Surrey fan I am interested to see how the team do in his absence. As a Ramps fan it’s just a little weird...a bit like Destiny’s Child without Beyoncé.
That was a strange analogy! Anyhow, you know what I mean.
Surrey have already gone through their pre-season warm ups, and I think we have to accept that this is exactly what they are and basically not panic before the main event. It was lovely to see Michael Brown return, and equally magnificent to hear that Chris Jordan is back and bowling (not to mention taking wickets) for the team. I do think that Surrey need the maestro back as soon as possible, however, looking at the rather Ramprakash-sized gap in the middle order scores. People like Ramps – and let’s be honest, Dominic Cork, Robert Croft and Marcus Trescothick – are more than just run scorers or wicket takers. They are lucky charms and bring not only years of experience with them but have that bit of magic about them: the aura that belongs to the battle scarred veterans who cheat time, and hold the seasons at bay.
Surrey will be missing their chief lion for the first part of the season, but it needn’t all be doom and gloom. The show must go on, and fingers crossed by the time everyone is fit and firing Surrey will be winning games once again.
Best of luck, lads!
That was a strange analogy! Anyhow, you know what I mean.
Surrey have already gone through their pre-season warm ups, and I think we have to accept that this is exactly what they are and basically not panic before the main event. It was lovely to see Michael Brown return, and equally magnificent to hear that Chris Jordan is back and bowling (not to mention taking wickets) for the team. I do think that Surrey need the maestro back as soon as possible, however, looking at the rather Ramprakash-sized gap in the middle order scores. People like Ramps – and let’s be honest, Dominic Cork, Robert Croft and Marcus Trescothick – are more than just run scorers or wicket takers. They are lucky charms and bring not only years of experience with them but have that bit of magic about them: the aura that belongs to the battle scarred veterans who cheat time, and hold the seasons at bay.
Surrey will be missing their chief lion for the first part of the season, but it needn’t all be doom and gloom. The show must go on, and fingers crossed by the time everyone is fit and firing Surrey will be winning games once again.
Best of luck, lads!
Tuesday, 15 June 2010
County cricket: a game for the masses
Forget football. No, honestly: forget it! I know it’s difficult at the moment with the world cup going on (and on, and on, and on...) but let’s look at this from a slightly different perspective.
With county cricket, you can go to a match with your mates and not worry about getting jostled or squashed, largely because you have the pick of almost any seat in the ground. You can flop down on a chair...maybe even read a book or a newspaper if you so wish. It’s a reasonable bet that the vast majority of people who are crossword experts or grand Sudoku champions at ‘so fiendish it hurts’ level probably attend the odd county game or two, their skills well honed by days of chewing the ends of biros during drinks breaks.
If you have fine weather you can work on your tan. On a good day you can see numerous semi naked people of the male variety exposing all the unattractive wobbly bits common decency would usually demand they keep under wraps. And it is invariably those who probably have the least reason to display their magnificent frontage that always feel the need to do it. Indeed, cricket is the only sport that seems to welcome naturists!
Should the prospect of stripping to the waist on a cold May morning not appeal, there remains the possibility of getting some extra shut-eye. It’s the most brilliant sport for those who actually have no wish to watch the game, but just want to get out from under their other half’s feet for a day. Of course, if you are combining the self-tanning and the snoozing you have to be a little bit careful. This is especially the case if you are considered large of frame and have a tendency to go lobster pink. Unless you want children going up to you asking for Mr Blobby’s autograph.
You can turn up to the game at any point and, with a quick glance at the scoreboard (provided it’s not having an electronic conniption fit); appraise yourself of the state of play without feeling you’ve actually missed a thing! Try doing that when Chelsea are playing Man United!
The frequently ambling, lazy pace of a four day game means that you can bring a picnic with you (if you can stomach seeing all those hairy, semi-naked, pink lardy blokes). For the nature lover, at the Oval you have the added possibility of being mugged by flocks of hungry pigeons, whilst Bill Gordon’s cat stalks the boundary ropes with its mouth open, waiting for one of them to get careless. Certainly it looks as if it’s seen a few pigeon dinners over the years...
And when you are done sleeping, tanning and reading you have the chance to actually watch some cricket as well! If people take a dive in cricket it’s usually to try and catch the ball. Something that the poor England goal keeper might want to take note of...
But the best thing about county cricket?
There’s no bleedin’ vuvuzelas!
With county cricket, you can go to a match with your mates and not worry about getting jostled or squashed, largely because you have the pick of almost any seat in the ground. You can flop down on a chair...maybe even read a book or a newspaper if you so wish. It’s a reasonable bet that the vast majority of people who are crossword experts or grand Sudoku champions at ‘so fiendish it hurts’ level probably attend the odd county game or two, their skills well honed by days of chewing the ends of biros during drinks breaks.
If you have fine weather you can work on your tan. On a good day you can see numerous semi naked people of the male variety exposing all the unattractive wobbly bits common decency would usually demand they keep under wraps. And it is invariably those who probably have the least reason to display their magnificent frontage that always feel the need to do it. Indeed, cricket is the only sport that seems to welcome naturists!
Should the prospect of stripping to the waist on a cold May morning not appeal, there remains the possibility of getting some extra shut-eye. It’s the most brilliant sport for those who actually have no wish to watch the game, but just want to get out from under their other half’s feet for a day. Of course, if you are combining the self-tanning and the snoozing you have to be a little bit careful. This is especially the case if you are considered large of frame and have a tendency to go lobster pink. Unless you want children going up to you asking for Mr Blobby’s autograph.
You can turn up to the game at any point and, with a quick glance at the scoreboard (provided it’s not having an electronic conniption fit); appraise yourself of the state of play without feeling you’ve actually missed a thing! Try doing that when Chelsea are playing Man United!
The frequently ambling, lazy pace of a four day game means that you can bring a picnic with you (if you can stomach seeing all those hairy, semi-naked, pink lardy blokes). For the nature lover, at the Oval you have the added possibility of being mugged by flocks of hungry pigeons, whilst Bill Gordon’s cat stalks the boundary ropes with its mouth open, waiting for one of them to get careless. Certainly it looks as if it’s seen a few pigeon dinners over the years...
And when you are done sleeping, tanning and reading you have the chance to actually watch some cricket as well! If people take a dive in cricket it’s usually to try and catch the ball. Something that the poor England goal keeper might want to take note of...
But the best thing about county cricket?
There’s no bleedin’ vuvuzelas!
Monday, 14 June 2010
Surrey's mane man
My love affair with the ‘sport of kings’ started when I was very small. Weekend trips to visit my grandparents could often end up with my big sister and I bickering and fighting. Not that I was an argumentative soul, you understand. Hardly any point when my sister would start a fight in an empty room...
My late grandfather, knowing that I was fond of horses, hit on the idea of switching on ‘Grandstand’ to make visits a little less fraught, and letting me follow the horses as they jumped their way around Haydock Park, Chepstow and the like. And lo, one of the world’s youngest gamblers was born!
Well, would have been, if I’d been allowed to have a bet.
In truth I don’t really gamble. I restrict myself to a couple of bets come Cheltenham and Aintree time. My first ever winner was ‘Blue Wind’ in the 1980 Oaks. I think I’d have been six years old or thereabouts. And countless Grand National winners followed afterwards. I have a better track record than my mum on this score: she usually kills them.
Of course, there have been a few cricket-related horses over the years. ‘Leg Glance’, ‘Katchit’ and of course the eponymous ‘Flintoff’, owned by...well, Mr Flintoff himself! And now it appears we have another one to add to the list, in the shape of a 5 year old called ‘Ramprakash’.
I kid you not. And no, the Rampants aren’t responsible. I think we could just about club together to buy a hoof or a nostril hair (although technically that’s the first part over the line). At first I wondered what sporting enthusiast had decided to name a horse after one of county cricket’s finest ever exponents, and then (being a racing anorak who’s into that kind of thing) I had a look at the pedigree:
Sire: Best of the Bests
Dam: Missy Dancer
I can only assume that the wee fella was named circa 2006. Somebody’s a Strictly Come Dancing fan!
It's a big honour to have a racehorse called after you. Alas, in my case "Too tired to get out of bed at five thirty in the morning" has yet to make it's course debut...
My late grandfather, knowing that I was fond of horses, hit on the idea of switching on ‘Grandstand’ to make visits a little less fraught, and letting me follow the horses as they jumped their way around Haydock Park, Chepstow and the like. And lo, one of the world’s youngest gamblers was born!
Well, would have been, if I’d been allowed to have a bet.
In truth I don’t really gamble. I restrict myself to a couple of bets come Cheltenham and Aintree time. My first ever winner was ‘Blue Wind’ in the 1980 Oaks. I think I’d have been six years old or thereabouts. And countless Grand National winners followed afterwards. I have a better track record than my mum on this score: she usually kills them.
Of course, there have been a few cricket-related horses over the years. ‘Leg Glance’, ‘Katchit’ and of course the eponymous ‘Flintoff’, owned by...well, Mr Flintoff himself! And now it appears we have another one to add to the list, in the shape of a 5 year old called ‘Ramprakash’.
I kid you not. And no, the Rampants aren’t responsible. I think we could just about club together to buy a hoof or a nostril hair (although technically that’s the first part over the line). At first I wondered what sporting enthusiast had decided to name a horse after one of county cricket’s finest ever exponents, and then (being a racing anorak who’s into that kind of thing) I had a look at the pedigree:
Sire: Best of the Bests
Dam: Missy Dancer
I can only assume that the wee fella was named circa 2006. Somebody’s a Strictly Come Dancing fan!
It's a big honour to have a racehorse called after you. Alas, in my case "Too tired to get out of bed at five thirty in the morning" has yet to make it's course debut...
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