Cricket-Match-Special ... A forum for discussion

Boycott (77) has had a quadruple heart bypass operation and is recuperating at home. Apperently hopes to be back at work for the 3rd Test v India.

KipperJohn wrote:Boycott (77) has had a quadruple heart bypass operation and is recuperating at home. Apperently hopes to be back at work for the 3rd Test v India.

He has a heart?

He should take his time recuperating.

Appreciation post for Niall O'Brien, who I find most engaging as a commentator and presenter. Always has something to say when on the spot, fills those gaps between deliveries nicely with often original content and avoids resorting to cliches relating to what is happening in the game.

His rugged voice and accent refreshing to hear. More bearable than the polished, privileged commentators who hail from the South-East of England who go about their job like they have a divine right to be heard.

Alviro Patterson wrote:His rugged voice and accent refreshing to hear. More bearable than the polished, privileged commentators who hail from the South-East of England who go about their job like they have a divine right to be heard.

Are any of the current SKY commentators from the SE of England? You could say Gower, but his dad was in the Army, I dont think he ever lived in Kent where he was born, he grew up in Tanzania and moved to Leicestershire all his adult life. Botham (born in Merseyside), Willis (Sunderland), Allott (Manchester), Ian Ward (Devon), Holding (Jamaica), Hussain (India), Atherton (Manchester), Lloyd (Accrington), Cork (Near Crewe I think)..... does Charles Coville float around? Rob Key is a Londoner, but I dont think he comes from a privileged background. Mark Butcher I think is from Croydon, and no one born in Croydon in those days would ever be classed as privileged, Id think quite the opposite.

Then you have the other lot... Vaughan (Manc), Mitchell and Swanny (Midlands), Mann (Brizzle), Daggers (Bury), Norcross (Wikipedia doesnt list a birth place), Boycott (Yawrksheere), Matt Smith (Scouser I think), KP (Saffer).... Nicholas surely must be from the SE, but no-one wants to claim him.

North of the Watford gap is pretty well represented.

I think Gower went to Kings School in Canterbury.

Arthur Crabtree wrote:I think Gower went to Kings School in Canterbury.

Apparently he did from the age of 14. Before that he spent time in Tanzania and Loughborough. Been around a lot it seems. Never went to university apparently, which surprised me

Rob Key

The Professor wrote:Rob Key

Yeah, I noted him.

sussexpob wrote:

Arthur Crabtree wrote:I think Gower went to Kings School in Canterbury.

Apparently he did from the age of 14. Before that he spent time in Tanzania and Loughborough. Been around a lot it seems. Never went to university apparently, which surprised me

i'm sure Gower went to a college near Oxford. I could very well be wrong though!

Just read the Test and ODI highlights this summer are on the BBC.

But I'm wondering if the elderly Geoff Boycott will be in lockdown over the summer so won't be on TMS.

The tv commentators are Isa Guha who will present, and Michael Vaughan, Alastair Cook, Carlos Brathwaite, Phil Tufnell and Alison Mitchell which is a more substantial team than C5 had.

Prior to this, Guha will present a four part clip show looking back on previous series between WI and England.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52920695

Says a lot about West Indian cricket that a guy with a test average of 45 and a 50 in every single match he played will be commentating at the prime of his career, rather than playing.

I can imagine listening to Alistair Cook is like watching him bat out a gritty 300 ball 50

Commentator Steel is rather flavourless behind the mic on the radio. Promises to be more of a Gower in the box than he was in the middle.

Can't be worse than Geoffrey though.

I think I'll watch the highlights. Might as well watch some cricket.

First time the beeb has shown test cricket highlights since 1999...... which is quite shocking, really