I listened to bits of yesterday’s one-day international on the radio, perched high on the cliffs in a little nook carved into the rocks, sheltered from the wind on a nearly-summery day in south Devon. There was no phone reception, and therefore no temptation for me to check Cricinfo for the scores, or the myriad of other alternate online distractions.
Test Match Special doesn’t need to move with the times, and I don’t even think radio as a medium needs to either. There is talk of DAB productions becoming more “visual”, which is a witty oxymoron, but there’s little that necessitates having pictures/video alongside audio on the radio. That is its charm and appeal, after all; being immersed in the spoken word and allowing your mind to conjure up the images. It’s far more enjoyable, what we produce in our own heads. Paul Collingwood, in my own mind, bats much less crabbily than his real-life persona and Chris Gayle even smiles at first slip.
Yesterday was the first time in months, possibly a year or more, that I listened to an international on the radio and I’ve not enjoyed a match so much for years. Cutting off one or more senses can heighten the others: less really can be more.
My earliest memories of Cricket on the radio were from 1957. Growing up in Calcutta(Kolkata now) the gravelly voice of John Arlott still resonates in the subconcious. The comments of Norman Yardley and Freddie Brown illuminated the precision of Statham’s bowling. His partnership with the no-nonsense approach of Fred Trueman was vividly described,
As an eight year old I had hero status around the neighbourhood as we had the only radio capable of receiving the BBC and ABC. Alan McGilvray from Australia was the master of brevity.
Having moved to the US at the start of the digital era, the simple act of seeing cricket was cut off for years. First the World Service cut off shortwave cricket, and we were reduced to IRC (Internet Relay Chat for you youngsters) to follow the 1992 World Cup. Then, gradually audio and video cricket online became a reality…
Today the ability to get TMS online is one of the great accomplishments of the internet. Just hope they will also have coverage of the T20 World Cup!
I grew up with the ABC cricket commentary always on in the background in the summer… my dad had a litte red radio that went everywhere with him.
Now I spend most of my summer listening to cricket on the ABC myself, since I can have it on while doing other things… driving etc. I often listen to it *at* the cricket as well … not sure how I will go in England with some strange commentators.
I’ve listened to alot of cricket on the radio in the last seven years since I completed my education and began my working life, always on ABC radio and the commentators are great they really hold your attention and explain the play well. I enjoy the radio coverage so much that when i’m watching the game at home i’ll mute the tv and listen to the radio commentary. Only downside is that the radio commentary is usually ahead of the the delayed telecast by about a second or two.
Will, it is unfortunate that your job usually denies you the chance to hear TMS and subjects you to the horrors of Sky TV’s commentary. Atherton is the only one whose commentary is more interesting than his cricket. (Yep, I know what you’re thinking). Gower, my favourite cricketer of all time, is killingly dull and sounds so bored, Botham, Lloyd, Willis etc. generally talk too much, often contradicting themselves or stating the bleedin’ obvious. Fine sportsmen tarnishing their memory by whoring themselves to the Murdoch empire. Just mute them and turn TMS up every time, even during the shipping forecast. God help us when the Aussie contingent get behind the microphone!
I am another one who has Sky on the TV with the volume turned down and TMS turned up.
I think the Australians did a good job and blended together well with the British commentators.
I wasn’t sure “Tuffers” would work but he does come out with some good one-liners. At Headingley he was asked at the beginning of day 3 whether Yorkshire Cricket Club would be insured for the match finishing so early, he replied: “No. You can insure for rain, but not for incompetence”. No one else would have said it and it made me laugh.
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