How much will you watch?

[GIMH]

I remember during the last Ashes, it was quite the discussion amongst us English as to how we were going to manage to watch our team trounce the Aussies through the night whilst holding up jobs/education, etc. Unfortunately I slept through the whole series and as such don't know what happened, not to worry though.

The thing about the English home summer is that I get all excited about it and then am in work for 60% of the matches. Sure, productivity takes a hit as I follow ball-by-ball and the match threads, but it's just not the same. So I have addressed this by taking two of the Tests off work completely, the third (I am attending the Saturday of that one, cannae wait), and the fifth (a little presumptious but it clashed with something else I wanted off work so seemed logical, and I couldn't take the first two off due to work committments). It seems that when these come around I will 100% see the benefit of being single and living on my own, but it will suck beyond all belief next Wednesday when the Ashes starts and I'll be delivering customer service training .

As such, my plan for the Ashes is to race home on the early train every day, catch the last half hour of play then watch the highlights. And to be a complete recluse at the weekends while the cricket is on. My children currently enjoy a bit of Thomas the Tank & In the Night Garden when they come round, well they can forget it, they'll be learning about the greatest game of them all.

As such, I reckon I'll see two Tests in their entirety, and about half of the other three (live that is, obviously I'll catch up, may even Sky+ the days in full). It's less than I've seen in previous home series before working full-time, but it's decent enough.

For the Aussies I guess it's hard for you to watch loads as I'm thinking similar issues to us last time, who will be staying up through the night to watch your boys get a trouncing?

edit - with apologies to anyone without Sky/a TV who won't be able to watch at all

 

[Woodster]

I'm going to pretty much ensure I have most of the Ashes series off work. Already booked off the first Test to watch it in its entirety, and intend to do the same for the remaining games.

 

[Richard]

I have three fixed shifts - Monday 9-1, Wednesday 2:30-7:30 and Sunday 6-11:15. Any other shifts are optional overtime. Safe to say I'll be doing evening-only shifts on Thursday and Friday (and Tuesday where applicable) evenings of Tests.

Unfortunately I'll also be deprived of most play on Saturdays by my cricket club having the nerve not to cancel all fixtures on Test match Saturdays, but never mind - highlights will be watched and Saturday nights out - well, screw 'em. And obviously I'll take the radio to the game like I always do.

It's a bit annoying that I'll have to miss the second half of the series' opening day, but there we go. As they say, y'can't win 'em all.

 

[Uppercut]

Those bastards at Queen's University have arranged my Mum's graduation on the first day of the Ashes. I'd happily ditch but it wouldn't be fair to leave my sister and brother alone with her.

So I'll miss most of day one. But apart from that I'll try to watch every ball.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Will watch every minute during my holidays (first two tests I believe).

Will be tougher after uni starts, especially if I get my Research Internship, but lord knows I'll try to watch it all.

 

[NUFAN]

Will the matches be starting around 8:30pm EST?

If so, I'll probably fall asleep around tea each night unless it's a big moment in the match.

I've already postponed a camping trip because it's in the middle of the Lords Test.

 

[GIMH]

Wondering if that has anything to do with your Lord's Lounge post

(@ Uppercut)

 

[jondavluc]

As I am a lazy jobless bum I can asssure you I will watch every micro second of play.

 

[Richard]

Good luck with your attempt at the impossible.

 

[Nate]

Worked out a few weeks back I should get to watch a possible 19 days live. Don't think much has changed.

 

[pup11]

Will watch every minute of it, would put everything else on the backburner, the timings are pretty cool too, 3 pm starts here in India, which is pretty ideal for me.

 

[pasag]

For the Aussies I guess it's hard for you to watch loads as I'm thinking similar issues to us last time, who will be staying up through the night to watch your boys get a trouncing?

Starts on prime-time here so most people can watch the first two sessions pretty easily. The first few days of the first Test will be tough as I'll be starting a new internship, but after that it'll be smooth sailing and won't miss a minute unless I get disgusted and switch off, which seems to happen quite a bit these days.

 

[pasag]

Good luck with your attempt at the impossible.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=THYDLwR9sEE

 

[zaremba]

GIMH a great post if I may say so.

I've booked all the days of the series off. This is an advantage of being self-employed. However it does mean that I won't earn any money and so Mrs Z may have to sell her body on the streets in order to keep me in beer for the summer.

I'm going to the games at Brum and Leeds having forked out for tickets for the first 4 days of each. The rest I will watch on TV. If for any reason I have to go to work I will follow it on cricinfo and bugger off home or to the pub at the first opportunity. If I'm in court I will try to use the snappy new ECB Scoreboard function on the mobile.

On paper this adds up to a full summer of cricketing pleasure but in reality if the series has to be declared null and void after 3 Tests as it was in 1989 and 2006/7 then I will probably just watch and re-watch my Botham's Ashes video and "2005 - the Greatest Series" DVDs for the rest of the summer.

 

[Richard]

YouTube - Heinz Baked Beanz ad

Thought that was going to be this then.

 

[Langeveldt]

I got Supersport in my flat pretty much for the Ashes this winter.. Not paying a penny for it either which is great.. When I'm at home I'm going to be watching pretty much every single ball.. I hope we get a decent commentary feed here in SA.. My boss invited me to the Oval test which I really wanted to go to, but it's not financially possible, I imagine all five days would cost more than my plane ticket

 

[superkingdave]

Yeah, booked Wednesday-Friday off next week. Will look at the other tests when we get closer...however, should be able to have Sky player on at work if i can't have time off

 

[Pratters]

I am going to watch every ball. Can't wait for it to start.

 

[Shoggz]

GIMH a great post if I may say so.

Agreed!

If I'm in court I will try to use the snappy new ECB Scoreboard function on the mobile.

It's good isn't it!

On paper this adds up to a full summer of cricketing pleasure but in reality if the series has to be declared null and void after 3 Tests as it was in 1989 and 2006/7 then I will probably just watch and re-watch my Botham's Ashes video and "2005 - the Greatest Series" DVDs for the rest of the summer.

My plan exactly.

As for my watching the tests, I am awful viewer. I get so tense watching, it's unbelievable. It might be a case of watching the highlights AFTER I know what's happened! Yes, sad I know.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

I will be watching the first session of every day's play. This will go on to about, I think 12 midnight-ish. I will then either fall asleep or stagger to bed.

The advantage I have is that this will not upset the missus. In fact, she will probably watch more of it than me as she is an England fan and also a cricket addict.

In fact, she is more likely to upset me. If she wakes me up, stumbling to bed at 2am, there'd better not be an empty coca-cola bottle nearby, otherwise I might just Kweek her in the face.