BBC Test Match Special RIP

[Lillian Thomson]

I know we are all sometimes guilty of looking back with rose tinted glasses at the past, but Brian Johnston, Don Alderman, John Arlott, Fred Trueman and all must be turning in their graves at the state of the current Test Match Special programme. Mark Saggers describes an exquisite cover drive with all the enthusiasm of telling a three year old that his pet hamster has just died. Graham Gooch can't make a single sentence with punctuating it with "and uh" and Vic Marks just sounds like he's permanently suffering from sun stroke

 

[PY]

Amen, it's been happening since Blofeld went mad.

The only time you really get a taste of what it used to be is when CMJ and Aggers are on together.

To say it's dead is a bit harsh though, just hibernating awaiting the return of Geoffrey Boycott.

 

[stumpski]

CMJ and Aggers are the best, though I like Marks and Selvey as well. The fact that three of them played against each other many times gives a little 'edge' to the proceedings sometimes. I don't pay much attention to Saggers or Arlo White I'm afraid.

Never liked Trueman much, always thought he was a miserable old sod (ditto Mosey), but I do miss Trevor Bailey sometimes.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Amen, it's been happening since Blofeld went mad.

The only time you really get a taste of what it used to be is when CMJ and Aggers are on together.

To say it's dead is a bit harsh though, just hibernating awaiting the return of Geoffrey Boycott.

I'm not a great Aggers fan, although he's been around a long time. He was in the commentary box with Brian Johnston on the famous "Leg over" occasion when Ian Botham hit his wicket against the West Indies in 1991. He was also commentating today when Inzi was out and I quote "Has he hit his wicket? I think he has?" I think a one eyed budgie with a squint would have been more decisive as Inzi clattered into the stumps.

 

[Scaly piscine]

I find all the commentators a bit dull, except for when Boycott is on who's a cut above the lot of them. Gooch is especially atrocious - he just doesn't have a clue basically and like a few others seem to be stuck in their own eras when it comes to attacking approaches in the game and scoring rates etc.

 

[stumpski]

It can be quite fun sometimes to watch the cricket on TV with the radio commentary on, to see whether you agree with the commentators' assessment - at least, it used to be, when I could watch it.

 

[Magrat Garlick]

It can be quite fun sometimes to watch the cricket on TV with the radio commentary on, to see whether you agree with the commentators' assessment - at least, it used to be, when I could watch it.

Don't you get "bowled 'im!" as soon as Harmy delivers the ball, then? (radio is usually a second ahead of TV, at least in this country...)

 

[Matteh]

I find all the commentators a bit dull, except for when Boycott is on who's a cut above the lot of them.

Having to listen to Boycott talk about "When eye were a lad, we 'ad t' catchbus...and...then some thymes we 'ad t' catchtrain went playin' int South"

Riveting stuff i can assure you.

 

[steds]

I try to avoid it, as whenever I turn it on it seems a load of idiots with horrendously horrible southern accents. Had to listen when at grandparent's house for dinner, can't tell who's who, but it was one of Marks and CMJ when Pakistan were 9 down. Awful voice. May have to pay buckets for Sky, but atleast Atherton's and Bumble's voices don't hurt your ears.

 

[stumpski]

Don't you get "bowled 'im!" as soon as Harmy delivers the ball, then? (radio is usually a second ahead of TV, at least in this country...)

You certainly do with cable, it's about 5 seconds behind real lfe ... but that can be handy, at least it means you don't miss anything. I don't know if it's the case with satellite and I won't know for a while longer ...

I don't mind the horrendously horrible southern accents, perhaps that means I have one myself.

 

[archie mac]

This thread had me worried, I thought an institution had died. I love listening to the Ashes from England with the TMS team.

I also should admit that Blowers is my favourite

 

[Lillian Thomson]

You certainly do with cable, it's about 5 seconds behind real lfe ... but that can be handy, at least it means you don't miss anything. I don't know if it's the case with satellite and I won't know for a while longer ...

I don't mind the horrendously horrible southern accents, perhaps that means I have one myself.

You also get the delay on satellite. A small relevant, though not cricket related, side story comes from this years Wimbledon Tennis Championships. To enable viewers/listeners to turn the sound down on their TV and listen to the radio they introduced a delay on the radio transmissions to keep them in sync with the satellite TV broadcasts. This meant that if you watched the picture on normal analogue TV it was actually ahead of the radio commentary. Hopefully one day the BBC will have the sense to introduce a Sports channel and get some of the cricket back and then give the interactive option of listening to whichever commentary you prefer.

Probably in 20 years time the youth of today will be listening to commentary by Harmison and Bell and starting threads on this forum about the good old days of Marks and Gooch on TMS..........................actually I doubt it very much.

 

[Jono]

Having to listen to Boycott talk about "When eye were a lad, we 'ad t' catchbus...and...then some thymes we 'ad t' catchtrain went playin' int South"

Riveting stuff i can assure you.

 

[GIMH]

Don't you get "bowled 'im!" as soon as Harmy delivers the ball, then? (radio is usually a second ahead of TV, at least in this country...)

Digital is ahead of analogue, something about the analogue signals being sent first, then the digital ones. So last summer, anyone who watched The Ashes, on Channel 4, on their ordinary TV (ie not through their set-top box) would, I *think*, have been able to listen to simultaneous commentary on the radio.

Now that live Cricket is not on analogue TV, this is not possible

 

[Craig]

You also get the delay on satellite. A small relevant, though not cricket related, side story comes from this years Wimbledon Tennis Championships. To enable viewers/listeners to turn the sound down on their TV and listen to the radio they introduced a delay on the radio transmissions to keep them in sync with the satellite TV broadcasts. This meant that if you watched the picture on normal analogue TV it was actually ahead of the radio commentary. Hopefully one day the BBC will have the sense to introduce a Sports channel and get some of the cricket back and then give the interactive option of listening to whichever commentary you prefer.

Probably in 20 years time the youth of today will be listening to commentary by Harmison and Bell and starting threads on this forum about the good old days of Marks and Gooch on TMS..........................actually I doubt it very much.

James would have done very well to have this site still going strong in 20 years time.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Actual conversation between Mark Saggers and Graham Gooch.

Saggers "Graham Gooch has joined me the commentary box, Good Afternoon Graham."
Gooch "Good Afternoon, and uh."

Pure broadcasting genius.

 

[marc71178]

He's (mis)quoting hinton!

 

[Hanuma]

It's OK...mostly silly little men saying silly little things. Perfectly harmless stoned-commentary.

 

[greg]

Digital is ahead of analogue, something about the analogue signals being sent first, then the digital ones. So last summer, anyone who watched The Ashes, on Channel 4, on their ordinary TV (ie not through their set-top box) would, I *think*, have been able to listen to simultaneous commentary on the radio.

Now that live Cricket is not on analogue TV, this is not possible

My cable comes through at the same time as the radio.

 

[Anna]

He was also commentating today when Inzi was out and I quote "Has he hit his wicket? I think he has?" I think a one eyed budgie with a squint would have been more decisive as Inzi clattered into the stumps.

The full quote:
"Inzamam - has he lost his wicket? I think he has - massively! He tried to swing Panesar to leg, lost his balance and, rather like an elephant attempting to hurdle, down he went - slowly, inexorably, painfully, dramatically. Inzamam has fallen on his stumps - what a way to go!"

I think that's pretty good