Black Wednesday: English Home Tests - Now Exclusive to SKY

[chris.hinton]

Neil its 96% of the Country.... ok its being pickly

But Sky Deal will help the game but the game need to be rebuild again

 

[marc71178]

if its anything like their football coverage then prepare for a rough time

At least they cover the odd game!

 

[marc71178]

But Sky Deal will help the game but the game need to be
rebuild again

At a time when the national side is IMO the best side in my cricket-watching lifetime, I question where the rebuilding is needed?

 

[SpaceMonkey]

At a time when the national side is IMO the best side in my cricket-watching lifetime, I question where the rebuilding is needed?

valid point. We've had the best team in my lifetime. It cant be a fluke this happens just after we introduce a national academy and central contracts. Not to mention the fact that many counties now have their own academys.

 

[Richard]

How much effect can it reasonably be said National or domestic Academies have had?
Certainly with County Academies it's pretty much 0, and how many of the side who've enjoyed such success in 2004 have been to the Academy? 3, IRRR.

 

[Richard]

And I guess about 7,000 - 7,500 of my posts have been made in OT

I'd say it's more 3,500.
From random samples, that is.

 

[Richard]

That is true, but why isn't that the case in Australia? Every school plays it, state and private. We have AFL in Victoria and around Australia, and Rugby in NSW, Queensland and other states as well. Yet cricket remains as popular as ever.

Because whoever organised the Australian sporting calender has more sense than he who organised the British.
In Britain domestic football (soccer) and rugby overlaps the domestic cricket season in a way the AFL etc. don't in Australia.
Therefore it dominates where in Australia there is far more equal sharing.

 

[Richard]

I would not say that cricket is an elitist sport round here. School cricket maybe but there is a very strong local club cricket scene

From (admittedly small) personal experience I'd say you're right.
The situation in schools might be poor compared to other countries but club cricket - which is after all the most important intake - hasn't actually been weakened too badly.

 

[Richard]

Looks like the deal may be blocked by OfCom (Media Regulator).

Excerpt from the Government rules on TV Coverage for Sports Events:

2.5 The law guarantees the availability of rights to live coverage of listed events to broadcasters who meet certain set criteria, i.e. those which reach 95% coverage of UK viewers and at no additional cost to the viewer than the television licence fee. Broadcasters currently meeting these criteria (Category A broadcasters) are the BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 and Channel 4.

2.6 The current list of protected events is split into two categories, Group A and Group B. Details of the list are at Appendix A of this leaflet. Full live coverage of Group A events is protected by ensuring that, where offered at all, broadcasting rights must be made available to category A broadcasters. Exclusive live coverage of Group B events is permitted on Category B channels provided that adequate arrangements are made, where sought, for delayed coverage or highlights on BBC1, BBC2, ITV1 or
Channel 4.

Channel 5 only reaches 92% of the country and therefore the deal could be seen as contravening the rules. Keep on hoping.

Any updates on this?
Encouraging news if there ever was... like when we heard BSkyB were trying to buy Man U and that got thrown out by M&M Committee.

 

[marc71178]

Because whoever organised the Australian sporting calender has more sense than he who organised the British.
In Britain domestic football (soccer) and rugby overlaps the domestic cricket season in a way the AFL etc. don't in Australia.

But how long are the respecitve seasons?

It's also a hell of a lot easier to schedule something when it's only played in one country (ie something like AFL) and when the Cricket season is so much shorter.

 

[Richard]

Shorter, I hear you say?
Mid-April to mid-September (5 months) is shorter than early October to early March (5 months)?
The difference is the AFL (and Union, and League) seasons.

 

[Neil Pickup]

Football season = August to May. Physically impossible to fit cricket around it.

 

[marc71178]

Shorter, I hear you say?

Number of games.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Number of games.

less teams = less number of games.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

How much effect can it reasonably be said National or domestic Academies have had?
Certainly with County Academies it's pretty much 0, and how many of the side who've enjoyed such success in 2004 have been to the Academy? 3, IRRR.

Eight members of the squad touring SA have spent time at the academy, including Jones / Harmison / Strauss / Flintoff of the Starting XI.
All 3 of the batsmen next in line (Pieterson / Bell / Key) spent time there as well as Batty / Anderson.

The bowling coach Cooley has alot to say for the improvement in all our bowlers and alot of the work on them was done on tours but also using the facilities that the National Academy provided.

 

[Richard]

Football season = August to May. Physically impossible to fit cricket around it.

My point exactly.
English football season - too long. AFL\ARU\ARL season - right length.

 

[Richard]

Number of games.

Take the same amount of time, though - that's what matters with regards fitting them around other stuff.

 

[Neil Pickup]

My point exactly.
English football season - too long. AFL\ARU\ARL season - right length.

Which football clubs do you want to kill off, then?

 

[Richard]

Eight members of the squad touring SA have spent time at the academy, including Jones / Harmison / Strauss / Flintoff of the Starting XI.
All 3 of the batsmen next in line (Pieterson / Bell / Key) spent time there as well as Batty / Anderson.

The bowling coach Cooley has alot to say for the improvement in all our bowlers and alot of the work on them was done on tours but also using the facilities that the National Academy provided.

The squad touring South Africa are not the only ones who have contributed to the success of 2004.
When was Strauss with The Academy, BTW? You may be right but I can't remember it OTTOMH.

 

[Richard]

Which football clubs do you want to kill off, then?

That's just the point - once you've created this problem, you're landed with it.
We can't just "kill-off" clubs.