How much will you watch?

[GIMH]

Well yeah obviously some of it is holiday but I've tended to presume one could get 3 Tests' worth at best of holiday.

The law allows everyone who works full-time at least 24 days a year tbh.

I haven't taken much so far this year so if I could I would take the whole lot off, I get 23 days + Bank Holidays, and I have a Lieu Day in the bank from working Easter Monday. I'll probably just end up using them for the sake of it towards the end of the year, god damn it

 

[Shoggz]

Also, some of us have cricket-hating wives who would look quite dimly upon a retort of:

"You take the kids camping dear, whilst I sit and watch the Ashes."

Having already used up some of her goodwill upon the other love of my life (music), my scope for spouse-sympathy is limited.

 

[Jakester1288]

I'll watch as much as I can. Will probably go to bed at 11 on school nights, and stay up all night on weekends.

 

[Richard]

Also, some of us have cricket-hating wives who would look quite dimly upon a retort of:

"You take the kids camping dear, whilst I sit and watch the Ashes."

Having already used up some of her goodwill upon the other love of my life (music), my scope for spouse-sympathy is limited.

Bloody useless, those things.

Still, better than not having a wife at all I guess.

 

[GIMH]

Bloody useless, those things.

Still, better than not having a wife at all I guess.

Said it in the OP and I'll say it again - The Ashes: a great time to be single

 

[chasingthedon]

AFIK the only way to see it on TV here in the States is if you have Direct TV satellite, which I don't, so I resorted to signing up for Willow TV (think it works out about 50 quid for all of the Tests, ODIs and Twenty20) - I watched the Twenty20 WC with them and I have to say I was impressed.

 

[four_or_six]

I would love to watch all of it. Unfortunately, three of the five weekends I have things planned which involve me being in places without Sky. Which is very annoying.

However, I have booked this Friday off work to watch. And I will probably do the same for another one/two days later on.

 

[Craig]

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

If more fathers were like that then the world would be a better place. I will be watching as much as I can as I'm not working ATM, but I start TAFE next Monday, but I don't start till 9 so I will be fine in working something out. Just clashes with my other favourite sporting event, the Tour de France, which will take some planning.

 

[ripper868]

If more fathers were like that then the world would be a better place. I will be watching as much as I can as I'm not working ATM, but I start TAFE next Monday, but I don't start till 9 so I will be fine in working something out. Just clashes with my other favourite sporting event, the Tour de France, which will take some planning.

2 TV's ftw.

 

[Johnners]

I should be able to get in a couple days of the first test, and all of the 2nd (Holidays ). Not sure about the rest though, probably first 2 sessions on weekdays/all nighters on weekends like most other Australians here.

 

[Craig]

2 TV's ftw.

It's all so obvious Either that or multi task.

 

[stumpski]

Off work for first four days of the first Test, and for all of the fifth. In between, can watch all of Friday/Saturday's play (unless going to county games, which I won't do unless we're getting slaughtered) and the last session for all other days. So going to watch around 75-80% I reckon.

 

[Pothas]

Not gettng Sky untill the 17th of July so will miss all of the first test but after that will watch as much as I can but work is likely to mean I miss quite a few days, will ask for as many evening shifts as possible. Can't wait to go see it live though just have to pray and hope for a 5th day at Lords.

 

[four_or_six]

Oh God, just had major panic as my Virgin sky and internet broke for two hours, cue lots of panicked phone calls to Virgin worried that I wouldn't have sky for Wednesday. Thankfully it's just spontaneously fixed itself!

 

[superkingdave]

My ESPN classic is ****ed at the moment, which means i missed out on highlights of the third test in 81

 

[zaremba]

My ESPN classic is ****ed at the moment, which means i missed out on highlights of the third test in 81

They are playing and replaying it on a regular basis, so if you can get it fixed in the next couple of days I suspect you may be ok.

 

[zaremba]

Not gettng Sky untill the 17th of July so will miss all of the first test but after that will watch as much as I can but work is likely to mean I miss quite a few days, will ask for as many evening shifts as possible. Can't wait to go see it live though just have to pray and hope for a 5th day at Lords.

Three words:

Pub. All. Day.

 

[Uppercut]

Three words:

Pub. All. Day.

It's times like these I wish my friends liked cricket.

 

[stumpski]

I occasionally did that in the past, and found that I often recalled little of the post-tea session ...

 

[stumpski]

Cricket on pub TVs is worth a thread to itself I think - very much of a 'grumpy old man' nature from me. I don't mind being the only one watching, or even having to watch with the sound down while horrible music plays - but as soon as the place starts to fill up they switch over to any football match that happens to be on, if it's within an hour of kick-off. Did that once when I'd just bought a pint.