The Convicts Return

[Kiwiwannabe]

Nobody seems to have mentioned the banner that was drapped over one of the balconies in the Trafford Lodge on Sunday. It read:

"I'd rather be an Aussie than a dingle"

Good effort lads and I could see the dingles a few rooms down appreciated it to!

Edited August 16, 2005 by Kiwiwannabe

[Flopsy]

Thats what I heard, the early finish was to do with the TV scheduling. If wrong I appologies to C4

[grizfoot]

At the moment the cricket's more entertaining than the football. Shame they can't play cricket all year round

EDIT: Didn't know where to put this so i'll put it here

Anyone going to watch Lancashire tommorrow ?

It looked very empty on Sky today

Edited August 16, 2005 by grizfoot

[Timmy]

england cricket shirts out selling football ones 3-1-amazing

[stuwilky]

At the moment the cricket's more entertaining than the football. Shame they can't play cricket all year round 

EDIT: Didn't know where to put this so i'll put it here

Anyone going to watch Lancashire tommorrow ?

It looked very empty on Sky today

339524[/snapback]

That was about average for a county game sadly.

I might be there tomorrow and friday.

[blue phil]

As much as Id love it to be on normal TV sky will give the comittment to the cricket that it deserves, not some halfarsed compromise shoehorned in between the Simpsons.

339498[/snapback]

I'd hardly call C4 's excellent coverage a "half arsed compromise" . As far as I'm aware the Simpsons has never interupted the coverage - the only thing that has has been a bit of racing on the Saturdays .

Now I'm sure that Sky will do a good job but the fact that the Beeb seemingly aren't interested - or rather , haven't been forced by the Gov't , to be interested - is a disgrace . Another reason why the licence fee is becoming an anacronism . If the Gov't can't or won't protect the national sporting crown jewels as it promised to do when it came to power , then we might as well abandon ourselves to Murdoch completely .

Enjoy the revival of the national sport while it lasts because once the Aussies have gone and the terrestial TV coverage disappears it'll be back in the dark ages.

[Manchester Blue]

As usual Phil you choose to argue the points you want and ignore the others, so i'll ask you again. What about 20/20? I won't repeat the points as they are just above to read but answer if you can please.

[MCMC1875]

The Times on Tuesday reports Asda's sales of tea, scones and cucumber up 20% during the Ashes! I suppose the commentary teams of R4, C4 and Sky can take some credit for this. Makes a change from replica shirts.

The difficulty for English cricket is that it depends on the weather, whereas football doesn't. There is no doubt that England would have won the third test without Saturday's bad weather. However we are having the benefit of the Ashes in a fine Summer. Consider the reduced interest if the Ashes had been last year, when it hardly stopped raining between 1 July and 31 December. Conversely what effect would Viv Richards have had on local cricket had he played in the Lancs League this Summer, instead of the season he turned out for Rishton, landing by helicopter in a hailstorm, with pitches like blancmonges all Summer. (Still a memorable visit though).

Edited August 18, 2005 by MCMC1875

[Timmy]

I'm going to start The Save Jason Gillespie Campaign

he's the best thing for english batsman since the advant of the willow

[blue phil]

As usual Phil you choose to argue the points you want and ignore the others, so i'll ask you again.  What about 20/20?  I won't repeat the points as they are just above to read but answer if you can please.

339679[/snapback]

Err ...you didn't ask me the first time , Manc . It might help if you'd direct your "questions" to me if you require an answer !

But now that you have .......the 20/20 is a good introduction for newcomers to be introduced to the "real" game and a moneyspinner for the clubs at county level . You're right there - no problem with that ; Sky has it's role to play .

All I'm saying is that it is necessary for the future of the game for the home test matches to be viewed on terrestial TV - a fact that all Govt's in recent years (until this one )have agreed upon . The same goes for Wimbledon , the World Cup and the FA Cup . Will Sky in the future always be willing to devote 5 full days to test matches or will they help kill them off by concentrating on the "easier" viewing of the one dayers and 20/20 games ? You may trust Murdoch with the future of the 5 dayers - I have my reservations . Many apologies if you disagree with me.....

[stuwilky]

Phil, are you seriously suggesting that Sky will not show something they have paid many millions of pounds for?

[blue phil]

Show it - and change it to suit them . Remember when footy used to be a Saturday game ? Who pays the piper calls the tune ...

[Manchester Blue]

Phil I think you are ignoring one important fact and that is that whatever sport Sky cover they do it better than any other. Will they cover 5 days? They'll do 24 hours if they can get away with it. It's ridiculous for someone with an anit-Sky agenda to ignore the benefit Sky has had to sports like Cricket, Rugby, Darts to name just 3. Sports that are given pitiful coverage on the BBC at the expense of the latets reality rubbish.

If you want to point the finger do so at the BBC not at Sky.

[Manchester Blue]

Show it - and change it to suit them . Remember when footy used to be a Saturday game ? Who pays the piper calls the tune ...

339936[/snapback]

There is a rule that says live football cannot be shown at 3pm on a Saturday. There is no such rule in Cricket hence why they will not mess with it. The day/night games which are shown on Sky have far higher crowds than the games played on a Sunday.

[MCMC1875]

Manchester Blue

Can I politely inform you that many, many people do not subscribe to Sky.

Edited August 18, 2005 by MCMC1875

[Manchester Blue]

MCMC I understand that and that's why it's a shame that people may miss out but who's fault is it. It's not Sky's fault they are a business. It's not the ECB they are looking after the game and regardless of what Phil thinks Cricket has been thriving on Sky. Of course the recent boom is down to England but that will always be the case. The ECB have to think long term, and the money from Sky will fund that future, it wasn't a small amount of difference.

[stuwilky]

Manchester Blue

Can I politely inform you that many, many people do not subscribe to Sky.

339945[/snapback]

Really? People dont have sky? bloody hell.

Now is the problem because it wont be available to the "masses" (ch4 audience in the small millions) or that they will "change it"?

Or both?

Or neither?

[blue phil]

If you want to point the finger do so at the BBC not at Sky.

339937[/snapback]

That's what I started off doing - both the Beeb and the Gov't for not protecting the so called sporting crown jewels

Let's just put it this way - I don't want to put money in Murdoch's pocket in order to watch test cricket !!

[stuwilky]

That's what I started off doing - both the Beeb and the Gov't for not protecting the so called sporting crown jewels 

  Let's just put it this way - I don't want to put money in Murdoch's pocket in order to watch test cricket !!

339953[/snapback]

Test cricket isnt one of the crown jewels, and hasnt been for almost ten years.

[pg]

Nice article here about the how a bit of competition has changed the Aussies from surly to smiling :

http://www.theage.com.au/news/cricket/bras...3958181238.html

[MCMC1875]

Now is the problem because it wont be available to the "masses"  (ch4 audience in the small millions) or that they will "change it"?

Or both?

Or neither?

339952[/snapback]

I, for one, will miss out.

[blue phil]

Test cricket isnt one of the crown jewels, and hasnt been for almost ten years.

339963[/snapback]

I'm well aware that this is the case - there was a fuss at the time but not enough of one IMO . It's only now that the impact is beginning to hit home . HERE is a link that summarises the sell out .

Prior to 1999 , the full list of the legally protected Crown Jewels were :

Wimbledon

Fa Cup and Scottish Cup Final

World Cup

Derby and Grand National

Olympic Games

Cricket Test Matches involving England .

Presumably , if logic were to take its course , those who have no objection for the cricket to be "de-selected" would therefore have no objection to all of the above to go then same way ....

[MCMC1875]

Is anyone else hoping for Murdoch's empire to go the same way as the late Robert Maxwell's?

[blue phil]

What ? You mean ending up in a soggy hole on the Mount of Olives ?

Sounds good to me ...

[MCMC1875]

The bigger they are, the harder they fall.