There's no doubt about it, I owe a lot of my love for cricket to Channel 4, and its perfect marriage with the historic 2005 Ashes series. The DVD boxset of those highlights is one my most treasured sporting possessions. I would even go as far as to say that I class it as 'sporting memorabilia', so therefore it peeves me when I come across stacks of them for sale in my local pound store, disregarded alongside Action Man rip-offs and low-life batteries.
However, in sport as in life, things move on and England Test matches, both home and away, are now monopolised by Sky Sports. Like it or not, that's just the way it is.
So how does Sky's coverage compare to that masterful effort five years ago? Pretty well, is the honest answer. Having only had access to their satellite coverage for the past couple of months, the hotly-anticipated 2010 Ashes series is my first taste of their live output. I was keen to see how Sky's team went about their business, for commentators and pundits in cricket have a much more important role than those in football, for example. That's just the nature of the game.
You certaintly can't argue against the distinction of their line-up. The programme is fronted by former England captain and 'They Think It's All Over' legend David Gower (above), a calm on-screen presence. The line of ex-skippers doesn't end there, though. Nasser Hussain, Michael Atherton and of course, Sir Ian Botham, have all led their country before taking to the mic. Former coach David 'Bumble' Lloyd makes up the English contingent, with Michael Holding and Shane Warne giving the coverage the balance requires.
That's not to say the output isn't positively pro-England. Hussain and Botham in particular remain fiercely patriotic in all circumstances; the former probably because of the years of pain suffered as player against the old enemy, the latter because of somewhat the opposite. It's a safe bet that the coverage of the home broadcaster, Channel 9, is similarly biased, so it's fair to let it be.
Where Channel Four really shone in was with its commentary. You can have as many graphics and stat packs as you like, but viewers always remember the great moments from Nicholas, Benaud and co. Although, in my eyes, nothing will ever match that, Sky's cohort have found the key balance between analysis and banter that draws and maintains the watcher's interest.
The commentary box lay-out is ideal. Two seats for the main speakers, sandwiched between a chair for the brilliantly-named resident statto, Benedict Bermange, and the 'Third Man', a seat for a designated team member to provide in-depth analysis from as the play unfolds, a role akin to that of Simon Hughes from five years ago.
The styles of commentary? Cambridge-educated Atherton speaks with the quiet authority that one would expect, and he has that journalistic eye. Hussain is just as astute, and speaks with vim about past experiences that really help the viewer, 10,000 miles away in snowy England, to understand the pressure-cooker environment of Down Under.
David Lloyd is the archetypal joker-in-the-pack. Having gained hero status with the British public through his antics in the commentary box and via Twitter, his reputation for tomfoolery often masks the fact that his cricketing brain is as sharp as any. With Shane Warne joining the pack, Lloyd has a merry-andrew partner with whom to entertain viewers and embarrass colleagues.
Sir Ian Botham (below) stands out a bit more, for other reasons. The former all-rounder speaks with assurance, and maybe a little arrogance, and demands the respect that being a giant of English cricket should deserve. I always feel Botham, for all his worth, is a little on the outside of the circle. Whether that's because his fellow commentators feel in his shadow, I'm not sure. Nevertheless, he still adds to the party.
That leaves Michael Holding, an unbiased observer caught in the storm of Ashes rivalry. The team is saturated with former batsman, so to have the perspective of one the world's greatest ever fast bowlers gives Sky's coverage extra brownie points. Nicknamed 'Whispering Death' for his gliding run-up to the crease, Holding takes a similarly ushered approach to commentary, and to hear his voice among the boisterous crossfire is a relaxing tonic.
So, all in all, they do a fine job. The coverage is enjoyable, insightful and interesting, and if the series itself lives up the that great summer of 2005, then my motherly-protection of past glories may ease. I wouldn't put money on it though.
There's just something about sport on Sky that makes it seem distant. Taking cricket as an example, Channel 4's coverage of the 2005 Ashes really made you feel like you were part of it, as if you were actually there.
ReplyDeleteIn 2009, Sky's coverage didn't give you that feel or personality. They may have the best names in cricket punditry, but nothing can make up for that personal touch, that can make televised sport so monumental.