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Looking ahead to some winter warmers

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Adam Mountford | 14:16 UK time, Friday, 2 November 2007

Our next action on will be commentary on England's Test tour to Sri Lanka. Although this is traditionally one of the toughest of all trips, England go into the tour in good spirits after the over the same opponents in October.

It was particularly good to see how well Graeme Swann performed in his return to the England side. has been a good friend to ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ Radio over the last few years - summarising at this year’s Twenty20 Finals day and offering his quirky observations on the game during Gabby Logan's Saturday morning Five Live programme. It will be fascinating to see how well Swann will do if he can win selection in the Test side.

I thought you may be interested in our selection for the TMS team touring Sri Lanka.

³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ cricket correspondent Jonathan Agnew is of course leading our team - but I am delighted to say that joining us for the first time will be the man known to cricket fans as "the Analyst".

Yes, Simon Hughes will be part of our commentary team in Sri Lanka. Hughes, who played a key role in , now works for Channel 5 and , and will be offering TMS listeners his unique perspective during this three-match series.

Phil Mustard, England; Tillakaratne Dilshan

Aggers and the "Analyst" will be joined by the ever-popular Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Sri Lankan broadcaster Roshan Abeysinghe, former Sri Lanka batsman and TMS favourites Vic Marks and Angus Fraser. Our ball-by-ball commentary will start from 0445 on Saturday, 1 December on 5 Live Sports Extra and Radio 4 long wave - so set your alarm clocks early.

I am also delighted to confirm that TMS will have ball-by-ball commentary on England's matches in New Zealand at the start of the new year. Our commentary starts with the Twenty20 International from Christchurch on Tuesday 5 February and includes five ODIs and three Test matches.

Geoff Boycott will be part of our commentary team in New Zealand, fresh from being named recently in a cricket magazine as the country’s most popular commentator. However, I don't think former England coach Duncan Fletcher voted for Boycott by the look of this week’s serialisation of "Behind the Shades"! I would also guess that another TMS name, Henry Blofeld, won't be exchanging Christmas cards with him.

You will be able to see the first broadcast interview with Fletcher following the publication of the book on on Monday evening (5 November), on ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ One. I don't think it was a coincidence that the publishers chose Bonfire Night to launch Fletcher's book - it seems to have led to plenty of fireworks. Fletcher will also be a guest on Simon Mayo's 5 Live show on Tuesday afternoon (6 November) from 1300.

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  • 1.
  • At 04:37 PM on 02 Nov 2007,
  • Trapper John wrote:

Any word, Adam, as to whether either or both of the tours will be available to overseas listeners on the internet?

  • 2.
  • At 07:17 PM on 02 Nov 2007,
  • M.Harvie wrote:

I am glad to see the inclusion of Arnold and Abeysinghe in your TMS team for the Sri Lanka tour. They can both benefit immensely from working with the other members of the team. Sri Lanka needs good cricket commentators. This is a big step towards that goal. Arnold has made a good start to his TV analysis and this experience will be priceless to him. Thanks.

  • 3.
  • At 05:58 AM on 03 Nov 2007,
  • Simon wrote:

Simon Hughes is an excellent addition to the team - his views are always enlightening.

I would also like to add my voice to those calling for the TMS commentary to be available to overseas listeners. There are (usually) other options, but it's not the same. Would be willing to subscribe if the service could be made available.

Thanks!

  • 4.
  • At 10:52 AM on 03 Nov 2007,
  • ben wrote:

any chance of TV higlights????

  • 5.
  • At 12:57 PM on 03 Nov 2007,
  • James wrote:

Simon Hughes is probably the best analyst around, and I am looking forward to hearing his fascinating insights into a range of topics.

Thanks, Adam!

  • 6.
  • At 10:45 PM on 03 Nov 2007,
  • Saul wrote:

I've just come back from a week in Sri Lanka. Managed to visit the Galle cricket ground (venue for 3rd Test) - or should I say the Galle Building Site!

No very obvious where the TMS team will be watching the game from at present. Nor the players for the matter!

  • 7.
  • At 11:43 PM on 03 Nov 2007,
  • kate benton wrote:

Good to see that TMS will be keeping me entertained this winter even if it means geting up at an unearthly hours to listen to it. I was wondering who is joining the team in New Zealand.

  • 8.
  • At 08:58 AM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • Dr. Cajetan Coelho wrote:

Nice to know in advance from Adam Mountford about this formidable panel of Jonathan Agnew, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Angus Frazer, Simon Hughes, Vic Marks and the versatile Geoff Boycott who would be keeping us upto date with the latest action in Sri Lanka and later in New Zealand. Best wishes to Roshan Abeysinghe, Russel Arnold and their distinguised overseas colleagues in the commentary box.

  • 9.
  • At 09:19 AM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • Dr. Cajetan Coelho wrote:

Nice to know in advance from Adam Mountford about this formidable panel of Jonathan Agnew, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Angus Frazer, Simon Hughes, Vic Marks and the versatile Geoff Boycott who would be keeping us upto date with the latest action in Sri Lanka and later in New Zealand. Best wishes to Roshan Abeysinghe, Russel Arnold and their distinguised overseas colleagues in the commentary box.

  • 10.
  • At 09:30 AM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • Dr. Cajetan Coelho wrote:

Nice to know in advance from Adam Mountford about this formidable panel of Jonathan Agnew, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Angus Frazer, Simon Hughes, Vic Marks and the versatile Geoff Boycott who would be keeping us upto date with the latest action in Sri Lanka and later in New Zealand. Best wishes to Roshan Abeysinghe, Russel Arnold and their distinguised overseas colleagues in the commentary box.

  • 11.
  • At 10:08 AM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • Mike wrote:

Great TMS team, I am looking forward to hearing them in action.

Also I would like to support the call for international access for overseas listeners via the internet and would support Simon's post saying we would happily subscribe to the service.

  • 12.
  • At 11:45 AM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • mark wrote:

thank goodness no arlo white, and just decent commentators for a change.

  • 13.
  • At 06:09 PM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • thomas mc shefrey wrote:

u say were a rich nation how about the british tv fan getting more cricket on terrestrial tv instead of greedy sky getting the whole lot

  • 14.
  • At 06:50 PM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • anonymous wrote:

why cant bbc just show the test series and any cricket that england plays on one of their channels?
Why can't bbc buy the rights of sky so they can broadcast englands domestic and away fixtures. Commentary is useless because of the upcoming p2p streams that broadcast actual cricket over the internet illegally. The bbc has plenty of money so i think that it is about time we can view cricket on normal t.v again, instead of subscribing to a costly sky package which do not give you what its worth for the money you pay!

Thankyou for reading to my comments,
and i hope you take some points i raised in to account!
FRom a huge cricket fan!

ADam

FIrstly, thanks for another great article, but can I ask why we are beginning to hear less and less of Blowers, the voice of cricket

  • 16.
  • At 11:14 PM on 04 Nov 2007,
  • Andrew Findlater wrote:

The ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ hardly has "plenty of money". It has reduced its staffing by a couple of thousand to save costs. There is not as big an audience for daytime Test cricket as you would think and the rights are very expensive. Ideally the government should intervene so that we get the two summer Lords tests and one or two overseas tests, but this is unlikely. Unless Five takes a pop (very unlikely) I can't see cricket moving back to terrestrial.

  • 17.
  • At 11:13 AM on 05 Nov 2007,
  • steve vaughan wrote:

This is a impressive set of commentators you got lined up for the audio coverage. But I do think tht the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ could quite easily briing highlights of the mathches at least every night. many cricket fans do not have the sky coverage available so this would bring in an good audience. Finally, i hope that the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ bids for the england cricket rights for 2009 as they promised earlier. We need the cricket bac k on terrestrial TV inorder for cricket to overtake rugby again as the nations favourite sport after football and so wwe can relive those mmoments again.

  • 18.
  • At 02:10 PM on 05 Nov 2007,
  • ben willmott wrote:

Boycs is always interesting to listen to- he doesn't water his comments down.
Nice to hear Simon again, haven't done since Channel 4 cricket was on.
As for Arlo White, he's OK, but not a cricket specialist- which i think are better.

  • 19.
  • At 03:35 PM on 05 Nov 2007,
  • Lisa Odom wrote:

All this talk about ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ TV having coverage of the cricket. Doesn't anybody remember the bad old days of ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ coverage when the cricket was shared with every sport that was on ie "after this over we're just popping over to the horse racing/tennis etc. despite there being 2 ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ channels At least with Sky its not interrupted and I think I remember one of the ECB chairman saying that unless the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ could guarantee uninterrupted covereage then cricket was better off on Sky and I totally agree even though I don't have Sky myself - I listen to it instead. So I think that people that want the cricket back on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ are not true cricket fans because I'm sorry but it used to drive me mad.

  • 20.
  • At 03:53 PM on 05 Nov 2007,
  • Rob wrote:

Great line up - especially Vic Marks. Particularly looking forward to the Aggers/Victor dream team.

As to Blowers' absence - I for one am pleased that we appear to be hearing less and less of his gaffes, affectations and meaningless drivel. I listen to TMS for accurate commentary with entertaining and interesting conversation thrown in. It's been a long time since Blowers provided that...

  • 21.
  • At 08:25 AM on 06 Nov 2007,
  • Ranjan wrote:

Roshan Abeysinghe is a very good commentator. Whatever happened to Lucian Wijesinghe? He was a brilliant commentator who has worked for the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ for many years. He used to live somewhere in England. I think he still does.

  • 22.
  • At 09:47 AM on 06 Nov 2007,
  • Peter Ward wrote:

Does anyone know if Bill "The Bearded Wonder" Frinall is going along to Sri Lanka with the TMS team as their ever-reliable scorer?

Great commentary line up, I'll be in Sri Lanka for all three tests and I hope to meet them all (especially Bill!).

  • 23.
  • At 10:09 AM on 06 Nov 2007,
  • Nixk wrote:

Looking forward to the commentary - nice to see Simon Hughes on board.

How about some more from Mark Saggers? I thought he did a splendid job this summer.

  • 24.
  • At 08:50 PM on 06 Nov 2007,
  • Anonymous wrote:

Where is Arlo White???! He is my favourite commentator and I think the future of TMS.

  • 25.
  • At 12:04 PM on 07 Nov 2007,
  • Richard wrote:

Forgive my ignorance but is there anything specific that fuels the animosity between Blowers and Boycs? And even if there is bad blood between them surely the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ should line them up anyway, for the contrast between Blowers' amusing pomposity vs Boycs' charmless but insightful character?

  • 26.
  • At 12:11 PM on 08 Nov 2007,
  • Stephen F wrote:

"So I think that people that want the cricket back on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ are not true cricket fans."

That's nonsense - people like me want the cricket back on the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ because we are true cricket fans, wanting the game to be available to everyone. Yes, TMS is superb, but I would like to be able to watch some action as well during the year.

Also, great to hear that 'The Analyst' will be on board.

  • 27.
  • At 07:33 PM on 08 Nov 2007,
  • David Shield wrote:

Good studd Adam.

Glad you have given us details of the commentary team for the Sri Lanka test series. I always like to know in advance which commentators the ³ÉÈËÂÛ̳ will use.

Simon Hughes will be interesting, a good idea and I'm looking forward to hearing him. I've read a book of his about his dream to work on TMS.

For me pity no Simon Mann but you can't argue with the line up of Aggers, CMJ and Roshan and you can never have too much Vic Marks.

One reply mentions Bill Frindall. I know from past seasons he hasn't travelled to the sub continent for those tours. But he did do the last tour to New Zealand so I hope he will this time.

Looking forward to it.

  • 28.
  • At 11:01 PM on 10 Nov 2007,
  • Robert Boswell wrote:

The bad blood between Blowers and Boycs stems from 1998 when henry refused to give Boycs a reference when he had that assult business in France

Howsver, I feel they have commentated togetther since then.

Thanks

Robert Boswell

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