60 years of Test Match Special

[Lillian Thomson]

Any cricket lover who's grown up with cricket in the UK and still has all their own teeth will have listened to Test Match Special intently over the years. The halcyon days are often the days when you're growing up and I still believe the Arlott, Truman, Bailey, Johnston, Martin-Jenkins, Mosey and even Blowers era was the best.

If you have a favourite moment that you heard on radio because there was no TV handy, let's hear about it.

The most famous moment I was forced to listen to on the radio because my late Mother wanted to see the ITN News was Geoff Boycott's 100th hundred in 1977. These days if anyone started batting at 11:30am (the start time for Tests in the UK at the time) and reached their century at ten to six the impatient young audience would be reaching for the anti-mogadons.

 

[Midwinter]

Listening ( in Oz) to Trevor Bailey's description of Warnes' dismissal of Gatting

"A jaffa, A perfect jaffa"

He was astonished !

 

[Lillian Thomson]

No one else wants to commemorate 60 years of TMS? How quickly our institutions are forgotten.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I sometimes listen to that and not Sky when I get sick of the Sky team, which is quite often to be honest.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

John Arlott's description of the first streaker at Lords (he called ait a 'freaker').

As the police ******ed the chap from the ground John observed

"he's male.......... not very pretty ........... and has probably seen his last cricket for the day."

The same man describing Clive Lloyd hitting a boundary in the 1sst World Cup Final "Like a man flicking the top of a heather with his walking cane....."

On the Monday of the 1981 Headingly Test the producer, who was retiring after the match, handed back to Brian Johnson reflecting ruefully that it would for the last time.

"Nonsense" replied Johnners "there will be a great stand this evening and we'll all be back tomorrow to see a great England victory."

The 'leg over' incident. I had been at the game that day and was just approaching a pub when it happened. I had no idea what was going on when they both collapsed with laughter,

Cold winter mornings in the 1970s listening to commentary on the Test series from India - with the likelihood, at any time, of them losing the line.

Waking up on Boxing Day 1986 to hear the news from Melbourne that Australia had been rolled for 150 odd and England were nearly 100 for 1 - since been able to thank two of the England team that day for that one.

Don't need to listen to it often nowadays but I did a couple of years ago and realised just how awful Henry Blofeld is as a commentator.

 

[Stapel]

Henry Blofeld!





Especially how he says:"............., and there's no run"

 

[S.Kennedy]

I like Blowers!

Tuffers and Swann grate on me now. Swann especially. What a prat.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

The last time I heard Blofeld I had the TV on at the same time - of course, there is a time delay so I would hear what was being described a few seconds before it appeared on the screen.

The amount of stuff he got wrong (including the bowler and the striker more than once) and the amount of drivel, often when there was action he should have been describing, was incredible. If someone new to commentary did that badly they might never be heard of again.

 

[S.Kennedy]

Yes but it is Blofeld. It is part of the appeal to hear him chat about pigeons

 

[S.Kennedy]

What does everyone thing of the BBC commentators who do the domestic matches on R5LiveExtra and online? The service is remarkable but there are a few creaky pundits there. Lizzy Ammon's errors. She said the ball had went to Collingwood at slip the other day and it was Notts fielding!!

 

[marc71178]

Blofeld is dreadful. Was bad enough before he got past it but should've been retired by the BBC years ago.

 

[Stapel]

The last time I heard Blofeld I had the TV on at the same time - of course, there is a time delay so I would hear what was being described a few seconds before it appeared on the screen.

The amount of stuff he got wrong (including the bowler and the striker more than once) and the amount of drivel, often when there was action he should have been describing, was incredible. If someone new to commentary did that badly they might never be heard of again.

It's his way of speaking English. It doesn't matter what he says!
Arguably, Michael Holding suffers from that same issue.

On the commentary itself: A former collegue of mine used to do radio commentary (football.....), and he once explained to me there is a thin line between being aware of radio being radio (and thus spicing things up when nothing happens, and leaving things out when too much is happening, and not being bothered about the actual names of the players, and simply telling what people want to hear, independently of what is actually happening), and getting away with too much crap.....

 

[S.Kennedy]

I'd take Blowers's Etonian vowels over Tuffers doing his ''cheeky chirpy ****ney'' act or Swann prattling on about nonsense basically.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

It's his way of speaking English. It doesn't matter what he says!
Arguably, Michael Holding suffers from that same issue.

On the commentary itself: A former collegue of mine used to do radio commentary (football.....), and he once explained to me there is a thin line between being aware of radio being radio (and thus spicing things up when nothing happens, and leaving things out when too much is happening, and not being bothered about the actual names of the players, and simply telling what people want to hear, independently of what is actually happening), and getting away with too much crap.....

A friend of mine does radio commentary - he's one of the BBC county cricket people, and I've also heard him commentate (well) on rugby).

He told me that they are taught the most important thing is accurate player recognition. Of course, this is harder in rugby but should not be difficult in cricket.

And all Blofeld does is get away with crap. He's so far past his best, assuming he ever had a best he should have been retired for professional reasons (those being he's no good).

 

[fredfertang]

I don't think Blowers can afford to retire - was auctioning off his memorabilia recently

 

[S.Kennedy]

He is an institution, Blowers. Cannot get rid of Henry!

 

[Biryani Pillow]

Yes they can.

Very easily.

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Blowers is God. I remember a Test against Pakistan in the late 70's he had spinner Iqbal Quasim bowling a delivery to Don Mosey. I think it was also him (though it might be a disservice) who called Robin Smith Robin Hood.

 

[sledger]

Blowers can be annoying ,but he's far from the worst commentator going.

 

[S.Kennedy]

I have a dvd of Blofeld, doing a speaking/stand up thing. Very funny.