Mark Nicholas

[PY]

Of all the NZ commentators I would say Jeremy Coney is the best IMO. He is vastly under-rated as a commentator.

I'm a big big fan of Coney as well. When he did the NZ-Eng series on TMS, him and Aggers was one of the best combinations I think I've heard on any of the media in last 5 years.

 

[Richard]

Actually, I think Hussain is good for the commentary box - he offers us actual insight into the thinking of Team England rather than pure speculation on the part of others. His words on why Giles bowls over the wicket I found very interesting and insightful indeed - it was good to actually hear why this was done, and in a way, the tactic as it was explained makes perfect sense for Giles because he's not a huge turner of the ball.

He was at Lord's!
So was Omari Banks.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Actually, I think Hussain is good for the commentary box - he offers us actual insight into the thinking of Team England rather than pure speculation on the part of others. His words on why Giles bowls over the wicket I found very interesting and insightful indeed - it was good to actually hear why this was done, and in a way, the tactic as it was explained makes perfect sense for Giles because he's not a huge turner of the ball.

What exactly was he saying? It would interest me.

 

[gio]

Agreed on whoever mentioned Foxy. Graham Fowler is a legend, best summariser around imho.

I like Mark nicholas. He's a good frontman, and gets very excited. I'm not a big fan of the commentators that keep quiet and mumble on. You need lively commentators, Nicholas gets very excited, and its great to hear. I just wish C4 would take a leaf out of Sky Sports book and talk more often. Ian Ward (a commentator with potential), Bumble, Colville, Both are always talking and its interesting and amusing. Willis and Allot are a bit boring at times. Willis is always so negative and monotonous. He rarely gets exicted.

On the point of highlights show, thats not his fault. C4 commisioners decide on the length. half an hour isn't enough to show cricket highlights, but C4 can't seem to understand that. That ain't Nicholas fault though.

 

[Langeveldt]

Agreed on whoever mentioned Foxy. Graham Fowler is a legend, best summariser around imho.

I like Mark nicholas. He's a good frontman, and gets very excited. I'm not a big fan of the commentators that keep quiet and mumble on. You need lively commentators, Nicholas gets very excited, and its great to hear. I just wish C4 would take a leaf out of Sky Sports book and talk more often. Ian Ward (a commentator with potential), Bumble, Colville, Both are always talking and its interesting and amusing. Willis and Allot are a bit boring at times. Willis is always so negative and monotonous. He rarely gets exicted.

On the point of highlights show, thats not his fault. C4 commisioners decide on the length. half an hour isn't enough to show cricket highlights, but C4 can't seem to understand that. That ain't Nicholas fault though.

Good post..

Yeah I've got a lot of time for foxy fowler.. He gives a cheerful friendly summary of stuff, and is a voice of experience.. He has probably faced his fair share of hostile fast bowling.. Shame he does not feature on Sky Sports NCL coverage.. He is probably my second bloke after Aggers...

 

[marc71178]

He was at Lord's!
So was Omari Banks.

But outside the subcontinent?

That must be an anomaly or something?

Otherwise, why did Banks and Giles play when fingerspinners are useless outside the subcontinent?

 

[Richard]

Of course it's an anomaly - last time a pitch in England turned like this was The Oval 1997!
It's not exactly as if Banks was a rip-roaring success - his waywardness negated the substantial help in the pitch. At the time I could scarecly comprehend the fact but I now see exactly how easy it was for him to go for 200-whatever-it-was on his Test-debut - he'd almost certainly have gone for that and some had England not collapsed so spectacularly on the second-day.
But just because they played doesn't mean anything.
What was significant was that both turned the ball.
Fingerspinners are useless except on pitches like this, not except in the subcontinent - haven't you given-up trying to misquote me yet?

 

[Craig]

Actually, I think Hussain is good for the commentary box - he offers us actual insight into the thinking of Team England rather than pure speculation on the part of others. His words on why Giles bowls over the wicket I found very interesting and insightful indeed - it was good to actually hear why this was done, and in a way, the tactic as it was explained makes perfect sense for Giles because he's not a huge turner of the ball.

He is good in that regard.

We know Harmison is good etc. but he does seem to push that point.

 

[masterblaster]

Oh come on, Mark Nicholas isn't that bad is he?

He was down here in Australia with Channel 9 and he did a decent job. Not great, but decent.

Hussain isn't too bad, just a little dull. Why do the Sky commentary team go out of their way and make a cricket game seem so dull?

Channel 9 go out and out on making it exciting with Bill Lawry, Tony Greig and Ian Healy, why is Sky so different?

I didn't find Mark Nicholas too bad, for once there was an excitable sort of British Commentator.

 

[a massive zebra]

Why do the Sky commentary team go out of their way and make a cricket game seem so dull?

I much prefer the Sky commentary team to the Channel 4 one. Benaud is a legend and Boycott knows what he is talking about, but Reeve is a completely biased prat, Nicholas is a disgrace and Atherton is boring with some strange opinions. All the Sky commentary team, except Willis and Hussain, are interesting, while Lloyd and Fowler are very entertaining.

 

[Richard]

Really, how anyone can dislike Bob Willis as a commentator is beyond me.
Just waiting in anticipation for him to describe something as "rubbish" in his unique way makes any Sky game worth watching for me.
Personally I don't have any great objection to any commentary team but it's always been ambiguous for me that the C9 team (Bill Lawry and Tony Greig esp.) get far, far more excited about things than most on Sky do. And only Mark and Dermot on C4 do with any regularity.
The closest I've ever heard Richie go is "well, they're just not learning at all, the Australian bowlers" when continually pitching short to Botham at Old Trafford in '81 and being hammered to all corners.

 

[Arjun]

The local channel shows matches in England covered by Sky Sports, with David Gower, Paul Allott, Bob Willis, you know them, as commentators, but not Mark Nicholas. Is this the same Sky Sports or Sky Digital (a.k.a. "Press the red button") most posters are getting? Or is it Channel 4?

 

[Richard]

If you're watching outside England the chances are you'll get C4 for all Test-matches except the second of the summer, and Sky for that second and all the ODIs.
If you're watching in England you get this for the live stuff, and highlights of everything on both.
Sky is Charles Colville, Bob Willis, Paul Allott, David Lloyd, David Gower, Ian Botham and sometimes some others, usually invitational commentators, Michael Holding being probably the most popular.
C4 is Richie Benaud, Mark Nicholas and Dermot Reeve, with Simon Hughes the analyst, Michael Atherton from 2002 onwards, Geoff Boycott from 2004 onwards, and sometimes Barry Richards, Ian Smith and Ian Bishop, usually depending on who's touring but not always.
TMS, the radio, meanwhile, is Peter Baxter, Jonathan Agnew, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Henry Blofeld, Bill Frindall and sometimes invitational commentators. None of them have ever let me down and all are exceptional at their trade.

 

[SpaceMonkey]

If you're watching outside England the chances are you'll get C4 for all Test-matches except the second of the summer, and Sky for that second and all the ODIs.
If you're watching in England you get this for the live stuff, and highlights of everything on both.

I think sky do all the games to australia commentary wise. Thats why they have proper commentary during the highlights of the tests that are shown on ch4 anyway.

 

[Arjun]

How can one the difference between C4's coverage and that of Sky? The coverage for Tests (both legs of the summer) and ODI's appears to be very much the same.

 

[Richard]

I think sky do all the games to australia commentary wise. Thats why they have proper commentary during the highlights of the tests that are shown on ch4 anyway.

David told me they get C4 for the Tests which we get them live.
Maybe it's different in ACT than others...

 

[Swervy]

TMS, the radio, meanwhile, is Peter Baxter, Jonathan Agnew, Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Henry Blofeld, Bill Frindall and sometimes invitational commentators. None of them have ever let me down and all are exceptional at their trade.

yeah i love listening to TMS..it was **** funny the other day when they were going on about blue shirts etc and then Viv Richards started singing

 

[Richard]

Yeah, I heard about that, sadly I didn't hear it.

 

[Tom Halsey]

Atherton is boring with some strange opinions.

Lol.

The other day he said that Murali was a chucker, but even so, should be allowed to play the game.

Now, if someone isn't a chucker, fine. If someone is, surely they can't play the game until they've rectified the problem!

Please not, I'm NOT trying to start another Murali debate at all. We already have a thread for that.

 

[marc71178]

If you're watching outside England the chances are you'll get C4 for all Test-matches except the second of the summer, and Sky for that second and all the ODIs.

Which is why Arjun has just said he's watching the Sky coverage then?