What We Love About the BBC's Ashes Test Match Special
At the time of
writing, it is a little over 48 hours until the first ball is bowled in this
classic sporting battle of two old foes. The Ashes has few parallels in modern
sport in regards to its gruelling competitiveness and rivalry, but as with many
contests, it is the quality of the coverage that its success relies on.
Test Match Special
(otherwise known as TMS) has been providing ball-by-ball commentary of England
cricket since 1957, and in that time it has developed a huge fan base (just shy
of 50k Facebook likes currently), as well as a reputation as one of the finest
sports broadcasts in the world.
But what is it
about TMS that we find so compelling?
Wit
and Humour
There's a lot of
cricket to be played during one day of a test match, but even so, there is
plenty of quiet moments which need to be filled. This is where the TMS team
excel, delivering moments of great hilarity. Take this unintentional double
entendre by TMS presenter Jonathon Agnew:
http://youtu.be/PtvYt28hD8I
Geoffrey Boycott's
commentary can be especially entertaining, with his no nonsense and
uncompromising Yorkshire personality leading to a Take-No-Prisoners approach to
cricket analysis that is frankly some of the best around.
Expert
Cricket Analysis
The banter of TMS
is one of its unique selling points, but it still requires that expert analysis
to paint a vivid picture of what is happening on the pitch. The TMS team are
made up of former pro's that include some of the finest players to have graced
the sport, all of whom can speak eloquently about even the most minor of details
without losing the audience.
The commentary
teams change around on a regular basis - perhaps every 20 minutes or so - and yet retain the same impeccably high
standards of analysis at all times. Talk about strength in depth.
As
Relaxing as it is Enthralling
The final overs of
an epic test may well have you on the edge of your seat, but for long periods
of the match it can be quite sedate, but far from descending into boredom, TMS
ensures that when the action isn't quite so intense you can sit back and relax
as you enjoy pure audible ambrosia.
There is something
especially comforting about listening to a broadcast from the sunshine of
Australia on a cold British night, transporting you to the other side of the
world and - in spirit at least - into the warmth of the Ashes down under.
What do you think
it is about cricket commentary that sets it apart from analysis of any other
sport? Let us know in the comments.
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