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    Called Blofeld names on here for years, he's been embarrassingly bad in some stints, he just doesn't describe anything any more and half the time you don't know what's going on. "And he runs in and he bowls and... oh, good heavens.... he ru... he runs... yes, he takes a single there and the score moves on, and there's another bus going down the Harleyford road". That said, it is the end of an era as he's the last connection with the Arlott / Swanton / Gibson etc days and I'm sure the BBC will have a fulsome tribute sequence in his final Test.

    Dagnall's fine for the white ball stuff, his rapid style doesn't really seem to suit Tests though.

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      The incompetence is part of the charm. Besides, TMS isn't about describing the cricket - if that's what you want then try Cricinfo's ball-by-ball - it's about experiencing it. I've never been to a cricket match and not spent half the day watching everything but the game itself.

      People expect unstinting technical perfection from commentators when actually a slightly bumbling old buffoon can add so much more enjoyment to the thing. In the same way I warmed to Andy Townsend after deciding to treat the in-and-arounds and the for-mes and the betters as part of some recurring in-joke.

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        I listen to cricket less than I used to, but over the past few years I've been more impressed by the non-BBC commentators than the voices of "home". Bryan Waddle and Jeremy Coney, Jim Maxwell (ABC), Harsha Bogle (does he still do radio?). They seem quite able to entertain me and maintain basic professionalism. A young commentator performing to Blofeld's level wouldn't get hired at any other radio station.

        CMJ was much better at the job, the best of the old guard. He even publicly recanted on the compulsory chumminess with apartheid, so another plus there.

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          Dagnall's alright in small doses, I quite like Simon Mann but Ed Smith is pretty much the best thing on TMS - can't believe someone had a pop at him earlier. Does Norcross even do it any more, I thought he was a failed experiment (in as much as he left any impression on me at all)? Aggers is clearly set to take the elder statesman Johnners/Blowers role now.

          Of the colour men/women, Marks is excellent and I still like Boycott's schtick. Vaughan and Swann still seem a bit eager to be seen as "characters" but don't overstay their welcome. Really warmed to Ebony Rainsford-Brent this year too.

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            Rainford-Brent. No s in there. Sorry, I don't usually correct typos but this one is getting repeated and it's starting to irk me.

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              West Indies got an 11 run victory over India today, to pull the ODI series back to 1-2, with one to play.

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                Having produced a remarkable one day series win in Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe look like they might do the same in the Test. They lead by 316 with 2 wickets left. It's been a very good test actually.

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                  SL need 218 with 7 wickets standing. Zimbabwe are using 4 spinners and they have bowled all the overs in the 4th innings to date. Herath also opened the SL bowling.

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                    Sri Lanka lose their two best batsmen, Kusal Mendis and Mathews both to Cremer early on. Now 229-5 chasing 388. Still in the first session.

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                      118 needed, Lunch break. All 4 innings will pass 300, which doesn't happen often.

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                        Sri Lanka getting closer. Dickwella has had a reprieve from a stumping (which sounds like an error by the TV umpire) and been dropped by the keeper. He's now 72* with Gunaratne 43*. The lack of support for Cremer may be the key.

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                          Pic of the stumping. Assuming batsman is going back into crease that should be out

                          Dickwella out now - added 40+ runs since that

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                            Fingers crossed for Zimbabwe, but that stumping looks like a major clanger.

                            Going back to TMS, I think it's great at the moment, and crucially the glue that holds it all together is Simon Mann. I used to think he was dull – I was completely wrong. He's superb. He's also extremely funny. You just need to look for it. Ed Smith also has a nice line is self-deprecation. There was a moment a while back when Ed Smith, Graeme Swann and Daniel Norcross were all nerding out in different ways, bringing very detailed and playful analysis to a particular issue, and it felt like a new generation and approach compared to Agnew.

                            Of course any discussion of TMS is incomplete without their incredible statistician Andrew Samson –*the advance of Samson on the likes of Ashton and Frindall is comparable to how Sky's Nasser and Atherton have advanced commentary over the old school BBC safe hands like Tony Lewis and Jack Bannister.

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                              Frindall was hindered by lack of technology compared to the current period. Wendy Wimbush is worth a shout-out.

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                                Originally posted by Satchmo Distel View Post
                                Frindall was hindered by lack of technology compared to the current period. Wendy Wimbush is worth a shout-out.
                                Frindall reinvented scoring. I remember borrowing his book on the new scoring system from the local library and copying his sheets, line by line. And then I sat in front of the telly for five days, trying out the system.

                                Incidentally, I was at the last game he attended, in Dubai in 2009, just before he was taken ill by Legionnaire's Disease.

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                                  John Bracewell will resign as Irish coach in December - yes, the team have been badly affected by retirements, but his coaching tenure has been chequered, to put it mildly.

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                                    Originally posted by Kevin S View Post
                                    Is the idea that cricket in the US will be organised by direct rule from the ICC?
                                    https://dc.curbed.com/2017/7/17/1598...ports-ventures

                                    Or it's more like we'll have a league and real estate plopped down upon us from the marketing gods.

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                                      Fair play on all that Bill Frindell shizzle.

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                                        Originally posted by jefe View Post
                                        https://dc.curbed.com/2017/7/17/1598...ports-ventures

                                        Or it's more like we'll have a league and real estate plopped down upon us from the marketing gods.
                                        They may want to read Netherland by Joseph O'Neill on fictional American cricket skulduggery.

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                                          Women’s World Cup success moves cricket closer to Olympic return in 2024

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                                            India 399-3 after Day 1 v SL. Dhawan has an all time great middle session

                                            http://www.espncricinfo.com/story/_/...6-runs-session

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                                              The TMS podcast has two hour long programmes celebrating its 60th anniversary. Titled Your TMS it has a bunch of memories of members of the public. Some great archive footage. Warning: contains party leaders and poetry.

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                                                Link to the TMS at 60 show here

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                                                  I saw a BT Sport trailer today that mentioned The Ashes, have Sky lost them?

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                                                    Sky lost all Australia's home series for the period 2016-2021 (five seasons) http://www.bbc.com/news/business-34038149

                                                    Not sure which commentators BT will use.

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