The First ‘post-COVID’ cricket Test in the world & the return of Test Match Special
The First Test between England and the West Indies ended on Sunday with the West Indies winning by 4 wickets. It was rather gripping and important game, for wider reasons, though that might not have been guessed beforehand.
After all it was at the Aegas Bowl near Southampton a venue regarded as being difficult to get to. In addition it was a contractual obligation game. If it hadn’t have taken place the England and Welsh cricket authority would have owed Sky and the BBC money.
Yet because the game was played in a COVID secure ground it being difficult to get too was a plus. The ECB and West Indies cricket put a huge amount of effort into getting the game on, the first Test anywhere in the world for many months.
It rained on the first day- a traditional English summer- which allowed powerful statements from the former West Indies bowler Michael Holding and ex England women’s International cricketer Ebony Rainford Brent in support of Black Lives Matter and against racism in cricket to get maximum coverage. When the game did start all the players and officials took the knee. Its just a start of course but a powerful one.
The match itself was a great example of the ebb and flow of cricket even without spectators.
It was covered as usual by Sky on TV but it also saw the live return of the BBC’s ball by ball commentary Test Match Special.
I’ve been a listener since the 1960s and I suspect only the Archers has a longer radio longevity.
Cricket, the world and Test Match Special has changed a good deal since then and while TMS is sometimes accused of being rather rooted in a rosy past in 2020 its bang uptodate.
Of course there were the old timers, the familiar and reassuring tones of Jonathan Agnew,and Phil Tufnell and Michael Vaughan. In the recent past former England captain Sir Alastair Cook has joined the team and one hopes he’ll hang around. He sounds very much like part of the future of TMS.
Added to the old and not so old white blokes as it were, for this series there is the former West Indies Test player Carlos Brathwaite, an accomplished and professional broadcaster and Alison Mitchell who has played a significant role for well over a decade in promoting the importance of women broadcasting on cricket. Finally Isa Guha, the former women’s cricket England international has joined the team and also anchors a nightly TV highlights programme at last back on the BBC.
In tough and uncertain times the familiarity of TMS but one in-line with the concerns and issues of the day was it must be said a real tonic.
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