The start of the first-class cricket season in England and Wales. Tradition meets 2021
Thursday 8th April sees the start of the first-class cricket season in England and Wales.
Unless you are enthusiast you may not have noticed (you might struggle not to notice the start of the football season even if you are not a fan).
There are of course no spectators allowed for now (there wouldn’t have been all that many anyway..) but in 2021 the games are live streamed with BBC Test Match Special ball by ball commentary. Hopefully this will spark interest.
The season is at last starting on time this year and will in due course see the launch of the Hundred 10 over competition. E-mails have been arriving about priority booking. I’m no fan of this in principle but we’ll see I guess.
The coverage has been as often underwhelming. As long time Somerset fan Ian Marriott tweeted the BBC decided to mark the start of the season by covering the launch of the Indian Premier League series. It is in my view the best of these limited over series but no marks to the BBC for timing.
Even the Telegraph, usually good on cricket coverage, managed just one page deep inside its sport section.
There is I must admit a wider angle now.
In times past the start of the domestic season was a chance to follow some live cricket for the first time in months, the England winter overseas tours having been completed some-time since. In 2021 you can watch and often enjoy cricket games in a range of formats day and night on Sky and BT Sport.
This week even saw Australian batsman Marcus Labuschagne taking his trousers off while at the crease in a Queensland v NSW Sheffield Shield match being streamed live by Australia Cricket in the early hours UK time.
Suffice to say for those following the story there was no evidence of a hidden toasted cheese sandwich. Perhaps he had already eaten it.
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