It seems to be common knowledge without an official announcement that test match cricket is coming back to free to air tv on Channel 4 starting on Friday with England’s 4 test match, 5 t20 internationals and 3 ODIs. According to the rumour mill, the white ball portion of the tour is due to be shared between Channel 4 and BT Sport. Make no bones about it, test match cricket is great, it’s really great, not only is it the best form of cricket but it’s the one of the best forms of any sport.
The last time any England test match was shown on terrestrial tv was in 2005, that Ashes series being widely regarded as the greatest series ever. But September 12th 2005 was the last time we’d see it for free on television. When umpire Rudi Koertzen decided he wanted to be part of the moment that saw England’s first Ashes series win since 1987 by walking out to the middle and knocking off the bails at the Oval, test match cricket being for the many and not the few in the UK died.
The first Test match starts at 4am UK time on Friday, and I implore you to watch it. Though you may not be like me, I’ll be sitting in my slippers dressing gown and pants (ladies form an orderly queue) with a cup of tea, at 4am eagerly awaiting the next 5 days of drama to unfold.
Don’t think that if you do choose to watch some of the cricket over the next few weeks you’re going to see England win, it’s a massive ask to win in India, they rarely lose a game at home let alone a series. So skipper Joe Root and his band of merry men, with a weak spin department and potentially fragile top order will have to be at their very best to come home with with a vital series win to keep their hopes up of getting to the World Test Championship final.
If you haven’t watched the cricket before, please do, please. Give it a chance, I guarantee you’ll fall in love with Jofra Archer bowling 95mph rockets, Joe Root’s exquisite batting, Ben Stokes being Ben Stokes, it may also be the last chance for a generation to see the two best fast bowlers England have ever had, James Anderson and Stuart Broad with over 1000 test match wickets combined. You’ll also get to see arguably the best batsman on the planet at the moment in Virat Kholi.
The sport has been lost to a generation of new comers, who could have by chance come across England games during the summer, become fans just as I did in summer 2003 when England played South Africa. An hourly highlight programme on channel 5, doesn’t do a days test match cricket justice, there have been signs of life for free to air cricket to return. The BBC had nightly highlights of the games last summer against the West Indies, Ireland and Pakistan, having one t20 against Pakistan broadcast live on a Sunday lunchtime. The first live England on free to air tv since the triumphant World Cup final win in 2019.
Imagine seeing the highest of highs in 2005, then being able to watch two live games in 15 years, so please, again, put it on, have it on, even if you’ve decided you don’t like cricket, put it on, the more people that watch it the better. It could be vital to introduce a whole new market to this fabulous game. And if the figures do well it could very well encourage Channel 4 or the BBC to bid for the rights for future series.
England might not win, they might lose every game, but don’t miss the chance to help stop cricket becoming a secondary sport behind football and rugby.
Finally, what else have you got to do at the moment but watch it and belt out Jerusalem while it’s still dark outside?
Cheers, The Fat Man
Fat Lad Sports 