Big Bash League 2013/14 Thread
- Thread starter Ljp86
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troll3y
Active Member
What did we all think of Channel Ten's coverage? I reckon they did alright for themselves, though it didn't spark my fleeting interest in the tournament in the same way that Fox Sports did last year. The commentary team is their weakest area, I think -- purely on cadence and intonation, there weren't any voices that really stood out; there were some good levels of insight from the experts, but no outstanding voice whose dulcet tones are immediately recognisable and reassuring. No one to anchor the commentary, I guess. Mel McLaughlin did well as host, and it's great to see a female host in a sport where women really get overlooked, but during the game I think Ten needs an expert cricketing commentator instead of just an expert cricketer. Someone drew comparisons to Ten's AFL coverage, and Ten perhaps needs to firmly establish its cricketing style. It was a worrying at times that bigger deals weren't made of things like batsmen's milestones.
The on-screen graphics are suave yet borderline gaudy, especially with all those hovering spheres, but I don't at all mind them so long as it doesn't become too... 'American', for lack of a better word. Just don't overdo it, I say. I was also a little worried about the intrusion of most segments having naming right (Rexona Pitch Map, etc), but thankfully it stopped short of "DLF Maximums". The Hawkeye wagon wheel looked really ugly at first, with the playing surface elevated on a pedestal and a massive surrounding trench, until someone on Twitter compared it to Tron and made me realise that it sort of does fit in with the neon stylistic theme of the tournament. Ten just has to be really careful to keep the coverage cricketing and not continue to turn T20 cricket into a tawdry circus -- keep the celebrities and gimmicks to a minimum, and focus on the colour and cricket.
The on-screen graphics are suave yet borderline gaudy, especially with all those hovering spheres, but I don't at all mind them so long as it doesn't become too... 'American', for lack of a better word. Just don't overdo it, I say. I was also a little worried about the intrusion of most segments having naming right (Rexona Pitch Map, etc), but thankfully it stopped short of "DLF Maximums". The Hawkeye wagon wheel looked really ugly at first, with the playing surface elevated on a pedestal and a massive surrounding trench, until someone on Twitter compared it to Tron and made me realise that it sort of does fit in with the neon stylistic theme of the tournament. Ten just has to be really careful to keep the coverage cricketing and not continue to turn T20 cricket into a tawdry circus -- keep the celebrities and gimmicks to a minimum, and focus on the colour and cricket.
troll3y
Active Member
I should disclaim that I was probably more interested in the Twitter updates for the RSA-India Test match and the Pakistan-SL ODI later on, but I at least made an effort to watch and critique Ten's coverage from start to finish. I just might even give the Sydney derby a look tonight.
nairbe
Active Member
Yea watched the derby and well the commentary on Ten is to put it nicely, plain. The guys need to find some character in their commentary, Mark Waugh for all his ability and generally good comments is dull because his voice is such. Probably a first year learning curve as i really want them to do well because i cannot stand the hard sell infomercial that nine has become.
