Sky Sports Ashes Coverage - Full Of Wonder?

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offbreakdoosra

offbreakdoosra

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Anyone else being really impressed with Sky sports cricket coverage of this Ashes series?

Must say, I have been... Seems like they have really kicked it up a notch. In particular, the umpteen tutorials on batting and fielding techniques within the "Ashes Zone" feature; usually broadcasted within the pre-match build up, before each day's play.

As yet, very little fast bowling or spin bowling stuff... but they did do s brilliant 20 minute presentation on reverse swing; how and why it occurs, how different elite bowlers use it to their advantage (bowling it at different lines and lengths) etc. Really good stuff I thought.

Nasser and Shane have been demonstrating fielding techniques and theories, Straussy has been back in the nets; teaching the basics of batting, followed by a more advance tutorial on opening the batting; facing 90 mph fast-bowling and seeing off the new ball. Nasser and Shane even joined force again, to discuss how to bat against top quality spin.

Also, SKY Sports are providing in-depth analysis on the individual players on the English and Aussie teams. No longer the hurried "Third Man" feature within the live commentary, but calculated analysis from info & data, collated days, months or even years before. Though it's often pre-recorded and scripted, it ensures that everything stated and demonstrated is correct and is articulated to the audience concisely

It has all been accurate, clear, informative and incisive... with video footage and graphics to back it all up. Sky Sports have definitely been a concerted effort to give the audience a more technical analysis of the game. Most likely instigated by the ample technology on offer. Hawkeye, touch screens, live-superimposed 3D reconstructions (whatever they are) ... and lots more.

Yes, to some, it may seem a little too gimmicky, but to an armchair cricket fan like myself, it gives a great insight to the elite game and it is well presented too (hats off to Ian Ward in particular). The Sky Sport website has a couple of vids of the good work they've done so far... (Trying not to sound too much like a Murdoch mouthpiece here... and failing...)

But seriously, Cricket, especially this Ashes series, should be free for the wider viewing public to enjoy & it is a total shame that only a fraction of the UK gets to rejoice in England's Ashes victories, but at least the paying public are now getting something unique from Sky Sports that might be worth paying for.

Any thoughts, anyone else?
 
It's light years ahead of the rubbish that channel 9 dish up over here that's for sure.

Only really find Nasser slightly annoying as a commentator. Hated Vaughn as a player but like his commentary pre-game, Warne is also so much better when he isn't around his peanut ex teammates.
 
I haven't seen it but from what you've described it sounds miles in front of anything else I've seen on TV. Much, much better than most of the stuff that other countries get, I hope Channel 9 over here in Australia take note and can incorporate some of what Sky Sports have done with their cricket coverage.
 
You don't mean to tell me they don't use every spare moment to sell you this once in a life time opportunity to buy this 1 of only 10 000 splinters of Ricky Ponting's bat that he made his first 10 runs with in the under 10's. They are only $1500 each and sell on the open market for $29.95 and a set of steak knifes.
 
Ljp86 said:
I hope Channel 9 over here in Australia take note and can incorporate some of what Sky Sports have done with their cricket coverage.
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It's an unfair comparison, to be honest. Channel 9 is a struggling free-to-air channel, and Fox Sports is the exact opposite. Yes, there are things that Channel 9 could do better, but they simply don't have the monetary resources that Fox Sports does.
 
WOW!! Even just the audio of these segments are incredible! I think Channel 9 -- and Fox Sports especially -- go for things that look flashy but may not have a lot of substance. This kind of technical focus that Sky has embraced is revolutionary, and I hope the producers of The Cricket Show see these and start tailoring the focus of the show almost solely towards it.

The rest of your Youtube videos are fantastic, too. I've been wanting to see that 2004 Muralitharan documentary for years! Thanks!
 
troll3y said:
WOW!! Even just the audio of these segments are incredible! I think Channel 9 -- and Fox Sports especially -- go for things that look flashy but may not have a lot of substance. This kind of technical focus that Sky has embraced is revolutionary, and I hope the producers of The Cricket Show see these and start tailoring the focus of the show almost solely towards it.

The rest of your Youtube videos are fantastic, too. I've been wanting to see that 2004 Muralitharan documentary for years! Thanks!
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Cheers for the positive comments about the channel...

Can't remember if it was a conscious choice, but I now realise that a theme running through the YouTube channel is 'How TV Presents Technical Analysis of Sports'. For example, a lot of my first uploads that hardly got any views, were of Simon Hughes; nicknamed "The Analyst" by Channel Four's 2004/2005 cricket coverage.

Though some of the more knowledgeable TV viewers could deem his analysis to be seen over-simplified, as I was a newcomer to cricket at the time, I found his segments to be informative & well presented; hence I started to record them. Channel Four's Cricket coverage won BAFTA Awards, and their presentation style was copied by other channels in other sports like, soccer and tennis.

Being terrestrial, Channel Four was a free-to-air broadcaster of cricket in the UK. It had limited resources and a finite commitment to cricket... yet it managed to be innovative, educational and set a gold standard (which Sky Sports now seem to be surpassing).

Point is, though I am not familiar with Channel 9's coverage in Australia, in general, TV broadcasters should not necessarily hide behind its modest monetary resources as an excuse for providing run-of-the-mill telecasts of sports. With all the intricacies involved in cricket, and multiple breaks in play, commentators, presenters and the production team should always try to find ways to engage the watching audience.
 
offbreakdoosra said:
Anyone else being really impressed with Sky sports cricket coverage of this Ashes series?

Must say, I have been... Seems like they have really kicked it up a notch. In particular, the umpteen tutorials on batting and fielding techniques within the "Ashes Zone" feature; usually broadcasted within the pre-match build up, before each day's play.

As yet, very little fast bowling or spin bowling stuff... but they did do s brilliant 20 minute presentation on reverse swing; how and why it occurs, how different elite bowlers use it to their advantage (bowling it at different lines and lengths) etc. Really good stuff I thought.

Nasser and Shane have been demonstrating fielding techniques and theories, Straussy has been back in the nets; teaching the basics of batting, followed by a more advance tutorial on opening the batting; facing 90 mph fast-bowling and seeing off the new ball. Nasser and Shane even joined force again, to discuss how to bat against top quality spin.

Also, SKY Sports are providing in-depth analysis on the individual players on the English and Aussie teams. No longer the hurried "Third Man" feature within the live commentary, but calculated analysis from info & data, collated days, months or even years before. Though it's often pre-recorded and scripted, it ensures that everything stated and demonstrated is correct and is articulated to the audience concisely

It has all been accurate, clear, informative and incisive... with video footage and graphics to back it all up. Sky Sports have definitely been a concerted effort to give the audience a more technical analysis of the game. Most likely instigated by the ample technology on offer. Hawkeye, touch screens, live-superimposed 3D reconstructions (whatever they are) ... and lots more.

Yes, to some, it may seem a little too gimmicky, but to an armchair cricket fan like myself, it gives a great insight to the elite game and it is well presented too (hats off to Ian Ward in particular). The Sky Sport website has a couple of vids of the good work they've done so far... (Trying not to sound too much like a Murdoch mouthpiece here... and failing...)

But seriously, Cricket, especially this Ashes series, should be free for the wider viewing public to enjoy & it is a total shame that only a fraction of the UK gets to rejoice in England's Ashes victories, but at least the paying public are now getting something unique from Sky Sports that might be worth paying for.

Any thoughts, anyone else?
Click to expand...
I think, Sky Sports is pretty tops. But the commentary team would be also there for B. C. C., I am sure. It seems that the casual formal retro feel of the B. B. C. commentary team in the past, seems to be a bit of tension on the firm side, with Bob Willis, and the person who seems to be the first to be approached by Sky to do commentary, and who seems to need to have no name.
I like Sky Sports. Here's an interesting idea about the county, 'Middlesex'. Apparently, today, a person who in the company of the opposite sex, has an identity issue, is called 'Metrosexual'. But, regrettably, what was acceptable as a noun, 'Middlesex', seems to be really a millstone, if a person considers 'Metrosex', and living in a metropolitan city.
 
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