Strangely enough, I’m not really missing Ian Chappell rambling on about how Twenty20 cricket was much better in his day, Bill Lawry shouting “Got him!” when he hasn’t and Shane Warne debating his favourite pizza topping while dissecting footage of himself trying to hit Daniel Vettori out of the park while on 99.
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To listen to Ricky Ponting’s insightful analysis and Tim “Memory” Lane’s encyclopedic recollections of Test matches past is to realise how short-changed a generation of Australian cricket fans have been by Channel Nine’s cosy Packer pack.
But maybe that’s just Tasmanian parochialism coming out – if such a thing exists.
The First Test against India has been compulsive listening as well as viewing for Australia’s armchair fans.
The days of muting the TV and turning up the radio may be numbered.
The highest praise worthy of Seven is that it is providing viable competition for ABC Radio’s coverage – something Nine and its glut of post-World Series Cricket life-long contracts never achieved.
The ABC has been doing so for years but now, in partnership with Seven, the broadcasters are providing a welcome, informative and entertaining accompaniment to the on-field Adelaide Oval action – a novel concept unfamiliar to Australian viewers.
They have also discovered something that eluded Nine for half a century.
Apparently, there are women on the planet. And some of them even know a bit about cricket.
While Nine restricted female involvement to the application of Richie Benaud’s make-up, their rival broadcasters have allowed them near the microphone.
The perspectives of Isa Guha and Alison Mitchell are as refreshing in content as they are English in accent, not least the latter’s description of Marcus Harris’s distinctive “light sabre leave”.
Damien Fleming bringing his “Avenue of apprehension” humour was always going to be welcome while Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath are as penetrative in the comm box as they were in the bowling attack.
Ed Cowan has become to Australian cricket commentary what Peter Murphy is to Tasmanian weather forecasting, the former Tasmanian opener presenting one sound, reasoned, eminently sensible opinion about the long-term dangers of prioritising Big Bash over Sheffield Shield that will doubtless be meticulously ignored by a Cricket Australia that can’t see past the shorter form’s financial rewards.
However, keeping James Brayshaw and Michael Slater on board was a bit like deciding to clean out all the back-stabbing politicians in federal Parliament – but telling Tony Abbott and Peter Dutton they’re allowed to stay.
Slater’s unbridled, joyous celebration of the Ishant Sharma no ball that saved Aaron Finch from a pair was reminiscent of Ian Healy at his partisan best.
And missing Nathan Lyon’s second-innings hat-trick ball because it was showing an advertisement for Shiploads suggests Seven is not immune to some of Nine’s most irritating habits.
How much have viewers missed? Shiii-iiiploads.
But generally the positives far outweighed the negatives.
Among them was the ABC’s delightful interview with Travis Head’s proud dad Simon, who recalled how his cricket-mad son returned from his first game in the under-sevens having made a duck, not taken a wicket and fielded about twice but declaring it was the best day of his life.
The head of the Head family then produced a charming analogy by saying that all parents can do is open doors, it’s up to their children whether they walk through them.
A series sponsor owned by Nine but advertised by Seven confirmed that the Australian cricketing landscape had certainly entered a whole new Domain.
And the Dunlop Volley will soon be on the other footy when Nine replaces Seven as broadcaster of the Australian Open tennis tournament.
Doubtless it was better in Chappelli’s day.