Latest news with #RichieBenaud
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
England v India: fourth men's cricket Test, day three
Update: Date: 2025-07-25T09:30:05.000Z Title: Preamble Content: Welcome to Manchester. They do things differently here. Alighting at Piccadilly Station this morning there was a gaggle of Crusading Knights, a handful of Hulk Hogans and four Richie Benaud's queuing for a Greggs Breakfast. They were all headed to the same place… It's day three of England v India from Old Trafford. Moving Day. The sun is shiiiining and England are Definitely/Maybe going to enjoy batting in these conditions. Ben Stokes' side are 133 behind with eight first wickets in hand and will be looking to bat once and big on a wicket that has got some life in it and will likely offer some up 'n' down bounce and keep the spinners interested as the match goes deeper. Ollie Pope is currently at the crease with plenty to prove to himself and the doubters after his average has once again turned thin and gruelly after a century earlier in the series. At the other end there's this fella called Joe Root, he's got Messrs Dravid, Kallis and Ponting in his sights on the all time Test run scorers list. Rob Key is currently playing keepy uppies with the England team (Hello fellow kids and mind those toes Brydon Carse!) play begins at 11am and as always do get in touch with your thoughts and theories. You and I are gonna live forever OBO till an hour after lunch before the Supersonic Rob Smyth takes over. Know what I mean?
India Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
4 captains to take five-wicket hauls in Manchester
4 Captains to take five-wicket haul in Manchester 24 July,2025 Credit: Amar Sunil Panicker The legendary Australian was the first man to get a five-wicket haul in Manchester. He did it against England in 1961 with figures of 6/70 in 32 overs. Credit: AP Richie Benaud (AUS) The former New Zealand skipper became the second man to the feat when he took figures of 5/66 in 31 overs against in the 2008 Test against England. Credit: PTI Daniel Vettori (NZ) The legendary all-rounder from Bangladesh had figures fo 5/121 but it was in vain as England managed to take the win by an innings and 80 runs. Shakib Al Hasan (BAN) The England Test captain went on to finish with figures of 5/72 in 24 overs in the fourth match against India at Old Trafford. Ben Stokes (ENG) Stokes managed to get key wickets like Sai Sudharsan after his fifty, alongside the lower middle-order to get the five-wicket haul. His last five-wicket haul came in the Lord's Test against the West Indies in 2017. The England captain is revelling in the responsibilities given to himself with the ball and looks in top form as well.
Telegraph
21-07-2025
- Sport
- Telegraph
Scyld Berry
Scyld Berry has been covering cricket for half a century since he began on The Observer in 1976. He has edited Wisden for four years and won the SJA Cricket Journalist of the Year award. He recently became the second person to cover 500 Tests after the late Richie Benaud.
The Independent
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Mark Nicholas' proudest memory tinged by sadness as 2005 Ashes marked end of era
Mark Nicholas has bittersweet memories of his role fronting Channel 4's coverage of the 2005 Ashes, his pride in the enduring 'mythology' of the series tinged by sadness at the end of the free-to-air era. Nicholas was the broadcasting anchor charged with carrying a rapt nation through many of the key moments of a contest that remains seared into the memories of cricket fans. Heading up an elite commentary cast featuring the likes of the late Richie Benaud and Tony Greig, as well as Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Michael Atherton and Michael Slater, Nicholas' debonair style crystallised many of the most thrilling moments as England regained the urn for the first time in 18 years. One passage in particular lives on, Steve Harmison's vital dismissal of Michael Clarke at Edgbaston and the subsequent call of: 'One of the great balls! Given the moment, given the batsman, given the match…that is a staggering gamble!' Speaking to the PA news agency two decades later, the current MCC chair reflects: 'You hear a lot of soundbites from that series, even 20 years on. Some of what I said didn't always make much sense, but I think the best commentary is reactive. When you plan to say certain things it doesn't work as well. ' David Bowie once gave an interview about 'Life on Mars' and said, 'It's a good song but I've no idea what I was writing about'. I sort of know what he means, you can be creatively successful completely unintentionally. 'I cannot tell you how often I get stopped, people telling me with all their hearts that 2005 and our coverage of it was what got them into cricket. 'Of course, it was the fact that England beat Australia after so long and that it was so thrilling. But to hear people, even England cricketers, say you helped get them into the game…you can't be more flattered than that. 'Some of us brought hyperbole, some did the deep analysis, Richie was minimalism brilliantly applied. I remain more proud of that time than anything else in my career, there was a certain element of mythology for all of us that summer, players and commentators alike.' Yet 2005 was not just the high water mark for Nicholas' BAFTA-winning team, it was also the end of the road. Sky television took over exclusive broadcast rights of English cricket in the aftermath, with home Tests having lost their 'Crown Jewel' status as a category A listed event. It remains a source of regret to Nicholas that the surge of public interest, which saw 7.4 million viewers tune in to the Oval finale, instantly encountered a paywall. 'I do feel desperately sad that an opportunity was blown. It will never leave me,' he says. 'They had to make sure Test match cricket stayed (free to air), even if it was in a joint broadcast, and if that meant a bit less money then so be it. 'I'm not anti-Sky at all, I'm glued to their coverage three or four nights a week. But it was a bad misjudgement. Cricket was a very powerful thing at that moment and it was the time to make sure that continued. 'I was asked to co-host the celebration at Trafalgar Square with David Gower and I remember walking home through London with my wife after the crowds cleared. All the way back I was feeling an extraordinary contradiction of euphoric happiness at the summer that had gone and the terrible sadness of losing the coverage.'
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mark Nicholas' proudest memory tinged by sadness as 2005 Ashes marked end of era
Mark Nicholas has bittersweet memories of his role fronting Channel 4's coverage of the 2005 Ashes, his pride in the enduring 'mythology' of the series tinged by sadness at the end of the free-to-air era. Nicholas was the broadcasting anchor charged with carrying a rapt nation through many of the key moments of a contest that remains seared into the memories of cricket fans. Advertisement Heading up an elite commentary cast featuring the likes of the late Richie Benaud and Tony Greig, as well as Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Michael Atherton and Michael Slater, Nicholas' debonair style crystallised many of the most thrilling moments as England regained the urn for the first time in 18 years. One passage in particular lives on, Steve Harmison's vital dismissal of Michael Clarke at Edgbaston and the subsequent call of: 'One of the great balls! Given the moment, given the batsman, given the match…that is a staggering gamble!' Speaking to the PA news agency two decades later, the current MCC chair reflects: 'You hear a lot of soundbites from that series, even 20 years on. Some of what I said didn't always make much sense, but I think the best commentary is reactive. When you plan to say certain things it doesn't work as well. Advertisement 'David Bowie once gave an interview about 'Life on Mars' and said, 'It's a good song but I've no idea what I was writing about'. I sort of know what he means, you can be creatively successful completely unintentionally. 'I cannot tell you how often I get stopped, people telling me with all their hearts that 2005 and our coverage of it was what got them into cricket. Mark Nicholas and members of the Channel Four team with the BAFTA awarded to their 2005 Ashes coverage (Yui Mok/PA) 'Of course, it was the fact that England beat Australia after so long and that it was so thrilling. But to hear people, even England cricketers, say you helped get them into the game…you can't be more flattered than that. 'Some of us brought hyperbole, some did the deep analysis, Richie was minimalism brilliantly applied. I remain more proud of that time than anything else in my career, there was a certain element of mythology for all of us that summer, players and commentators alike.' Advertisement Yet 2005 was not just the high water mark for Nicholas' BAFTA-winning team, it was also the end of the road. Sky television took over exclusive broadcast rights of English cricket in the aftermath, with home Tests having lost their 'Crown Jewel' status as a category A listed event. It remains a source of regret to Nicholas that the surge of public interest, which saw 7.4 million viewers tune in to the Oval finale, instantly encountered a paywall. English cricket's moment of greatest triumph soon gave way to a viewing paywall (David Davies/PA) 'I do feel desperately sad that an opportunity was blown. It will never leave me,' he says. 'They had to make sure Test match cricket stayed (free to air), even if it was in a joint broadcast, and if that meant a bit less money then so be it. Advertisement 'I'm not anti-Sky at all, I'm glued to their coverage three or four nights a week. But it was a bad misjudgement. Cricket was a very powerful thing at that moment and it was the time to make sure that continued. 'I was asked to co-host the celebration at Trafalgar Square with David Gower and I remember walking home through London with my wife after the crowds cleared. All the way back I was feeling an extraordinary contradiction of euphoric happiness at the summer that had gone and the terrible sadness of losing the coverage.'
