大象传媒

Re "We want to top rankings" - we should be grateful we're as high as we are... but then we get to KP bashing again

"The managing director of England cricket, Hugh Morris, says he is delighted at the progress the side has made under captain Strauss and coach Andy Flower, who were appointed in the wake of the destabilising row and ultimate dismissal of former captain Kevin Pietersen and coach Peter Moores"

KP finished 3rd in the batting averages for this series on one leg !

I reckon KP and JT would make an interesting middle order...and maybe keep us halfway up the rankings... but sooner or later all the KP bashers are going to win and destroy him - and watch us drop then. When is England going to learn to be greatful for the decent players it can get instead of knocking them all the time ?

Just a mail to say thank you to TMS for giving us such great coverage of the Ashes. I love the commentators / co commentators and the way you bring the game to life with all those stories etc.
The funniest moment for me was at Lords when Tuffers was asked to guess what the Queen had selected for her lunch. My wife and I were in tears of laughter.
Up until recently due mainly to cricket coverage not being on terrestial T.V I had somewhat moved away from watching cricket but now I am hooked again.
Please please bring back test match cricket to normal T.V so EVERYONE can enjoy watching it again.

When Freddie got Ricky out, I was in an online chat with some friends, including an Aussie, who has threatened to send me redback spiders in retaliation for our win! *g*

Interesting that two native south-africans, both of whom are now apparently English enough to play for our country at first class level, should be the ones some are now looking at to prop up a sometimes shaky English batting order. What does that tell you? Me, I personally don't mind where KP and JT hail from; but it does seem something of a shame that, like in professional football, some of the best players in England are the product of foreign training regimes.
Oh wait - I forgot about Stuart Broad. Oh, and Graeme Swann. And that Flintoff fellow. And the brilliantly-named Graham Onions. And...okay, forget what I just said.
Just wish KP wasn't such a ham-fisted butter-fingers out in the field.

but it does seem something of a shame that, like in professional football, some of the best players in England are the product of foreign training regimes.

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Pietersen and Trott may well be products of South Africa's system, but neither were anywhere near good enough to be test players when they arrived on these shores, would they have made it via the SA system? Who knows, perhaps coming to the UK was the making of them as cricketers.

I have enjoyed listening so much but can anyone tell me why on earth the 大象传媒 don't televise the Ashes?

Matty Hayden - I used to hate you with a passion as a player, but you've been brilliant and a true gent on TMS.

Not having Sky, it was TMS all the way for me...I was lucky enough to have a ticket yesterday and you were in my ear all day at the Oval.

The end of an Ashes summer, a great win, but now a huge gap to fill.

Couldn't listen to TMS because I don't have a Long Wave or DAB facilitated radio...bit irritating seeing as the scottish game (golf) and the Toffs game(tennis)get MW coverage...had to put up with the web coverage....which was bloody terrible

As usual you guys have given me many hours of entertainment and i was pleasantly surprised by Matty Hayden whom i'd thought was a real snarly in your face aussie but was a real gent - and yes, you guys did the commentating whilst i was watching it on tv (oh for the days of live cricket on terrestrial tv). As for where were you when Fred run out Punter i'm afraid it was going to the loo or soiling my pants - guess where i went.......

Thanks TMS for entertainment that seems to get better every year while respecting the programme's history at the same time. I can't think of any other broadcasters, on TV or radio, who could squeeze Lily Allen, Harry Potter, Tuffers, and CMJ convincingly and naturally into one programme,without sounding contrived. Always accessible but never dumbed down. Brilliant. And thanks for keeping impartial - such a refreshing change from the biased nonsense on the text commentary those of us stuck at work have to put up with. Also echo comments of others on Matt Hayden - seems a great bloke and fascinating to listen to. Sign him up for next time please!

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Big thank you to TMS for the magnificent coverage throughout the Series.

Aggers, Vic, CMJ, Blowers, Boycs, Tuffers and Jim Maxwell.

Matthew Hayden started rather stiffly but quickly loosened up and warmed to the task. Haydos is a gent and welcome addition to the TMS Ashes team.

I was in bed in Bogota, Colombia, listening to TMS on the laptop through the mobile phone connection. The connection was awful and kept going off, like at the time when he threw down the stumps!

Normally, wild excitement in a Bogota bedroom does not involve Test Match Special.

After the match, we went into the city to find the Ozy Bar, which was closed! Then we went to find the Australian Embassy to commiserate. However, they have published an incorrect address. A taxi driver was even given another incorrect address.

Just want to add my thanks to the TMS commentators - you were all fab.And Aggers clearly had huge fun interviewing Lily Allen - good for him! But I did miss Geoffrey this time - where did he get to? And lastly,I agree with all those who've written in asking why the Ashes weren't being broadcact to us on terrestial TV. It's a national scandal.

Is Daniel Radcliffe actually a young Blowers in disguise?!? I bring to your attention his description of Collingwood batting;

"Paul Collingwood does make batting look like trench warfare....and it's really rather lovely"

Not in the slightest bit interested in Daniel Radcliffe, Harry Potter, Lily Allen.....I tune in to TMS for cricket.

I listened to TMS from Sydney, sitting by the fireside! Love every minute, specially Blowers and Aggers and CMJ bringing back many memories of past fun at matches in UK where I was born. Thanks very much.

Great coverage Sky, many thanks...oh, oops.

Fortunately I was lucky enough to be at the ground, courtesy of a friend who decided not to go after the Headingly debacle - what a mistake!

Midway through the afternoon I received several text messages saying that Aggers and the boys on TMS were talking about the lads who played cricket on Everest earlier this year, as I was one of them! To think I was sat in the Oval watching England regain the Ashes while the legends of Test Match Special were talking about something I did perhaps makes me the happiest man ever!

Check out www.cricketoneverest.com if you want to know more about what we did to raise money for the Lord's Taverners and Himalayan Trust UK.

Cheers!

Having made my first post around this time last year to criticise the summer TMS had had and the removal of Mike Selvey (all of which I stand by), it seems only fair that I should make my second post to congratulate and thank you for the superb Ashes coverage. The regular appearances of CMJ and Blowers (at times together) was a great relief after last summer, while the next generation is built up in the 20/20 etc. The 'going too close to Radio 5' argument rang true last year, but for me is now dead and buried. The Australian contributions were great, esp. Matthew Hayden. Vic is a legend; Boycott, Tufnell both superb. Final word though: Aggers is on his way to being an all-time great. Well done all.

I've been listening to TMS since 1968 and I have to say I've enjoyed the commentary this Ashes more than anything you've done before - an excellent mix of the usual ball-by-ball necessity, plus atmosphere, wonderfully informed and entertaining comment by Haydos and Ian in particular, and the indispensable Tuffers. The guest appearances have been fascinating and in no way "dumbed down". Aggers has a great career as an interviewer ahead if the cricket thing doesn't work out: he manages to bring something out of every one of his guests.
The only quibble - during the last test I was wandering all over South London with a radio attached to my bike, switching it on whenever anyone asked me the score. I frequently had to wait what seemed like 5 minutes before this vital info was repeated: please just repeat the basic "107 for 2" a little more often.
Can't wait till the next battle!

Lovely Test Match coverage. Thanks Adam. Looking forward to the ODIs.





Dr. Cajetan Coelho

I am devastated it's all over. What a wonderful Summer. Simply cannot wait for 2013.

Think TMS has been brilliant over the Ashes. Have spent many a day annoying my girlfriend by staring at the scorecard and listening to it on the Red Button.

My main gripe though; why is it on Radio 4 long wave? When travelling this was a major gripe, as it would have been great to listen to TMS in the car, but how many cars have DAB or Long Wave radios? Why is it not on analogue FM or AM?

Great summer on TMS as usual. Hope to hear Blowers back on the air soon. Hope Tuffers new fame & fortune on strictly will not get in the way of his summarising!!!

Anyway, I just wanted to know if the 鈥淪tump the Umpire鈥� feature with John Holder is available on a podcast anywhere. I missed most of the lunch & tea sessions from the oval and would love to listen to it.

Keep up the good work and I am looking forward to enjoying your commentary of the winter tour to South Africa.

Dear Adam and all at TMS
Thank you for such excellent coverage of the England vs Australia test series. I write as someone who had a few doubts about some of the changes to TMS during 2008, but I think 2009 has been a vintage year for TMS. I think Jonathan Agnew is a superb correspondent and Vic Marks has come into his own as your best summariser. I liked the immediate post series summary and interviews that Aggers and Victor did in tandem immediately after the final test finished. I also felt that TMS's broadcast of the final day at the Oval was totally gripping and brought everything to life. Well done to you all.

Look forward to your coverage of the winter tour to SA.

Is this the most sycophantic blog comment column ever? Seems to me any criticism of anything is censored out