BBC get Ashes highlights

DMC

Not been around for a few days, so folk may have missed this.... great news altogether. Although it doesn't say exact when it will be scheduled, going by the way the BBC used to show highlights of Australian cricket in the 1980's and 1990's, it used to go out at about 5:30pm on BBC 2. Now that won't happen with The Weakest Link schedule in perpetuity at that time, so anytime regular after 6pm gets my vote.


BBC press release...

Cricket returns to BBC TV as highlights coverage is secured
http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/09_september/12/ashes.shtml

Highlights add to the BBC's existing live radio and online coverage
Six months of international cricket coming to BBC TV

As England take on Australia in the Ashes this winter, cricket fans will be able to keep up with the key action as the BBC has secured the highlights to the entire Test and one-day international series.

The Ashes coverage will air nightly during the Tests and one-day series, which takes place from November 2006 to February 2007.

Production and scheduling details will be announced at a later date.

There will be comprehensive live radio coverage of the Tests with Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 LW and Radio Five Live Sports Xtra.

There will also be full live radio coverage (UK only) as well as ball-by-ball text coverage available online at bbc.co.uk/cricket.

BBC TV last had televised test cricket in 1999 but this deal ensures that there will now be major cricket on terrestrial TV from November of this year until April 2007 as the BBC also has the highlights of the 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup.

Key highlights from all the main matches in the tournament will be shown and in total the BBC will be showing 29 hours of cricket highlights from the ICC Cricket World Cup.

The BBC will be the only terrestrial broadcaster with free-to-air coverage of the Cricket World Cup.

Roger Mosey, Director of Sport, said: "This is further evidence that the BBC is serious about cricket. Test Match Special is a national institution on radio and our online site attracts millions of users. Now we've added the Ashes to the Cricket World Cup highlights for our television audiences - and we're delighted to be serving cricket fans in so many different ways."

First Test: Brisbane, 23 to 27 November 2006
Second Test: Adelaide, 1 to 5 December 2006
Third Test: Perth, 14 to 18 December 2006
Fourth Test: Melbourne, 26 to 30 December 2006
Fifth Test: Sydney, 2 to 6 January 2007

The one-day international series will run from 12 January to 13 February. The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup runs from 13 March to 28 April.

legspin

Thanks be to providence for small mercies

Wishbone Ash

Unfortunately, circa. 6pm would be a bit early for me and lots of others , I'm sure. Great news anyway.

SharpshooterTom_79811

Hope they keep tradition by playing that awesome Carribean music again, got bored of that Mambo no.5 stuff.

mike65

Thumbs up! And watching test highlights will certainly beat snoring through the 368th repeat of an Only Fool and Horses Christmas Special from 1996.

Mike.

DMC

Scheduling is not ideal, unless you have Sky and the red button. And also, as the highlights ends, it almost time for play in Australia! It appears that Sky have only allowed highlights to be shown after 10pm.

Ashes highlights to air on interactive every day at 10.00pm

http://www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice/pressreleases/stories/2006/10_october/09/cricket.shtml

Interactive graphics and stats info available with live TMS commentary

BBC Sport presenters and lifelong cricket fans, Manish Bhasin and Rishi Persad, have today been announced as the new faces of the BBC's cricket highlights coverage.

Manish, best known as the presenter of Football Focus, will present coverage of the Ashes and Cricket World Cup highlights, while Rishi, a presenter and reporter for BBC's coverage of horse racing, will present highlights of the one-day international series and provide reports for the Cricket World Cup programmes.

Expert studio analysis and discussion will be provided by some of the game's legendary stars, including: acclaimed cricketer and broadcaster Richie Benaud; former England captain Tony Greig; ex-England batsman Geoffrey Boycott and Test Match Special (TMS) stalwart Jonathan Agnew.

As well as TV highlights of the Ashes and one-day internationals, the BBC has also acquired the rights for interactive highlights.

Beginning on BBCi each day at 10.00pm, cricket fans can catch the all the major action before the main highlights programme airs in its regular slot, straight after Newsnight on BBC TWO on weekdays, and around 11.00pm at weekends.

Following the BBC TWO programme, BBCi viewers can press the red button for up-to-date scores, statistics, graphical illustrations of the action, audience reaction and more – while at the same time listening, live, to the distinctive and authoritative commentary of the TMS team in the background.

BBC Director of Sport, Roger Mosey, said: "Manish and Rishi are both passionate cricket fans. They are also up-and-coming stars of BBC Sport, and they'll bring an exciting fresh approach to the return of cricket to BBC Television."

There will be comprehensive live radio coverage of the Tests with Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 LW and Five Live Sports Extra.

There will also be full live radio coverage (UK only) as well as ball-by-ball text coverage available online at bbc.co.uk/cricket.

BBC Sport also announced that the contracts to produce the cricket highlights for the Ashes and the ICC Cricket World Cup have been awarded to independent producers Sunset+Vine and TWI respectively.

Notes to Editors

Highlights are not available free-to-air until 10.00pm due to a contractual restriction.

First Test, Brisbane, 23-27 November 2006;
Second Test, Adelaide, 1-5 December 2006;
Third Test, Perth, 14-18 December 2006;
Fourth Test, Melbourne, 26-30 December 2006;
Fifth Test, Sydney, 2-6 January 2007.

The one-day international series will run from 12 January to 13 February 2007.

The 2007 ICC Cricket World Cup runs from 13 March to 28 April 2007.

Biographies

Manish Bhasin

Cricket has long been a sporting passion for Manish. A keen leg spinner, he played regularly while at Anglia Polytechnic and also trialled for Leicestershire Colts before going on to receive coaching from the former England and Leicestershire spin bowler Chris Balderstone.

Manish joined Central News East in 2001 where he presented in-depth coverage of the region's essential sport, including Soccer Sunday which was nominated as best Regional Sports Actuality Programme.

During his successful tenure Manish was nominated for Regional Sports Presenter or Commentator of the Year at the Royal Television Society Sport Awards.

Previously Manish spent five years at BBC Radio Leicester working on various programmes as a sports presenter and commentator, including the Drive at 5 programme presenting the latest news and sport.

He was one of the pioneers of the Radio Leicester's first weekly cricket show, Cricket Sports Talk, which featured notable guests such as Nasser Hussein and ECB chairman of selectors, David Graveney.

During his time here Manish reported on Leicestershire's progress home and away in all competitions and co-commentated on several day/night games.

Highlights of Manish's time at Radio Leicester include reporting from Leicester Tigers' last minute victory in the 2001 Rugby European Cup final against Stade Francais and again the following year at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium where the Tigers faced Munster

Another achievement was attaining a hard-hitting and exclusive interview with former England all-rounder Chris Lewis.

Manish is a current member of the cricket charity the Lords Taverners. He attends fund-raisers - including Q&A sessions with ex-England skipper Mike Gatting - and plays for them at every available opportunity.

In August this year, minutes after Pakistan refused to take the field on the fourth day of the 4th Test at the Oval, Manish hosted a special cricket and football edition of 606 on BBC Radio Five Live.

As confusion reigned, Manish took calls from Oval spectators, and interviewed Mike Gatting and Pat Murphy live from the ground.

Manish recently lived out a boyhood dream playing with former England internationals Jon Emburey and Mark Ramprakash in a charity game at Lords.

Rishi Persad

Rishi grew up in Trinidad, just a 10-minute walk from the Queen's Park Oval in Port-of-Spain.

He spent a lot of his early childhood watching all levels of cricket, from a young Brian Lara playing club cricket to Viv Richards destroying the English tourists led by David Gower.

Rishi played a lot of cricket at school, both in Trinidad and in the UK, where he came to live aged 12 in 1986.

After leaving university he spent seven years playing for Old Finchleians in the Hertfordshire League – being a middle order left-handed batsman who bowled – until he began working in television which meant weekends were occupied by horse racing rather than cricket.

Prior to joining the BBC Rishi was at Channel Four where he was part of their RTS award-winning team at the Cheltenham Festival.

He joined the BBC in April 2003 and has since worked on the London Marathon, Wimbledon, The Open Golf Championship and bowls coverage.

Whilst working for the BBC, Rishi has interviewed cricketing greats including Michael Holding and Richie Benaud, and in the summer he had an exclusive one-on-one interview with Andrew Flintoff during his rehabilitation at Bovey Castle.

Rishi has also worked on the Athens Olympics, where on two occasions he presented Olympic Grandstand alongside Sue Barker and Clare Balding.

He also writes for magazines and has interviewed Michael Atherton for the official Vodafone Derby Magazine.

When possible Rishi tries to get back to Trinidad to watch games – he was present at the Queen's Park Oval when Courtney Walsh became the first bowler to take 500 test wickets against South Africa.