Commentators

I found this list of the worst cricket commentators. https://www.thefulltoss.com/england-cricket-blog/top-10-worst-cricket-commentators/

It gets to the nub of it pretty successfully, I think. There are a few I think it’s a little harsh on (including Harsha Bhogle) but certainly picks out most of the main offenders.

Easier, and perhaps more fun, to scoff than to be positive. But I thought I’d try to share the best of them. If you watch/listen to as much cricket as me, you end up hearing a vast array of voices. Some of them really are very good. They have to work in a pretty wide variety of contexts, and some deserve a little sympathy for the role thrust on them. Eg I used to like Danny Morrison when he was just a little eccentric and over-enthusiastic. The IPL has turned him into a monster.

I’ve tried to think about all my years of watching cricket – the only obvious name I’m missing out is Richie B … seems just a bit pointless, and I’m not quite even sure whether he was my one of my favourites, he was just … it.

So, here are 10, not in particular order

Ricky Ponting – how quickly we realised we’d always been wrong about Ricky. Just superb, the best there is right now. Fair, authoritative, and wryly amusing.

Tony Cozier – of a similar status to Benaud, but I think I more actively treasured listening to Cozier. Thoroughly missed.

Phil Tufnell (and Ed Smith) – not including Smith in the 10, but just to say that the most I’ve enjoyed listening to TMS in recent years was when Tufnell and Smith were in tandem. Great rapport, both informed, inquisitive, funny. Tufnell is the template for the new “matiness” but so much more at ease with it than others that have come after him.

Ian Bishop – Bishop’s the man for all occasions – in the desert of moderation that is so much modern international cricket coverage, he’s the rock of dignity. Commentates, presents, gives out prizes, never annoying the way that everyone else who does IPL and the like is.

Vic Marks – for me Marks holds TMS together. Agnew’s supposed comic stooge but it feels the other way round to me.

Ebony Rainford-Brent – cricket has been, to be fair, just a little ahead of other sports with women commentators. Consequently, there are now several experienced and excellent ones who work across all formats. Rainford-Brent, whether just because that’s how she operates or to cut off at the pass any notions of tokenism, always brings extra research and theories to each game, even it’s just some inconsequential T20 on Five Live. Also has top bantz with …

Charles Dagnall – Yeah, I like bantz! What of it? Dagnall is good. There’s a touch of the new Agnew about him (next up, I guess there’ll be Jaggers), but, all due respect, I much prefer him.

Adam Gilchrist – Ponting and Gilchrist rise so very far above the matey matiness of the rest of the Aussie commentators. I mean, there’s nothing I don’t like about Gilly, and he is maybe a bit matey. But he’s greaty.

Mike Atherton – just clearly the best of the Sky lot.

Christopher Martin-Jenkins – yeah, he was good at it …

Honourable mentions for: Jeff Dujon, Alison Mitchell, Jeremy Coney, Nasser Hussain (I think he improves all the time), David Gower (I generally think Gower does a great all-round job), Tony Lewis, Mel Jones, Russel Arnold, David Lloyd (yeah, you know, on a good day), Henry Blofeld (likewise), Michael Holding, Kumar Sangakkara (if it is his chosen career path, sure he’ll become excellent, at the moment I think he talks a little too much), and Mark Butcher, who I think is a little cut above the rest of the Sky b-list, and could be a really pleasant commentator if given more chances.

And as for the dishonourable mentions … no I won’t, not this time.