Preparing for the historic series
After some eventful limited-overs internationals involving four different teams over the past few weeks attention now turns to the "MCC Spirit of Cricket" Pakistan v Australia Test matches at and Headingley with bringing you ball-by-ball commentary on both Five Live Sports Extra and Radio 4 Longwave.
Just to mark your card TMS will be on air each day at 1000 BST ahead of an earlier 1030 BST start.
It will be the first Test series not involving England played in the UK since 1912 when South Africa and Australia were part of a triangular tournament with Old Trafford, Lord's and Trent Bridge providing the neutral venues.
Not even was around then to describe the buses and pigeons! But Blowers will be with us during this series alongside Christopher Martin-Jenkins, Jonathan Agnew, Simon Mann and Simon Hughes plus our old friend Jim Maxwell from .
Expert analysis comes from former Pakistan captain Rameez Raja and ex-Aussie skipper Ian Chappell with Phil Tufnell and Vic Marks providing the neutral viewpoint.
Lord's plays host to the Test between Australia and Pakistan
We'll have our normal range of interval entertainment including what should be two fascinating "View from the Boundaries".
Bill Wyman, the Bass player with rock legends the will be with us on Thursday at Lord's and we'll hear from Ryder Cup golf captain during the Headingley Test.
As these are the "Spirit of Cricket" Tests we'll be discussing just what the spirit of cricket means in the modern game , we'll hear from Pakistan legend Imran Khan ahead of his "Cowdrey Lecture" at Lord's and
we'll be joined by the ICC Chief executive Haroon Lorgat who will telling us how the world's governing body are trying to support Pakistan cricket during difficult times.
Talking of troubled sides, during the Headingley Test we'll be hearing the latest on the hopes of Zimbabwe to return to the Test arena. Also at Leeds, author Harry Pearson will be joining us to tell us about his investigation into the history of northern club cricket including some of the great names who have featured in the leagues over the years and as plays his final Test match in Galle we'll be looking back on his prolific, if sometimes controversial career.
It all gets underway on Tuesday at 1000 BST. I hope you'll be with us.
Hello I'm Adam Mountford and I'm the 91Èȱ¬ Radio Cricket producer. My main
responsibility is to produce Test Match Special but I also look after our cricket coverage on other 91Èȱ¬ outlets. My blog attempts to give you a flavour of life behind the scenes of the 91Èȱ¬ Cricket team. .
Comment number 1.
At 13th Jul 2010, chimp1969 wrote:Hi - just been listening to the coverage. Jim Maxwell / Phil Tufnell asking why Mr 'C Gul' hasnt been brought onto bowl, and then sniggering.
Surely your team can do better that just laugh at players' names??
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Comment number 2.
At 13th Jul 2010, 91Èȱ¬ drama wrote:chimp1969 (comment 1), there's always been a place for a bit of silliness on TMS, alongside some of the best live cricket analysis you're ever likely to hear. All good stuff, as far as I'm concerned.
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Comment number 3.
At 13th Jul 2010, 91Èȱ¬ drama wrote:I seem to remember a comment by someone in the team recently along the lines of:
"Is it just me or is there a lot of alcohol playing in these squads: White, McKay and Bollinger?; if only Bell was playing!".
Puerile? Perhaps. But it's just the sort of thing people say when they're at a match - and it all helps us get us through this troubleome thing called life.
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Comment number 4.
At 13th Jul 2010, chimp1969 wrote:TMS is great when it is silly, but when the jokes don't use irony, it risks ending up using poor stand-up humour. The banter between Aggers and Victor hits the spot: players names aren't actually that funny.
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Comment number 5.
At 14th Jul 2010, Deep-heat wrote:"...when the jokes don't use irony, it risks ending up using poor stand up humour..."
My response would be: "The batsman's Holding, the bowler's Willie." Unintended? Maybe. Puerile, childish and completely lacking in irony? Probably. Hilarious? Definitely.
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Comment number 6.
At 14th Jul 2010, Deep-heat wrote:You can add Beefy's leg-over to that one as well!
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Comment number 7.
At 14th Jul 2010, RCCoventry wrote:Lords Role of Honour - will say double-centurian batsmen or 10 wicket taking bowlers be immortalised in the Long Room role of honour for this test?
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Comment number 8.
At 14th Jul 2010, Herbie wrote:It's good to see this series getting the full TMS treatment. I was at Lord's yesterday and, weather aside, it was an excellent day's cricket. It would be good to have more tests between overseas nations here - as Oliver Brett has pointed out England is one of the few places where people still flock to watch Test cricket. Shame that we don't have the full text commentary that goes with England matches, any chance of getting that for the second Test?
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Comment number 9.
At 14th Jul 2010, David Shield wrote:I am also really pleased to see this test series given TMS coverage. I'm only dissapointed that Alison Mitchell isn't commentating on one of the tests. I would also have liked to have seen Geoff Lawson more involved.
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Comment number 10.
At 14th Jul 2010, mark5493 wrote:c gul, thats funny, how about hugh jarse running in from the pavillion end?
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Comment number 11.
At 14th Jul 2010, mark5493 wrote:or willie catchit at fine leg?
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Comment number 12.
At 9th Sep 2010, David Shield wrote:Hi Adam, why have you gone quiet on this blog? I miss your post previewing tests and series. Hope you will be back with ashes coverage details soon.
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Comment number 13.
At 3rd Oct 2010, Gaz wrote:All this user's posts have been removed.Why?
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Comment number 14.
At 4th Oct 2010, Gaz wrote:This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the house rules. Explain.
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Comment number 15.
At 5th Dec 2010, U14623168 wrote:All this user's posts have been removed.Why?
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