Radio cricket may disappoint

Press, 27 May 1978, Page 56

Radio cricket may disappoint

By

R. T. BRITTENDEN

Keen cricketers are likely to be disappointed at the proposed radio coverage of the New Zealand tour of England which begins in the middle of June. Present planning is that there will be radio coverage on the “Tonight” show of Radio New Zealand of play up to lunch on each day of the three test matches, with broadcasts of play for the final 15 minutes each day on the all-night national programme. It may be possible for the all-night programme, to relay some other periods of commentary from the 8.8. C. world service. This service will also cover parts of some county matches, some of which will probably be broadcast on the all- ’ night programme in New Zealand. There will be reviews on each morning of the tests and on the third day of county matches. Radio New Zealand’s cricket commentator, Alan Richards, will not be in England until shortly before the first test. It might well be felt that there should be a more comprehensive coverage than that proposed, especially as the service showed a handsome profit last year. The climate for cricket broadcasting is certainly clear. On New Zealand’s last visit to England in 1973 the team performed extraordinarily well in the first

two tests, being close tq winning both of them. Soon afterwards, Netf Zealand beat Australia fol the first time and shared ths home test series. Later it beat India at home and shared a series and las, summer it capped nearly half a century of effort bj| beating England at Welling, ton and sharing the three, match series. As far back as 1949, them were all-night broadcasts o| cricket when New Zealand was in England. As recently as 1969 the broadcasts werq continuous and in 1973 ther< was much more coverage than the schedule planned for this year.