Andrew McKenna has tweeted....


That is a 16:30 kick-off on Saturday - so it'll be on AM, DAB etc.

Andrew was talking about the confirmation of Warren Gatland's appointment as British & Irish Lions manager on Hawksbee & Jacobs yesterday, and he did say at the end of his chat he would be able to confirm upcoming rugby commentaries in due course, so I guess this is only a recent call seeing as the talkSPORT.co.uk schedule for Saturday is still showing a full Matchday Live as usual and a Call Collymore following it.

While it's great that talkSPORT are covering the Premiership, I won't pretend I'm that delighted by the decision to put this particular game in full on all platforms. It is far from great for those of us who rely on Matchday Live to follow the scores of our teams and others in League One, Two and the Conference Premier to have that show cut into in order to a do seemingly random Premiership commentary. How are they going to structure Saturday's schedule? Have Matchday Live as normal between 12noon-4pm only for it to finish at half-time in the football, with either the first half of the rugby commentary packed full of football reports or there being none of the usual spate of lower league match reports they usually have on international weekends?

It would have been a much, much better to do Matchday Live as normal, then put second half commentary on Sale Sharks v Saracens on AM and DAB with the whole match going out on talkSPORT.co.uk. Given the conflicting information put out about last week's coverage of the Twickenham double header, perhaps they might opt to do this after all once they realise the scheduling headache it will cause. They can't either have four hours of build-up to the rugby or stop the normal Matchday Live at half-time in the 3pm football games, can they? If they do it will be a nonsense.

Personally I would much prefer to see them provide commentary on Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs at 3pm on Sunday, the weekend's only Sunday game.

With usual Sunday Exclusive host Georgie Bingham away presenting Channel 4's Paralympics coverage and that Stan Collymore doesn't present Call Collymore over international weekends, they have a gap in their Sunday schedule this week and although airing commentary on that game would make the day's schedule a bit rugby-heavy, it would make sense on what would otherwise be a bit of a blank day. At least it would make far more sense than usurping their Around the Grounds show that football fans rely on on a Saturday afternoon.

The schedule on the talkSPORT website has been updated to reflect the changes on Saturday:


My guess is they'll continue to bring goal updates during stoppages in play during the Sale v Saracens game and then any full-time scores at half-time in the rugby.

Personally, I expected to see them do the Northampton v Exeter game on the Sunday - but I guess that doesn't contain any of the London sides...

Has anyone got the details for the commentators covering the Paralympics?

Also does anyone know if the BBC country commentary is likely to be extended, given the BBCs new deal with the ECB? Currently some counties have no coverage or just a single person commentating all day and it doesn't sound great. To the point at which 5 Live used their own commentators for the Somerset 4 day games this season rather than join up with the local commentator, which is something they do for other counties such as Middlesex; Surrey etc.

I hope Christopher Martin-Jenkins recovers from this cancer. I'd previously read another illness but whatever it is I hope it improves.

Disappointing to see talkSPORT's schedule for this Saturday in black and white, I was hoping they'd change their minds and go with the compromise I suggested.

It just looks stupid that they'd broadcast Matchday Live covering "the international weekend" between 12noon-4pm, only to leave at half-time in the Scotland v Serbia game not to mention all of the lower league fixtures. To make matters worse, it's not as if they are going straight to commentary - they'll be doing half an hour of build-up when usually they'd be keeping track of all the goals from all the games. A very bad scheduling decision in my opinion, one of talkSPORT's worst for a long while.

I disagree with the insinuation that the reason why they are (seemingly) not doing Northampton v Exeter commentary on Sunday is because of a perceived London bias though. Clearly it's far too early to judge whether their Premiership coverage will primarily involve games containing teams from the capital, but being a regular listener to Full Contact - I heard the second hour of the first show of the new season, it was very good - I've never found that programme to be weighted more heavily towards London teams than the rest of the Premiership or those in the Pro 12. And in the case of Saturday's game, while obviously Saracens are the visitors, they are travelling up to Greater Manchester to cover the match, so it's not as if they've opted for the easy option of doing one right on their doorstep.

Purely speculation on my part of course, but the reason why they aren't doing Northampton v Exeter commentary could be because the 3pm kick-off time doesn't fall that well into their usual Sunday schedule and thus force them to arrange another show at short notice. Presuming they cover this game and give Full Contact Live the 2-6pm slot on Sunday, they'd then have a gap in the schedule between 12noon-2pm.

That being said, if that is the case it'd still be a pretty weak excuse to not do commentary from Franklins Gardens, as surely they could pencil in a football discussion show at short notice and in any case it certainly wouldn't pose as much of a scheduling headache as a Saturday's chopping and changing does. As someone who works Saturday evenings and is reliant on Matchday Live to follow my team on my way in, it's fair to say I'm pretty annoyed about this. To make matters worse, the game has been pencilled in relatively late - they weren't able to trail ahead on Full Contact with anything more than "watch this space" - so I'm not sure if the typical member of the target audience will know they are covering it, so surely they're more likely to annoy regular listeners than please newer ones through this call.

Wednesday 5th September - BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

5 Live NFL with Darren Fletcher from MetLife Stadium

American Football: NFL Week 1
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants - Darren Fletcher and Rocky Boiman (commentary)

5 Live Sports Extra's coverage of the first week of NFL action continues on Sunday at 5.45pm with commentary on the Indianapolis Colts @ Chicago Bears match. Switching to 5LSE's MLB coverage, there hasn't been any live baseball since the last Sunday in August with their coverage of the Paralympic Games and the US Open tennis taking priority. While I think this is quite right and understandable, I hope they make up for the lack of baseball towards the end of this month and next with commentaries on the final day of the regular season and a few more play-off games than they have provided in the past two seasons.

Sunday 9th September 2012 - BBC Radio Devon - Rugby

Alan Richardson presents Radio Devon Sport from The Plymouth Seymour Road Studio's (14:00-17:00)

Premiership
Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs - Nigel Walrond and John Lockyer - 95.8FM in Exeter, 990/1458/1359MW, BBC Devon Website (15:00)

Championship
Cornish Pirates v Plymouth Albion - Paddy Marsh and Andy Birkett - 95.7FM in Plymouth, BBC Devon Website (15:00)

BBC Radio Leicester

Jason Bourne presenting BBC Radio Leicester Sport live from Welford Road.

Premiership Rugby
Leicester Tigers v Worcester - Bleddyn Jones and Steve Johnson (15:00 commentary)
London Irish v Gloucester - Russell Hargreaves

Conference North
Hinckley United v Halifax - Andy Gibbs

BBC Radio Leeds West Yorkshire Sport
Host James Deighton
R/L: Huddersfield v Leeds Tim Steer and David Woods (commentary)
R/L: Sheffield v Baley Julian Gaunt


BBC Radio Merseyside / Manchester
R/L: Widnes v Warrington Ray French and Alan Rooney (commentary)


BBC Radio Cumbria
Host James Philips (I think)
R/L: Workington v Oldham John Walsh and Paul Crarey? (commentary)
R/L: Whitehaven v Rochdale John Cox

Sunday 9th September - BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

5 Live NFL with Darren Fletcher from Soldier Field

American Football: NFL Week 1
Indianapolis Colts @ Chicago Bears - Darren Fletcher and Greg Brady (commentary)

Today's US National Radio games.

Atlanta at Kansas City Matt Smith and Curtis Conway (Dial Global Compass Media)
Buffalo at NY Jets Chris Carrino and Brian Baldinger (Dial Global Compass Media)
New England at Tennessee Eli Gold and Ross Tucker (Sports USA)
Washington at New Orleans Chuck Cooperstein and Tony Boselli (Dial Global Westwood One)
Carolina at Tampa Bay Gregg Daniels and Dale Hellestrae (Dial Global Compass Media)
San Francisco at Green Bay Kevin Kugler and Mark malone (Dial Global Westwood One)
Seattle at Arizona Larry Kahn, John Robinson and Troy West (Sports USA)
Pittsburgh at Denver Dave Sims, James Lofton and Steve Tasker (Dial Global Westwood One)

US Open—5live, 5live sports extra and bbc sport website: Monday 27 August to Monday 10 September*

Commentators: Jonathan Overend, Alastair Eykyn and David Laws.
Expert summerisers: Jeff Tarango, Nick Bollettieri, Wendy Turnbull and Chris Jones of the Evening Standard.

*tournament heading in to it’s now fairly common Monday finish again this year due to the new York weather and the crazy scheduling of the clowns in charge.

BBC Radio Scotland - Monday 10th September 2012

Tennis Sportsound presented by Richard Gordon live from Pacific Quay with Kheredine Idessane and Marcel du Coudray with David McDaid at Flushing Meadows

US Open - Final (As BBC Radio 5Live)
Andy Murray v. Novak Djokovic - Jonathan Overend, Jeff Tarango and John Lloyd

just to add to this that Alistair Eykyn commentated on sets 2 and 4.
well done to the 5live team (particularly Jonathan Overend) for a great commentary last night/this morning.

talkSPORT

Thursday 30th August to Sunday 9th September

Paralympics: London 2012
Games Updates - Zora Suelman (weekday mornings), Robyn Schonhofer (weekday afternoons), Toby Gilles, Elliot Cook, Katy Murrells, Mike Bovill, Pete Abbott, Nigel Bidmead, David Spencer, Russell Hargreaves and James Gibson

talkSPORT's Paralympic updates amounted to general round-ups of what was happening at the Games, with them being filed by whoever was on duty on the talkSPORT newsdesk, at around 15-20 minutes past the hour when events were in progress. It looks as if talkSPORT has finally settled on Zora Suleman (ex RI:SE) as permanent successor to Faye Carruthers as their weekday morning newsreader.

Saturday 1st September

Rugby Union: Premiership
London Wasps v Harlequins (Twickenham) - Russell Hargreaves (with Andrew McKenna and Richard Hill commentating on talkSPORT.co.uk)

Sunday 2nd September

Formula 1: Belgian Grand Prix
Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps - Rupert Bell

Rugby Union: Premiership
London Welsh v Leicester Tigers - Simon Ward

Wednesday 5th September

American Football: NFL Week One
Dallas Cowboys @ New York Giants - Jeff Ellis (from NFL Rants & Raves)

Saturday 8th September

Mike Bovill presented Full Contact Live

Rugby Union: Premiership
London Irish v Gloucester - Russell Hargreaves
Sale Sharks v Saracens - Andrew McKenna and Jeff Probyn (4.30pm commentary)

Sunday 9th September

Rugby Union: Premiership
Northampton Saints v Exeter Chiefs - Simon Ward

Formula 1: Italian Grand Prix
Autodromo Nazionale Monza - Graham Beecroft (who also covered Saturday's qualifying and practice sessions)

Poker: UKIPT Newcastle
Aspers Casino, Newcastle - Ian Danter (who was also there on Monday night for the final table)

Monday 10th September

Hawksbee & Jacobs' London 2012 Victory Parade Special
Olympic and Paralympic Victory Parade - Paul Hawksbee and Andy Jacobs (presenting from Trafalgar Square) with Rupert Bell (various points on the route), Ian Abrahams (outside the National Gallery) and Russell Hargreaves (outside Buckingham Palace)

H&J's guests included Tom Daley, Greg Rutherford, Sarah Storey, Gareth A. Davies, Bob Ballard, Des Kelly, Jon Ridgeon and Adam Hills

Tennis: US Open Men's Singles Final
Novak Djokovic v Andy Murray - Rupert Bell

American Football: NFL Week One
Cincinnati Bengals @ Baltimore Ravens - Jim Williams (from the Washington Examiner)

And of course, Jack Bannister reported on all of the Test Matches, One-Day and Twenty20 Internationals between England and South Africa during this period.

Thursday 13th September - BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

5 Live Baseball with Mike Carlson (in London) and Josh Chetwynd (in Tucson, Arizona)

Baseball: American League
Tampa Bay Rays @ Baltimore Orioles - Joe Angel and Fred Manfra, with Casey Willett (commentary provided by 1090 AM WBAL - "the Orioles Radio Network")

5LSE joined the game in the bottom of the second inning, following the conclusion of today's coverage of the County Championship Division Two game between Derbyshire and Hampshire.

Saturday 15th September 2012 - BBC Radio Devon

James Vickery presents Radio Devon Sport from the Plymouth Seymour Road Studios (14:00 - 18:00)

Rugby - Championship
Plymouth Albion v Leeds Carnegie - Paddy Marsh (Reports) - Updates on 103.4FM Countywide (15:00)

Tour of Britain
Barnstaple to Dartmouth - Graham Brodie (Reports) - Updates on 103.4FM Countywide

Bath V Northampton Saints (Aviva Premiership RU)

BBC Bristol / Somerset - Andrew Sheridan and Sam Vesty (104.6FM / Online)

Sunday 16th September 2012 - BBC Radio Devon - Rugby (14:00 - 18:00)

James Vickery Presents Radio Devon Sport from the Seymour Road Studios in Plymouth

Premiership
London Welsh v Exeter Cheifs - Paddy Marsh and John Lockyer - 95.7FM in Plymouth, 95.8FM in Exeter, all MW Frequencies, DAB Countywide and BBC Devon Website

BBC WM, BBC Coventry & Warwickshire and BBC Sport website

Saturday 1st September

Cricket: CB40 Semi-Final
Lancashire v Warwickshire - Mike Taylor, Brian Halford and Tom Rawlings (BBC Sport website and Warwickshire CCC website commentary)

Scott Read, Chris Mallaband and David Sleight covered this semi-final for BBC Radio Manchester and BBC Radio Lancashire.

Saturday 15th September

Cricket: CB40 Final
Hampshire v Warwickshire - Richard Wilford, Clive Eakin and Phil Britt (BBC Sport website and Warwickshire CCC website commentary)

Kevan James and James Tomlinson covered the final for BBC Radio Solent. Anyone have details of BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra's coverage?

I would also appreciate any details of Warwickshire's County Championship Division One clinching win over Worcestershire from the week before last. I know Mike Taylor, Phil Britt and George Dobell were all involved but don't have the full information. Radio 5 Live Sports Extra carried commentary of the third (and ultimately final) day of play on Thursday 6th September, but unfortunately they didn't upload their coverage onto the iPlayer.

Mike Taylor and Dave Bracegirdle were among WM and C&W's joint commentary team with BBC Radio Nottingham on Nottinghamshire v Warwickshire last week.

During the Paralympic Games, BBC WM broadcast their weekday drive time programme presented by Paul Franks from Olympic Park, which included Richie Anderson interviewing the fans in and around the park as he does on their football coverage. WM also had live coverage of Ellie Simmonds in the swimming with Mike Taylor presenting and reporting, Chris Goreham (BBC Radio Norfolk) commentating and Alistair Durden (BBC Radio Bristol) conducting interviews.

Radio Times lists Simon Mann, Charles Dagnall and (also for Five Live) Kevin Howells as Sports Extra commentators. I assume that there were also summarisers but I don't know who they were.

Worcestershire v Warwickshire on 5lsx used bbc Hereford and Worcester's coverage, which for day 1 on the Tuesday (they only caried a couple of hours coverage around the paralympics) was Trevor Owens and Dave Bradley. it's likely it was these two for days 2 and 3 also.
afraid I can't help with yesterday's CB40 final unfortunately.

Adam Mountford tweeted the final team as Simon Mann, Kevin Howells + Charles Dagnell with Shaun Udal + Mark Wagh.

Some bits today

Cycling - Tour of Britain - Simon Brotherton + Peter Slater. Simon off to the Road World Championships tomorrow.

Womens Open Golf - Rob Nothman

R/U - London Welsh v Exeter - Alastair Eykyn

BBC Bristol

Bristol V Cornish Pirates (RFU Championship) - Richard Hoskin (studio host) Damian Derrick and Mike Rafter (1548MW / DAB / Online)

Sunday 16th September - BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra

5 Live NFL with Greg Brady and Danielle Michaud (in Toronto, Ontario)

American Football: NFL Week Two
New York Jets @ Pittsburgh Steelers - Bill Hillgrove and Tunch Ilkin, with Craig Wolfley on the sidelines (9.25pm GMT commentary provided by WDVE-FM - "the Pittsburgh Steelers Football Network")

Should this be a regular thing, a fairly major change for 5LSE's NFL coverage - they are taking the local radio coverage of the home team, ala 5 Live Baseball, rather than the networked radio coverage. Perhaps this could have something to do with Westwood One becoming Dial Global Sports, I don't know. Additionally, during the build-up we heard Darren Fletcher and Neil Reynolds (the latter now of Sky Sports but was a regular on 5LSE during the show's first season) previewing Sunday's late NFL action.

Going back to the cricket questions I posed earlier, I didn't expect to get such a good response! Thanks for the information Ian, Steve and Shaun.