Originally Posted by kentkiwi:
“We get Channel 9's coverage here in New Zealand, so I can clarify a few of the issues raised about the commentary line-up.
The team for the first two tests was as follows: Nicholas (presenter and commentary), Greig, Taylor, Healy, Slater, Warne, Benaud, Lawry, Chappell. A two-tier system seemed to operating, with Benaud, Lawry and Chappell usually getting one spell in each session of play, while the others usually had two. If Gilchrist and Lee were heard in Brisbane and Adelaide, it would have been in a one-off slot. Lee is here in NZ at the moment, playing T20 for Wellington.
At Perth, Benaud and Lawry are "rested" with Gilchrist a full member of the team and Chappell getting an equal share of turns on the air. Interestingly, Lawry is frequently mentioned, with a Bill-impersonation contest between Taylor and Slater at one point on Saturday, but Benaud has not been mentioned. Vaughan has done a single 30-minute guest spell. He said that he'd been waiting since Brisbane but was only allowed on-air when England started to do badly.
I don't agree with an earlier comment of shelsey93 that Chappell is a cheerleader for the Aussies. Over the years he has been much more prepared to criticise the Aussies than most of his colleagues.
I don't like the three-man system that Channel 9 has been using for five years now. Two plus an analyst/third man is better. Sky New Zealand uses three commentators for domestic T20, but the team operates for the whole game, so they all get heard.”
Thanks for those details about the Channel 9 coverage Kentkiwi. I think I might declare from posting the information about ITV4's coverage as the commentary line-ups on each Test have proven hard to follow when relying solely on four or five hour long highlights programmes.
I don't know if any of you caught ITV4's highlights show last night (what can I say, I'm a glutton for punishment), but it was interesting as what with England being bowled out within an hour, they basically showed the entire day's play - by showing full overs including dot balls etc. That took up the first three chunks of the programme, with the fourth being taken up by the post-match interviews and Mark Nicholas' sign off.
For the record, the commentators for the first half hour of Nine's coverage on Sunday were Ian Healy, Tony Greig and Mark Taylor, with Ian Chappell, Michael Slater and Shane Warne taking over for the second half hour until the end.