If I remember rightly, Neil Manthorpe and Darren Gough were the commentary team on-air for the final few overs of the England v West Indies match on Monday.

And it would have been Gough who would have been "berating the crowd" I should think - to be honest I don't remember him doing that, although I do recall him getting into Paul Collingwood for his positioning of the fielders!

I have been arguing the toss (sorry for the cricket-related pun) about this in the talkSPORT Chat thread, but I think talkSPORT have done a fine job with their coverage of the World Twenty20 and don't deserve half the stick they are getting.

I think Darren and Ronnie Irani are only picking up the slack in light of people being annoyed with their presenting of regular shows in the schedule, and while I can understand that I think both have been fine on the cricket commentaries.

In my opinion, Darren and Ronnie are simply making the same kind of opinionated, excitable comments that Geoffrey Boycott was lauded for on talkSPORT and now the BBC.

Away from those two, I think Neil Manthorpe has been a shining light on the talkSPORT coverage - knowledgeable and erudite, he is clearly passionate for the game yet at the same time remains a calm voice throughout. He has been an excellent addition to their team.

Manthorpe is formerly of TMS and in my opinion he is as good as anyone on the BBC's cricket coverage.

Listening to some of the football broadcasters infiltrating the TMS team (and to be frank, not doing a particularly good job on there) has been a timely reminder for me that a talkSPORT alternative has been missed from the airwaves, and it's good to hear it back.

Thursday 18th June: talkSPORT

UEFA Under 21 Championships
Spain U21 v England U21 - Andy Clarke

World Twenty20 Cup Semi Final
South Africa v Pakistan - Neil Manthorpe

US Open
Bethpage, Long Island - Bob Bubka

Horse Racing
Royal Ascot - Rupert Bell

Saturday 20th June: talkSPORT

International Rugby, Durban
South Africa v British & Irish Lions - Simon Ward (and Jeff Probyn in the studio)

US Open
Bethpage, Long Island - Bob Bubka

Formula One, Silverstone
British Grand Prix Qualifying - Graham Courtney

Horse Racing
Royal Ascot - Rupert Bell

ATP Tennis, Eastbourne
Women’s Final - Dave Luddy
Men’s Final - Dave Luddy

South Africa V British & Irish Lions

BBC Radio Cymru - Eleri Sion host with Brynmor Williams. Commentary from Gareth Charles. ES and BW had to part commentate when feed to Sooth Afreeekar went in the 23rd minute.

BBC Radio Wales - Graham Roberts host with John Deveraux and Tom Shanklin with commentary from Eddie Butler. As per Radio Cymru. GR and JD had to commentate when the feed was lost, but for a few minutes used R5L.

BBC Radio Five Live - Alistair Eykyn (0-20) Iain Robertson (20-40) Matt Dawson and Gavin Hastings

European Team Championships Athletics

Vasos Alexander, Mike Costello (mostly commentating on the field events) Alison Curbishley and Darren Campbell (back in London) Sonia McLaughlin Interviewing

USPGA Golf - Iain Carter and Jay Townsend (R5L)
Royal Ascot - Cornelius Lysaght and John Hunt (R5L)
Lancashire V Hampshire (County Championship Cricket) - Ian Brown (R5L)

Plus Ian Abrahams was reporting on the racing from Lingfield during Cricket Circus.

4-4-2, do you know who talkSPORT's reporter was on the second World Twenty20 semi-final? I suspect it would have been Neil Manthorpe but I don't know for sure.

Also, did they have a reporter at the Women's World Twenty20 final today?

I was disappointed that talkSPORT didn't have commentary on the World Twenty20 Cup Final today. Ronnie Irani had said on the phone-in earlier in the week they would be doing full commentary today, but instead we had the usual (and to be fair, always very good) Ian Danter fronted programme with updates only.

Instead, here's who did what:

World Twenty20 Cup Final
Sri Lanka v Pakistan

Five Live - Jonathan Agnew, Arlo White, Phil Tufnell, Dermot Reeve & Geoff Lawson (commentary)

talkSPORT - Neil Manthorpe & Farokh Engineer (reports)

Hopefully 4-4-2 will be able to fill in the rest of the talkSPORT details as I didn't catch any of the earlier coverage of the F1/Women's Twenty20 Cup Final.

At the moment, Bob Bubka is reporting on the US Open golf for talkSPORT, with (presumably - will correct if wrong, just tuned in) Iain Carter, Alistair Bruce-Ball & Jay Townsend commentating on Five Live.

It's disappointing they didn't do live commentary of the World Twenty20 Cup Final but I suppose it was a conscious decision given that 5 Live were doing the same thing and perhaps it wasn't of that big an interest to most listeners given that England weren't involved.

Graham Courtney, however, was reporting on the F1 British Grand Prix, but there was no one reporting on the Women's World Twenty20 Final.

Monday 22nd June: talkSPORT

UEFA U21 Championships
England U21 v Germany U21 - Andy Clarke

US Open
Bethpage, Long Island - Bob Bubka

Wimbledon
Centre Court - Dave Luddy
Outer Courts - Katy Murrells

Wimbledon 2009

5 Live

Simon Mayo & Mark Pougatch hosting

Jonathan Overend, Clare Balding, Russell Fuller, David Law, Eleanor Oldroyd, Vassos Alexander, Dot Davies & Joel Taggert commentating/reporting

Michael Stich, Pat Cash, David Felgate, Annabel Croft, Judy Murray, Jeff Tarango & Frew McMillan summarising

Bob Ballard leading the Sports Extra coverage

World Service

Lee James (host), Barry Millns, Barry Cowan, Judy Dalton & Chris Mitchell

US Open Golf

Iain Carter, Jay Townsend & Alistair Bruce-Ball

It's actually Graham Courtney reporting on this game tonight (and - judging by the sound feed - he's blatantly off-tube given the volume of the noise 45 minutes prior to kick-off compared to that heard behind Alan Smith, who's reporting from the stadium on TV now).

In addition, I think talkSPORT have someone at Windsor Races tonight (I believe it is Ian Abrahams but just missed the update).

4-4-2, sorry to bug you but just for completeness - was it Neil Manthorpe reporting on the second Twenty20 Cup semi-final on Friday? Thanks.

Emerging Springboks V British & Irish Lions

Alistair Eykyn and Matt Dawson for BBC R5LSX
Last edited by Ian Cleverly : 23-06-2009 at 18:43

Iain Carter, Phillip Studd, Alison Mitchell, Todd Woodbridge, Christine Janes & Roger Rasheed also on duty.

South Africa v British & Irish Lions - Alastair Eykyn, Matt Dawson, Robert Jones & Iain Robertson

Sussex v Australia - Pat Murphy

South Africa v. British & Irish Lions on RTE Radio 1

John Kenny presenting with Emmett Byrne & Conor McGuinness

Commentary from Michael Corcoran & Donal Lenihan

The Dirty Boks V British & Irish Lions

BBC Radio Wales - Graham Roberts host with Adrian Hadley and Tom Shanklin in the studio. Commentary from Eddie Butler, and use of AH and TS every so often.

BBC Radio Cymru - Eleri Sion host with Derwyn Jones in the studio. Commentary from Gareth Charles and use of DJ every so often. As like last week, there was a point in the first half (around the 29th minute *I think*) where the feed was lost, so Eleri and Derwyn had to describe what was going on.

talkSPORT - Simon Ward (with Mark Saggers and Jeff Probyn half commentating, talking about what the Lions should do, etc back in Larrrrndarrrn)

Sounds like BBC Wales have better comms than 5 Live! Corcoran was his usual brilliant, excitable self on RTE.

They are dirty those boks aren't they? I can't believe De Villiers is defending Burger's disgraceful antics.

I listened to it via Radio Cymru, and GC was going absolutely livid. I don't mind Alistair Eykyn over on 5L, but I find Iain Robertson to be a bit 'meh'.


I'm sure Declan Kidney is thinking of some game plan come November

Wednesday 1st July

talkSPORT

Tour Match, Day 1 of 4
England Lions v Australia, New Road - Jack Bannister

I was surprised that talkSPORT had Jack watching Australia's game at Worcestershire, rather than England's Ashes warm-up against his home county, a game they didn't appear to have a reporter at.

Speaking of which...

BBC WM/BBC Coventry & Warwickshire/BBC Sport website stream

Edgbaston, Day 1 of 3
Warwickshire v England - Richard Wilford, Clive Eakin, Mike Taylor, Brian Halford (Warwickshire CCC correspondent for the Birmingham Mail) & Phil Britt (Warwickshire CCC cricket museum curator)

Full commentary on the DAB output of both WM and C&W, as well as on the BBC Sport website, with Mike Taylor providing updates on the match on BBC WM's FM frequencies (whilst reading the sports bulletins on Paul Franks's show).

I'm surprised you're suprised.

Think about which game is being shown live on Sky Sports!

Roger Federer V Tommy Haas (Tennis - Wimbledon Men's Semi Final)

Simon Mayo (Part Host) Vassos Alexander (commentator) Pat Cash and Jeff Tarango on R5L

(England Lions V Australia (Cricket) - Kevin Howells)

Iain Carter did set 2. It was Todd Woodbridge rather than Jeff Tarango summarising.

Murray v Roddick

Jonathan Overend, Tim Henman & Michael Stich

According to his twitter, David Law will be along later in the match.

I'll concede to you on the Todd/Jeff thing, but I didn't hear Iain Carter do any of the commentary (I was listening to it on a train from Bristol TM to Cardiff)


Jonathan Overend did sets 3 and 4. David Law did sets 1, 2 and 5. Claire Balding was out on Henman Hill/Murray mound and Russell Fuller was reporting on the various doubles matches later on.

Mike Costello and Alison Curbishley were out in Oslo as part of 5 Live's Athletics coverage of the Golden League, with only actual commentary of the men's 100m Final. George Riley was back in London with Darren Campbell helping out (and half-interviewing Ato Bolden prior to the 100m)

Stuart Pyke, David Oates and John Sharp (ex-Huddersfield) did Wigan Warriors V Harlequins on 5LSX.

Here's some details of reporters for this afternoon:

IRN SPORT
TENNIS
Wimbledon Women's Final: Dave Luddy

RUGBY UNION
3rd Test - South Africa v British & Irish Lions: Simon Ward

Dave Luddy has been doing Wimbledon reports during the week for talkSPORT and BFBS, so expect appearances again this afternoon. Simon Ward is also likely to appear on talkSPORT.


GLOBAL RADIO
Phil Blacker has been reporting for LBC from Wimbledon during the week, so is likely to appear on LBC and possibly Classic FM for reports on the women's final.


OTHER REPORTERS (but not listed for IRN)
RACING
Sandown Park: Kel Mansfield

GOLF
French Open: Richard Kaufman (for European Tour Radio)

Kel Mansfield is expected to appear on RTE Radio 1 and LBC.

South Africa V British & Irish Lions (3rd Test from Johannesburg)

BBC Radio Wales - Steffan Garrero (host) with John Deveraux and Mark Taylor guests. Commentary form Eddie Butler

BBC Radio Cymu - Eleri Sion host with Brynmor Williams as guest. Commentary from Gareth Charles.

BBC Radio Five Live Sports Xtra - Alistair Eykyn (0-40) Ian Robertson (40-80) and Matt Dawson (R5L took the last 10 or so minutes also)

(Wimbledon Women's Final - Gareth Blainey for Radio Cymru)
(Celtic Crusaders V Warrington Wolves preview - Gareth Rhys Owen for Radio Cymru)
(Tour de France Cycling - Simon Brotherton for R5L)
(Horse racing from Sandown Park - John Hunt for R5L)
(England Lions V Australia (Cricket) - Pat Murphy for R5L)

Joined by the Crusaders' Josh Hannay for Online commentary


Graham Jones with him for Online commentary

5 Live

S Williams v V Williams - Clare Balding (set1), Jonathan Overend (set2), Annabel Croft & Jana Novotna