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A thread about free to air cricket:
When I was a kid, all we played as a group on the playground were football and variations of tig. We played a lot of football. We never played cricket.
That was, until we came back from the sumer holidays in 2005... 1/n
When I was a kid, all we played as a group on the playground were football and variations of tig. We played a lot of football. We never played cricket.
That was, until we came back from the sumer holidays in 2005... 1/n
I was already something of a cricket fan (aged 9), I played with my Dad and my brother in the garden. I'd been to an ODI. I already knew who Freddie Flintoff and Michael Vaughan were. But I didn't really get test cricket. And neither did any of my school friends. 2/n
The Ashes were played almost completely during the summer holidays. It was completely engrossing. Visiting friends and going to barbecues, it seemed almost everyone had the cricket on in the background. And ever kid in the area must have watched it. 4/n
When we got back to school in September, 'football football football' was replaced by 'cricket cricket cricket'. I remember we had a football practice on the final day of the oval test. We didn't care about football practice. All we wanted to know was had England won yet? 4/n
- much to the disappointment of our football coach!
I'm not sure we ever played with the quick cricket equipment before September 05, but it felt like it was all we did that autumn. Every boy in the older year groups played. Everyone wanted to be Freddie Flintoff. 5/n
I'm not sure we ever played with the quick cricket equipment before September 05, but it felt like it was all we did that autumn. Every boy in the older year groups played. Everyone wanted to be Freddie Flintoff. 5/n
We didn't know at the time, but that was the last free to air cricket we'd see for 14 years. We still played cricket in 2006. I'm sure most of the boys in my year went to U11s practice at the cricket club. But with a top up for our new found love of the game, it wained away.. 6/n
My brother and I were lucky. We were already hooked and shortly after, we got sky. But not everyone did.
Over the years, not only did junior participation drop rapidly at our club, but the kids coming in at U11 had barely watched the game... 7/n
Over the years, not only did junior participation drop rapidly at our club, but the kids coming in at U11 had barely watched the game... 7/n
... They weren't inspired by Cook and Anderson in the same way we were inspired by Flintoff and Vaughan.
We've lost practically a whole generation of kids in the 14 year absence.
It's great that the ECB, the BBC and C4 have heard the calls to redistribute the game... 8/n
We've lost practically a whole generation of kids in the 14 year absence.
It's great that the ECB, the BBC and C4 have heard the calls to redistribute the game... 8/n
... But I wonder how much damage is irreparable.
An away tour to India is good, even if 3 tests are played between 4 and 11 am... Hopefully the white ball stuff is on C4 too. I doubt we'll see a playground revival (for some obvious reasons)... 9/10
An away tour to India is good, even if 3 tests are played between 4 and 11 am... Hopefully the white ball stuff is on C4 too. I doubt we'll see a playground revival (for some obvious reasons)... 9/10
But maybe some stuck-at-home 9 y/o watches a bit and becomes inspired. Will that be a quantifiable success? Probably not. But it's a start. 10/10
#channel4cricket #INDvENG
#channel4cricket #INDvENG
