ICC Cricket World Cup 2019

Devongone · (This post was last modified: 09-07-2019, 13:36 by Devongone.)

Two things - they need to shorten this tournament and they absolutely need to put it on terrestrial TV.

Would ten teams in two groups of five have been too hard to contemplate?

If Test Match cricket and County Cricket are dying because they go on too long, you have to be mental to design a tournament that lasts this long and compound the problem by ensuring that some the audience struggle even to access the games ......

Would there be an audience without India?

**Lord Snooty** · 09-07-2019, 14:09

Sky's coverage of cricket is superb, but it should be available to a mass audience. Especially a tournament like this.
Even the highlights on C4 are all wrong. Highlights tonight at what time? Eleven o'clock for goodness sake.

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · (This post was last modified: 09-07-2019, 17:19 by Ska'dForLife-WBA.)

To be fair, this edition is only two days longer than the 2015 tournament, which did divide the teams into proper groups. But I absolutely agree about the TV coverage. The ECB went for short-term financial gain over the long-term health of the sport, and as a result, less than fifteen years after the 2005 Ashes sent the country cricket-mad, there's more interest in women's football right now than what was once the nation's second most popular sport. (Not that I'm unhappy to see the rise of women's football, but this isn't a zero-sum game, so it needn't happen at the expense of cricket). The good news is that the ECB at least recognise the problem. The bad news is that their solution is The Hundred Doh

If it's not too late, I think they have to put plans in place to try and give terrestrial broadcasters at least some of next year's World T20 matches. It's in Aus, so unfortunately they'd be screening it first thing in the morning, but better than nothing.

**themaclad** · 09-07-2019, 18:53

What has been disappointing is the lack of day night matches as for mentioning the Hundread, wash your mouth out no blasphemy on here

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 09-07-2019, 19:07

I suspect the lack of day-nighters is to try and please as much of the global TV audience as possible, especially the subcontinent. Certainly, all of India's games have been early starts, which amounts to around 4pm-midnight broadcast times over there.

The weather has been frustrating too. Looks like this semi-final's going to be pushed over to tomorrow now.

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · 10-07-2019, 18:33

Cracker of a semi! Tendulkar's record stands for at least one more day as Rohit scores only 1 and India go out.

**themaclad** · 10-07-2019, 20:05

Missed it due to an afternoon work period

**themaclad** · 11-07-2019, 11:51

Started well but .....

**Lord Snooty** · (This post was last modified: 11-07-2019, 18:19 by Lord Snooty.)

53 runs needed from 25 overs with 8 wickets in hand.
Can't possibly lose from here.

Easy easy easy. Just in time as well. Pissing it down now.

**Ska'dForLife-WBA** · (This post was last modified: 11-07-2019, 19:00 by Ska'dForLife-WBA.)

What an absolute hammering. So many classic moments that are going to be remembered in years to come: Finch first-baller, taking Carey's helmet off with a bouncer, nutmegging Steve Smith for a run-out, then Roy smashing him for three sixes in a row. Arguably the biggest day in English cricket since Edgbaston 2005, and if the boys can finish the job on terrestrial telly on Sunday then it'll surpass even that. Couldn't ask for a better springboard for the Ashes. Roll on the weekend!