By the Byes
BBC and ESPN Cricket in New Highlights Deal
It has been announced that BBC and ESPN have secured four-year deals to show highlights
from a variety of ICC competitions. The deal will see highlights, video clips, end-of-day
round-ups all become available on the BBC Sport and ESPN websites.
Barbara Slater, Director of BBC Sport, expressed her delight at securing the deal, saying that
‘[the BBC is] very pleased to announce this new agreement with the ICC, which is all about
free-to-air accessibility and bringing the best of cricket to as wide an audience as possible
across the UK’, adding that ‘the online rights will complement our live radio commentary
portfolio and popular online offering, giving UK audiences video of the best of the action
wherever they are’.
The deal starts with this year’s T20 World Cup and will also include next year’s Champions
Trophy and Women’s World Cup, as well as the Men’s 50-over World Cup in England and
Wales in 2019.
Whitticase and Graham Cowdrey –
plus the former rugby league referee,
Stuart Cummings.
Under 19s Mankading
Former ICC Elite Panel Umpire Steve
Davis Appointed ECB Cricket Liaison
Officer
The England and Wales Cricket Board
(ECB) recently announced the
appointment of Steve Davis to the role
of Cricket Liaison Officer. His new
duties will include supporting umpires,
groundsmen, counties and the ECB by
providing detailed reports of activity
throughout domestic competitions.
The Australian retired from umpiring
last year following the five-match ODI
series between England and New
Zealand. Since 1992 he has umpired 57
Tests, 135 ODIs and 26 IT20s, including
three World Cups, five World T20s and
two Champions Trophies.
Chris Kelly, ECB Umpires’ Manager,
said: ‘Appointing people of Steve’s
calibre shows we are prepared to
invest in the level of support we give to
a range of people on match days – not
least the umpires.
‘His vast experience behind the stumps
and extensive knowledge of the
professional game will make him a
valuable addition to the team.’
The Cricket Liaison Officer role was
introduced at the start of last season,
and the current
four-man team includes three former
First Class cricketers – Tony Pigott, Phil
20
The issue of mankading and the Spirit
of Cricket was again raised during an
ICC Under 19s World Cup game
between West Indies and Zimbabwe.
With Zimbabwe needing three runs to
win from the last over and West Indies
requiring one wicket to advance
themselves, the match was completely
in the balance. Keemo Paul had been
given the task of removing the last
Zimbabwean wicket, and with only
three runs needed from six balls, a
West Indian wicket would most likely
be necessary.
As Paul ran in to deliver the first ball of
his over, he stopped before entering
his delivery stride and removed the
bails of Zimbabwe’s No.11 Richard
Ngarva. Tim Robinson, who was TV
umpire, confirmed that, despite
Ngarva’s bat being on the crease it
was not within it, and was therefore
given out.
To some this was seen as an
unsatisfactory end to an enthralling
game of cricket, and there is no doubt
that the game would have been better
served with Paul knocking a stump out
the ground or Matigimu, the
on-strike batsman, driving a four for
victory. However, from a Law
perspective the correct decision was
upheld and the umpires followed the
correct procedure.
A spokesman said on behalf of MCC
that: ‘It's clear to us. If he's out of his
ground, he's out. If the batsman had
not been out of his crease, there would
have been no issue about the Spirit of
Cricket. Obviously this is as small a
margin as it