HOW TO...
What is cricket commentary? Simply put, it’s a description of the action – on radio this is done by a ball-by-ball commentator, but we all know it’s so much more besides. It’s analysis too, a summariser taking the reins from the ball-by baller to give an overview of the game situation or drill into a particular topic. Commentary encompasses in-depth discussion and debate, and the very best elevate it to an art form.
“Cricket commentary is so different from other sports like football and rugby where the commentary tends to be purely descriptive because those games go by at a helter-skelter pace,” says Daniel Norcross, the Test Match Special commentator. “They aren’t really discursive in the way that radio cricket commentary is. TV cricket commentary can be absolutely brilliant but they have pictures to give a deeper understanding of the game. On the radio, the commentators are that camera.