Ali ousts Hughes in the C5 batting order
women cricket commentators have reached such a high standard that the established Simon Hughes is being replaced by Ali mitchell for Channel 5’s Test highlights this summer.
Sunset+Vine, who produce the programme, wanted to freshen up their content and were impressed with mitchell when she worked on their Ashes production for BT Sport in the winter.
C5 also have top pundits Geoffrey Boycott and michael Vaughan on their domestic Test team. So it is Hughes, editor of The Cricketer magazine, who has made a brand of his analyst role, who has had to make way for mitchell.
Sky Sports are also bringing a female presence to their Test coverage, with former england players Isa Guha and ebony Rainford-Brent, plus Aussie mel Jones, being given prominent roles.
BBC Radio’s Test Match Special already use Guha and Rainford-Brent on a regular basis and talkSpoRT, who have won the audio rights to the Sri Lanka and west Indies tours next winter, are certain to appoint female commentators along with Darren Gough.
councillors rightly showed concern yesterday that Premier League clubs will use the winter break being introduced in February 2020 to make lucrative commercial trips abroad. Arsenal’s Ivan Gazidis and Tottenham’s Rebecca Caplehorn assured them this wouldn’t be the case. But the blazers are spot on in wanting the FA to forbid any extra fixtures during that period. Fans’ chief Malcolm Clarke, who sits on the council, also asked that some of the cash compensating clubs for losing the FA Cup fifth-round weekend, and any subsequent replays, is used to help supporters with travel costs for those ties, which will be played in midweek. SopHIe GoLDSCHmIDT, former RFU financial director and now Ceo of world Surfing, cancelled the latest round of the championship tour in perth for fear of shark attacks. Goldschmidt (right) said: ‘ Surfing is unique in that wild animals inhabit our performance environment.’ Did she never see RFU blazers leaving the building after a full day on their free booze at Twickenham?
lACCRINGTON
Stanley’s folicallychallenged manager John Coleman has been promised a free hair transplant after guiding the club into League One for the first time. Hopefully this bonus will not get the club in trouble, given the EFL’s ridiculous fuss over Accrington chairman Andy Holt buying his players burgers after important wins.