Offer gives nation final to savour

this was ridiculous: a man-of-thematch performance from a boisterous, barnstorming allrounder; a new face – imported from a far-off land – delivering the decisive blow; and, ultimately, the sight of England cricketers cavorting across a London outfield celebrating the kind of victory which will be replayed and replayed until the tape wears out.

And it did mean more that the country – the whole country – was able to savour it. Had this remarkable match, which not only went to the last ball, but actually beyond it, remained ghettoised on satellite television, the national water-cooler debate this morning would have been about an epic men’s final at Wimbledon, or even Lewis Hamilton’s record triumph at Silverstone. As it is, the chat will be about Stokesy’s ticker, Jofra’s slower-ball bouncer and Jason’s pick-up-and-throw.

Sky will afford itself a rueful grin that its generous offer of a simulcast with Channel 4 coincided with perhaps the most dramatic match ever staged – cricket is not always like this, after all.

But it can console itself with the knowledge that this was, to all intents and purposes, still very much its show.

There was the familiar roster of Sky voices and faces, bombastic build-up (Sir Ranulph Fiennes proclaiming sonorously about the importance of hitting good areas) and forensic analysis. It lacked the accessibility of Channel 4’s old coverage – which placed a premium on jargon busting – but by the end of it all, a new viewer could surely think of nothing better than Ian Smith excitedly wondering whether Martin Guptill should have taken the first ball of the super over.

Of course, this spasm of cricket mania will pass soon enough. One of the adverts which flashed up more than once during Channel 4’s coverage was for the forthcoming Ashes – a smorgasbord of images celebrating Anglo-aussie rivalry, followed by the kicker: Only on Sky Sports.

Somewhere far off in the distance, you could just hear the sound of a basement trapdoor slamming shut. But we can enjoy the moment while it lasts.