logo
Mark Nicholas' proudest memory tinged by sadness as 2005 Ashes marked end of era

Mark Nicholas' proudest memory tinged by sadness as 2005 Ashes marked end of era

Powys County Times11 hours ago

Mark Nicholas has bittersweet memories of his role fronting Channel 4's coverage of the 2005 Ashes, his pride in the enduring 'mythology' of the series tinged by sadness at the end of the free-to-air era.
Nicholas was the broadcasting anchor charged with carrying a rapt nation through many of the key moments of a contest that remains seared into the memories of cricket fans.
Heading up an elite commentary cast featuring the likes of the late Richie Benaud and Tony Greig, as well as Sir Geoffrey Boycott, Michael Atherton and Michael Slater, Nicholas' debonair style crystallised many of the most thrilling moments as England regained the urn for the first time in 18 years.
Good morning 😍
Steve Harmison to Michael Clarke – #OnThisDay in 2005 ⏮️
pic.twitter.com/pFX8eFBhMI
— England's Barmy Army 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🎺 (@TheBarmyArmy) August 6, 2024
One passage in particular lives on, Steve Harmison's vital dismissal of Michael Clarke at Edgbaston and the subsequent call of: 'One of the great balls! Given the moment, given the batsman, given the match…that is a staggering gamble!'
Speaking to the PA news agency two decades later, the current MCC chair reflects: 'You hear a lot of soundbites from that series, even 20 years on. Some of what I said didn't always make much sense, but I think the best commentary is reactive. When you plan to say certain things it doesn't work as well.
'David Bowie once gave an interview about 'Life on Mars' and said, 'It's a good song but I've no idea what I was writing about'. I sort of know what he means, you can be creatively successful completely unintentionally.
'I cannot tell you how often I get stopped, people telling me with all their hearts that 2005 and our coverage of it was what got them into cricket.
'Of course, it was the fact that England beat Australia after so long and that it was so thrilling. But to hear people, even England cricketers, say you helped get them into the game…you can't be more flattered than that.
'Some of us brought hyperbole, some did the deep analysis, Richie was minimalism brilliantly applied. I remain more proud of that time than anything else in my career, there was a certain element of mythology for all of us that summer, players and commentators alike.'
Yet 2005 was not just the high water mark for Nicholas' BAFTA-winning team, it was also the end of the road.
Sky television took over exclusive broadcast rights of English cricket in the aftermath, with home Tests having lost their 'Crown Jewel' status as a category A listed event.
It remains a source of regret to Nicholas that the surge of public interest, which saw 7.4 million viewers tune in to the Oval finale, instantly encountered a paywall.
'I do feel desperately sad that an opportunity was blown. It will never leave me,' he says.
'They had to make sure Test match cricket stayed (free to air), even if it was in a joint broadcast, and if that meant a bit less money then so be it.
'I'm not anti-Sky at all, I'm glued to their coverage three or four nights a week. But it was a bad misjudgement. Cricket was a very powerful thing at that moment and it was the time to make sure that continued.
'I was asked to co-host the celebration at Trafalgar Square with David Gower and I remember walking home through London with my wife after the crowds cleared. All the way back I was feeling an extraordinary contradiction of euphoric happiness at the summer that had gone and the terrible sadness of losing the coverage.'

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

'Harry's Father's Day tribute from Meghan speaks volumes on compromised life'
'Harry's Father's Day tribute from Meghan speaks volumes on compromised life'

Daily Mirror

time18 minutes ago

  • Daily Mirror

'Harry's Father's Day tribute from Meghan speaks volumes on compromised life'

Meghan Markle posted a Father's Day tribute to Prince Harry with never-before-seen footage of him with Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet - and one royal expert says the post is very telling Prince Harry's Father's Day tribute from Meghan Markle shows he "doesn't have it all" despite the song it is set to, according to a royal expert. Meghan posted a video to Instagram showing Harry alongside Prince Archie and Princess Lilibet, set to the song Have It All by Jason Mraz. The compilation showed photos and videos of Harry laughing, dancing and spending quality time with his children through the years. Meghan captioned the post: "The best. Happy Father's Day to our favourite guy." The post came hours after Harry's estranged brother Prince William was also seen in a new picture with his children in a post on the official Prince and Princess of Wales social media accounts. ‌ ‌ Kensington Palace said the photographs were taken by professional photographer Josh Shinner in Norfolk earlier this year. And according to royal expert and historian Dr Tessa Dunlop, there was a vast gulf between the two posts. She told the Mirror: "Hail Prince William, the model father. Or rather the model English father, with a before-and-after duo of professional photographs featuring a handsome, upstanding man, beautifully blended with his children; a foursome united in different shades of 'Norfolk' green. "The post dropped early on Father's Day via Kensington Palace's Instagram account, giving that other royal family plenty of time to tweak their own paternal efforts for a later LA release. "In Britain, it was bedtime before we caught a sneaky peak of the Sussexes' alternative Californian vibe: Harry the hands-on dad - forget formal posing in tweedy greens, this was 'au naturel'. Well, sort of. "A hotch-potch of sunbaked vibes, bubble machines and sea-side shots cast to the Jason Mraz track 'Have it all.' Except Harry doesn't have it all." ‌ The tribute to Harry comes just weeks after he spoke out about his rift with his own father King Charles, and said he would love reconciliation with him. And Tessa added: "Despite his professed desire to resume relations with his own father the King, the Duke of Sussex remains something of an orphan, stranded on the other side of the Atlantic. A discordant backdrop that cast his otherwise happy little video in a poignant light. ‌ "Poor Harry. These days having it all even means sharing images of his children's faces, albeit blurry ones taken when they were much younger. "Such are the compromises celebrities make when no longer protected by the royal coffers. Meghan's Instagram account is a hungry beast. ‌ "Long gone are the effortless days of a shared fraternal photograph; it was 2017 when William and Harry posted an early photograph with their dear Papa in the Scottish Highlands for Father's Day. "It had been declared the holiday snap indicative of the brothers' close bond, proof that when it comes to the Royal Family, what you see is only ever half the story." Tessa Dunlop is the author of the new book Lest We Forget, War and Peace in 100 British Monuments.

Max Aarons 'close' to Rangers transfer as Russell Martin swoops for former £20million Man Utd target
Max Aarons 'close' to Rangers transfer as Russell Martin swoops for former £20million Man Utd target

Daily Record

time20 minutes ago

  • Daily Record

Max Aarons 'close' to Rangers transfer as Russell Martin swoops for former £20million Man Utd target

Bourenmouth full back Aarons was a one-time target for the likes of Man United and Liverpool Rangers are closing in on the signing of Bournemouth full back Max Aarons - according to a report. New Ibrox boss Russell Martin and sporting director Kevin Thelwell are ramping up Gers transfer drive, with Record Sport revealing that deals already in the offing for Maccabi Tel Aviv forward Dor Turgeman and Leicester City centre-half Conor Coady. ‌ And now according to reports in Italy, they are on the brink of snapping up Cherries defender Aarons on loan. ‌ The 25-year-old joined the Premier League side from Norwich City for £7million back in 2023 after spending the first five years of his professional career with Norwich City. Aarons - who is a former England youth international - spent the second half of last season on loan in La Liga with Valencia but made just three appearances in all competitions. Prior to his move to Spain, the right-back was linked with a £20million switch to Manchester United and had also previously been touted as a potential target for Liverpool back in 2022. Should Aarons head north of the border to Ibrox, then he would provide competition at right back to Rangers skipper James Tavernier, who has just 12 months remaining on his current contract. Tavernier often found himself out of the team under ex Gers boss Philippe Clement last season, with versatile Dujon Sterling frequently deployed as a right back. The Light Blues are also hoping to strengthen in the left back department on the other side of the pitch. ‌ However, they appear to have missed out on reported target Harry Darling. The defender is set to leave Swansea City at the end of his contract on June 30, and was said to be on manager Martin's radar having previously played under him at the EFL Championship club. But reports now state that the 25-year-old is poised to sign a deal with fellow English second tier club Norwich City, where Martin spent eight years as a player between 2010 and 2018. ‌ You can get all the news you need on our dedicated Rangers and Celtic pages, and sign up to our newsletters to make sure you never miss a beat throughout the season. We're also on WhatsApp where we bring all the latest breaking news and transfer gossip directly to you phone. Join our Rangers community here and our Celtic community here. Tune in to Hotline Live every Sunday to Thursday and have your say on the biggest issues in Scottish football and listen to Record Sport's newest podcast, Game On, every Friday for your sporting fix, all in bitesize chunks.

Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America
Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America

Scotsman

time41 minutes ago

  • Scotsman

Kieran Hodgson: Voice of America

Pleasance Courtyard: Beyond: July 30 – August 25: 9:30pm Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Multi-award nominated comedian and actor Kieran Hodgson is set to return to the Pleasance throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe with his highly anticipated new show 'Voice of America' following a run at London's Soho Theatre. Tickets will be available from 1st April from Following the festival, he will be embarking on a national tour in the Autumn. 'Voice of America' will see Kieran engage with current affairs for the first time with an ever-evolving political stand-up routine, whilst the show still keeps the character-led personal storytelling that he's known & acclaimed for. Kieran will attempt to understand what America truly sounds like—from the roaring chants of Trump rallies to the anthems of Taylor Swift, from Pride Marches to the chaos of January 6th. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad The show stems from events in 2021, when Hodgson's American dream came true and landed a role in the mega-budget Warner Brothers superhero movie The Flash, stealing the opening scene as the unforgettable 'Sandwich Guy'. The only catch? He had to sound American, and on day one, producers told him that he really, really didn't. Kieran Hodgson Can he, a man known for his incredible vocal mimicry, capture the essence of a country through its voices? Can American voices still inspire hope in a complicated world? And, most crucially, can Sandwich Guy make his peanut butter and banana on a seeded roll in time for The Flash to save the day? Four-time Edinburgh Comedy Award nominee Kieran is an acclaimed actor, writer and comedian who has sold out theatres and comedy venues across the UK with his shows 'Lance', 'Maestro', ''75' and 'Big In Scotland'. He has been consistently recognised as one of the most exciting and acclaimed comics of his generation, and was named by the Telegraph as one of the 50 funniest comedians of the 21st Century. Kieran was a series regular across five series of BBC One smash hit sitcom 'Two Doors Down'. He also wrote and starred in - Prince Andrew The Musical - for Channel 4, in which he led a cast of comics in a satirical send-up of the life and times of Prince Andrew. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad In 2023, Kieran's show Big In Scotland was awarded his fourth nomination for Best Show at the Edinburgh Comedy Awards following a hugely successful run. His live work has been recorded and adapted for Amazon Prime, Channel 4 and BBC Radio, and he received the 2021 Royal Television Society of Scotland Award for 'Best Comedy' for his programme How We Forgot To Save The Planet. In 2022, Kieran starred in See How They Run opposite Saoirse Ronan, Sam Rockwell, and David Oyelowo. He has also appeared in indie dark comedy feature All My Friends Hate Me as well as major superhero film The Flash. Other credits include: Netflix's The Irregulars, Alibi's Miss Scarlett & The Duke, BBC3 / BBC One's BAFTA-nominated Pls Like, BBC3's hit Famalam, BBC 2's Upstart Crow, Netflix's Lovesick and his own Channel Four Blap God's Own County. Kieran also played the role of Jonathan in both sell-out West End runs of the rave-reviewed comedy musical A Christmas Carol (ish) by Nick Mohammed. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into the world of global news and events? Download our app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store