Was the first BBC colour broadcast of a cricket match?

max.it

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On 23/05/2021 00:44, max.it wrote:
>
> Was the first BBC colour broadcast of a cricket match?

When was almost certainly 1968. The Beeb did experimental
broadcasts of the 1967 Wimbledon, and phased in colour
programmes through the rest of the year. I'm also reasonably
sure that the first Test in colour was in 1968, but there
was probably other coverage earlier in the year.

On Sun, 23 May 2021 08:02:33 +0100, Brian Lawrence
<Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:

>On 23/05/2021 00:44, max.it wrote:
>>
>> Was the first BBC colour broadcast of a cricket match?
>
>When was almost certainly 1968. The Beeb did experimental
>broadcasts of the 1967 Wimbledon, and phased in colour
>programmes through the rest of the year. I'm also reasonably
>sure that the first Test in colour was in 1968, but there
>was probably other coverage earlier in the year.
>
>
>

1968 is correct.
The ground was Cheam and the match was for John Edrich against the
International Cavaliers.

I was searching around English club names like 'Something & Something
else', when I noticed that.
The reason for the double naming in England seems to be different than
it is in Ireland. In Ireland it is usually an amalgamation of two
clubs, in England it seems to be an original area name and then after
the area expanded it included the wider area name. I only checked out
a few.

max.it

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On 23/05/2021 14:28, max.it wrote:
> On Sun, 23 May 2021 08:02:33 +0100, Brian Lawrence
> <Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:
>
>> On 23/05/2021 00:44, max.it wrote:
>>>
>>> Was the first BBC colour broadcast of a cricket match?
>>
>> When was almost certainly 1968. The Beeb did experimental
>> broadcasts of the 1967 Wimbledon, and phased in colour
>> programmes through the rest of the year. I'm also reasonably
>> sure that the first Test in colour was in 1968, but there
>> was probably other coverage earlier in the year.
>>
>>
>>
>
> 1968 is correct.
> The ground was Cheam and the match was for John Edrich against the
> International Cavaliers.
>
> I was searching around English club names like 'Something & Something
> else', when I noticed that.
> The reason for the double naming in England seems to be different than
> it is in Ireland. In Ireland it is usually an amalgamation of two
> clubs, in England it seems to be an original area name and then after
> the area expanded it included the wider area name. I only checked out
> a few.

OK, I think I need to correct you. Sorry.

The match at Cheam was on June 2nd, but according to the BBC Genome
website that was the fifth Sunday afternoon International Cavaliers
shown in colour on BBC 2. Also, the match was against Surrey, but
was organised by the Cavaliers and Rothmans in aid of Edrich's
benefit fund. The scorecard is available on Cricket Archive.

The first colour cricket was on Sunday 28 April, when the Cavaliers
played a Cambridge Uni Past & Present team at Fenners. The following
Sunday the match was at Bristol vs Gloucs (May 5, also in colour).

May 12 Worcester
May 19 Southport not in colour
May 26 Oxford [I actually attended that one]
Jun 02 Cheam
Jun 09 Ilford

Matches on June 16, 23 & 30, plus July 7 were shown in black and white
because the BBC's limited OB colour equipment had been installed at
Wimbledon, which ran from June 24 to July 6. The tennis was only in
colour on BBC 2. Interestingly the FA Cup Final on May 18 was shown
in colour on BBC 2, but the Southport game on the next day was in
B&W because the colour equipment could not be transported in time.

The 4th Test at Leeds, from Jul 25 was shown in colour, but again
only on BBC2. The 5th Test at the Oval (22 Aug) was the same.
The Sunday matches reverted to B&W on those weekends.

The Genome website is here: <genome.ch.bbc.co.uk>

but you need a free BBC online account. There was a surprising
amount of cricket shown around that time, including the Touring
team's opening match at Worcester, the MCC v Tourists match, and
the Roses Match.

An interesting diversion - I knew Sobers captained many of the
Cavalier teams, and recalled he did at Oxford, but I had forgotten
that he scored 100 in that one. My lasting memory though was
after the game ended I was walking back into Oxford, when I heard
heavy rapid footsteps behind me. I was overtaken by Syd Buller
who had umpired with Charlie Elliot and was hurrying to catch the
next train home.

Thanks for posting.

On Sun, 23 May 2021 17:27:36 +0100, Brian Lawrence
<Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:

>The match at Cheam was on June 2nd, but according to the BBC Genome
>website that was the fifth Sunday afternoon International Cavaliers
>shown in colour on BBC 2.

BBC 2 was the only channel which broadcast on 625 lines at that point:
the 405-line tech couldn't support colour. My dad worked for ITV, so
we got a colour TV from the company as soon as it was available: as
Anglia's programme controller, he had to know what the competition was
up to and what looked good in colour even though only the competition
had it at that point.

Cheers,

Mike

On Sun, 23 May 2021 17:27:36 +0100, Brian Lawrence
<Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:

>On 23/05/2021 14:28, max.it wrote:
>> On Sun, 23 May 2021 08:02:33 +0100, Brian Lawrence
>> <Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:
>>
>>> On 23/05/2021 00:44, max.it wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Was the first BBC colour broadcast of a cricket match?
>>>
>>> When was almost certainly 1968. The Beeb did experimental
>>> broadcasts of the 1967 Wimbledon, and phased in colour
>>> programmes through the rest of the year. I'm also reasonably
>>> sure that the first Test in colour was in 1968, but there
>>> was probably other coverage earlier in the year.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>> 1968 is correct.
>> The ground was Cheam and the match was for John Edrich against the
>> International Cavaliers.
>>
>> I was searching around English club names like 'Something & Something
>> else', when I noticed that.
>> The reason for the double naming in England seems to be different than
>> it is in Ireland. In Ireland it is usually an amalgamation of two
>> clubs, in England it seems to be an original area name and then after
>> the area expanded it included the wider area name. I only checked out
>> a few.
>
>OK, I think I need to correct you. Sorry.
>

No need to be sorry, I'm not disappointed. I was only searching for
team names and that came up from wikipedia under Cheam.
It's less than two lines.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheam_Cricket_Club_Ground

max.it

>The match at Cheam was on June 2nd, but according to the BBC Genome
>website that was the fifth Sunday afternoon International Cavaliers
>shown in colour on BBC 2. Also, the match was against Surrey, but
>was organised by the Cavaliers and Rothmans in aid of Edrich's
>benefit fund. The scorecard is available on Cricket Archive.
>
>The first colour cricket was on Sunday 28 April, when the Cavaliers
>played a Cambridge Uni Past & Present team at Fenners. The following
>Sunday the match was at Bristol vs Gloucs (May 5, also in colour).
>
>May 12 Worcester
>May 19 Southport not in colour
>May 26 Oxford [I actually attended that one]
>Jun 02 Cheam
>Jun 09 Ilford
>
>Matches on June 16, 23 & 30, plus July 7 were shown in black and white
>because the BBC's limited OB colour equipment had been installed at
>Wimbledon, which ran from June 24 to July 6. The tennis was only in
>colour on BBC 2. Interestingly the FA Cup Final on May 18 was shown
>in colour on BBC 2, but the Southport game on the next day was in
>B&W because the colour equipment could not be transported in time.
>
>The 4th Test at Leeds, from Jul 25 was shown in colour, but again
>only on BBC2. The 5th Test at the Oval (22 Aug) was the same.
>The Sunday matches reverted to B&W on those weekends.
>
>The Genome website is here: <genome.ch.bbc.co.uk>
>
>but you need a free BBC online account. There was a surprising
>amount of cricket shown around that time, including the Touring
>team's opening match at Worcester, the MCC v Tourists match, and
>the Roses Match.
>
>An interesting diversion - I knew Sobers captained many of the
>Cavalier teams, and recalled he did at Oxford, but I had forgotten
>that he scored 100 in that one. My lasting memory though was
>after the game ended I was walking back into Oxford, when I heard
>heavy rapid footsteps behind me. I was overtaken by Syd Buller
>who had umpired with Charlie Elliot and was hurrying to catch the
>next train home.
>
>Thanks for posting.

Was Syd Buller a great big man?
I've seen a few pictures and he always looks larger than his
colleague.

max.it

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On Sun, 23 May 2021 17:35:59 +0100, Mike Holmans <spam@jackalope.uk>
wrote:

>On Sun, 23 May 2021 17:27:36 +0100, Brian Lawrence
><Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:
>
>>The match at Cheam was on June 2nd, but according to the BBC Genome
>>website that was the fifth Sunday afternoon International Cavaliers
>>shown in colour on BBC 2.
>
>BBC 2 was the only channel which broadcast on 625 lines at that point:
>the 405-line tech couldn't support colour. My dad worked for ITV, so
>we got a colour TV from the company as soon as it was available: as
>Anglia's programme controller, he had to know what the competition was
>up to and what looked good in colour even though only the competition
>had it at that point.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Mike

I remember when I was young, my Mum and Dad deciding if they should
buy or rent a colour tv. They decided that as there were so many tv
repair shops in our small town that that colour tvs must be unreliable
and renting one would be the best option to begin with. They rented
until Radio Rentals closed down, the tv never broke down in all that
time, and then they bought one and a warranty, which sounded to me
like buying the tv and still renting it..

max.it

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On 23/05/2021 18:09, max.it wrote:

> Was Syd Buller a great big man?
> I've seen a few pictures and he always looks larger than his
> colleague.

He wasn't very tall, but quite heavily built by then. Kept
wicket for Worcs for over 10 years, but was badly injured
in a road accident in 1939. Was a Yorkshireman, but only
played one match for them.

Speaking of umpires, around about the same time I went to a
University match at The Parks in Oxford, when the Uni played
Gloucs. I remember David Shepherd chasing balls to the
boundary, and despite being quite bulky he had an exceptional
turn of speed, the legs didn't seem to fit the body.

On Sun, 23 May 2021 18:38:24 +0100, Brian Lawrence
<Brian_W_Lawrence@msn.com> wrote:

>On 23/05/2021 18:09, max.it wrote:
>
>> Was Syd Buller a great big man?
>> I've seen a few pictures and he always looks larger than his
>> colleague.
>
>He wasn't very tall, but quite heavily built by then. Kept
>wicket for Worcs for over 10 years, but was badly injured
>in a road accident in 1939. Was a Yorkshireman, but only
>played one match for them.
>
>Speaking of umpires, around about the same time I went to a
>University match at The Parks in Oxford, when the Uni played
>Gloucs. I remember David Shepherd chasing balls to the
>boundary, and despite being quite bulky he had an exceptional
>turn of speed, the legs didn't seem to fit the body.
>

I played in a 'white stick trophy' match once. It's surprising that
you forget how good these guys were before they took the white coat.

max.it

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On Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 6:38:28 PM UTC+1, Brian Lawrence wrote:
> On 23/05/2021 18:09, max.it wrote:
>
> > Was Syd Buller a great big man?
> > I've seen a few pictures and he always looks larger than his
> > colleague.
> He wasn't very tall, but quite heavily built by then. Kept
> wicket for Worcs for over 10 years, but was badly injured
> in a road accident in 1939. Was a Yorkshireman, but only
> played one match for them.
>
> Speaking of umpires, around about the same time I went to a
> University match at The Parks in Oxford, when the Uni played
> Gloucs. I remember David Shepherd chasing balls to the
> boundary, and despite being quite bulky he had an exceptional
> turn of speed, the legs didn't seem to fit the body.

yes watching him run reminded me of the fred flintstone, but
he had an excellent arm too, seemed to almost throw underarm
from the boundary with a flick of the wrist a bit like neil harvey [?]
plus he was very good in the slips. i dont think he bowled much so
his fielding must have helped him retain his place as at one stage
in his career he didnt score a century for 6 years!

mike

On 23/05/2021 23:38, mike wrote:
> On Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 6:38:28 PM UTC+1, Brian Lawrence wrote:
>> On 23/05/2021 18:09, max.it wrote:
>>
>>> Was Syd Buller a great big man?
>>> I've seen a few pictures and he always looks larger than his
>>> colleague.
>> He wasn't very tall, but quite heavily built by then. Kept
>> wicket for Worcs for over 10 years, but was badly injured
>> in a road accident in 1939. Was a Yorkshireman, but only
>> played one match for them.
>>
>> Speaking of umpires, around about the same time I went to a
>> University match at The Parks in Oxford, when the Uni played
>> Gloucs. I remember David Shepherd chasing balls to the
>> boundary, and despite being quite bulky he had an exceptional
>> turn of speed, the legs didn't seem to fit the body.
>
> yes watching him run reminded me of the fred flintstone, but
> he had an excellent arm too, seemed to almost throw underarm
> from the boundary with a flick of the wrist a bit like neil harvey [?]
> plus he was very good in the slips. i dont think he bowled much so
> his fielding must have helped him retain his place as at one stage
> in his career he didnt score a century for 6 years!

He only made one in his last 5 seasons (to 1979), but he never went more
than two consecutive seasons without one.

Inn Score Match Date
1 108   Gloucestershire v Oxford University 28-Apr-65
2 118   Gloucestershire v Worcestershire 13-Jul-66
3 115   Gloucestershire v Essex 07-Jun-67
4 123   Gloucestershire v Yorkshire 17-Jun-67
5 129   Gloucestershire v Cambridge University 12-Jun-68
6 153   Gloucestershire v Middlesex 31-Jul-68
7 114* Gloucestershire v Worcestershire 05-Jul-69
8 111   Gloucestershire v Somerset 20-May-70
9 106   Gloucestershire v Warwickshire 29-Jul-72
10 101   Gloucestershire v Somerset 25-May-74
11 100   Gloucestershire v Glamorgan 08-Jun-74
12 142* Gloucestershire v Somerset 27-Aug-77

--
David North

On Monday, May 24, 2021 at 6:46:44 AM UTC+1, nos...@lane-farm.fsnet.co.uk wrote:
> On 23/05/2021 23:38, mike wrote:
> > On Sunday, May 23, 2021 at 6:38:28 PM UTC+1, Brian Lawrence wrote:
> >> On 23/05/2021 18:09, max.it wrote:
> >>
> >>> Was Syd Buller a great big man?
> >>> I've seen a few pictures and he always looks larger than his
> >>> colleague.
> >> He wasn't very tall, but quite heavily built by then. Kept
> >> wicket for Worcs for over 10 years, but was badly injured
> >> in a road accident in 1939. Was a Yorkshireman, but only
> >> played one match for them.
> >>
> >> Speaking of umpires, around about the same time I went to a
> >> University match at The Parks in Oxford, when the Uni played
> >> Gloucs. I remember David Shepherd chasing balls to the
> >> boundary, and despite being quite bulky he had an exceptional
> >> turn of speed, the legs didn't seem to fit the body.
> >
> > yes watching him run reminded me of the fred flintstone, but
> > he had an excellent arm too, seemed to almost throw underarm
> > from the boundary with a flick of the wrist a bit like neil harvey [?]
> > plus he was very good in the slips. i dont think he bowled much so
> > his fielding must have helped him retain his place as at one stage
> > in his career he didnt score a century for 6 years!
> He only made one in his last 5 seasons (to 1979), but he never went more
> than two consecutive seasons without one.
>
> Inn Score Match Date
> 1 108 Gloucestershire v Oxford University 28-Apr-65
> 2 118 Gloucestershire v Worcestershire 13-Jul-66
> 3 115 Gloucestershire v Essex 07-Jun-67
> 4 123 Gloucestershire v Yorkshire 17-Jun-67
> 5 129 Gloucestershire v Cambridge University 12-Jun-68
> 6 153 Gloucestershire v Middlesex 31-Jul-68
> 7 114* Gloucestershire v Worcestershire 05-Jul-69
> 8 111 Gloucestershire v Somerset 20-May-70
> 9 106 Gloucestershire v Warwickshire 29-Jul-72
> 10 101 Gloucestershire v Somerset 25-May-74
> 11 100 Gloucestershire v Glamorgan 08-Jun-74
> 12 142* Gloucestershire v Somerset 27-Aug-77
>
>
> --
> David North

i thought i remembered when he made his last in 1977 that wisden
said it was his first since 1971, but i must have misread it about
someone else.

mike