Cricket at a distance

You know that you're a cricket nut when Teletext plays a part in your life.

I'm not able to get to as many matches as was once the case (a little matter of 330 miles to Derby), but I still get to a good few games each year and follow the club in the press, online and on the radio.

Teletext is a terrific innovation and it helps you to keep track with a game as it progresses, but it just leaves you wanting more and not at all aware of the big picture. You can watch the score change over a couple of overs and perhaps see sixteen runs scored. You might think that the bowlers were doing badly or the batsmen were in prime form, when the reality is perhaps that there's been three snicks down to third man for four.

I've seen myself checking Teletext for team news around fifteen minutes before a game starts and cursing as every match is covered apart from Derbyshire. I've seen a team announced and then seen the first wicket taken by someone who isn't in it. If a game gets to an exciting stage, you can find yourself switching from Ceefax to Teletext and back to get the quickest update. Sad, I know but this is what happens if you're a real fan.

The floodlit matches are worst. My wife will be happily watching Coronation Street when, as the first notes of the trumpet signalling the break sounds, I've got the text on to see the latest score.
"But it's not changed" she'll say, oblivious to the fact that the score is pretty much the same but this is good! Importantly we've bowled two or three tight overs since my last check. The kids are used to having a computer game paused while I check to see if we've got a breakthrough, or that someone has reached a batting milestone. Perhaps I need therapy, or maybe a watch with Teletext.

It's much easier now with the online coverage, and Charles Collins entertaining commentaries are a welcome addition to the entertainment in the house. With one tab open on Cricinfo and an ear on his commentary, I've got the bases covered, but it's not the same as being there.

You know that you've got it bad when you think that you've got into the rhythm of the text. You're tuned to the speed of the updates and there's a feeling of trepidation (if we're batting) or excitement (if we're bowling) when an update is delayed. It must mean a wicket and the scorers at the ground are taking their time updating the system. Most of the time it is just delays in technology, and you're disappointed when a five minute wait doesn't mean Langeveldt has taken a hat trick but that the opposition have added nine runs, or rain has stopped play.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not sitting watching the text all day every day, but when we go out for a run in the car I've got the scores on within five minutes of getting home. Radio 5 Live is good for its updates, but its extraordinary how many times I/we get into the car just after the "every hour on the half hour" sports bulletin and we've reached our destination before the next. Alternatively, you'll be waiting for the scores and be told that "In cricket, Mark Ramprakash has scored his umpty-fourth century, and there'll be a full round up of scores in our next bulletin". This after hearing about show jumping, how wet it is for some tennis tournament and who's won the Bavarian bear-baiting championships.

So I get home, and I'm sat checking the Teletext again. After all that anticipation, and switching between Talksport and Five Live between updates and CD changes, I find that there's been no play due to rain.

All that for nothing...