Overall, the Ch10 commentary team craps all over Ch9's. With the exception of the Victorians Fleming, Howard and Maher who crap on about AFL, Ponting, Gilchrist and M Waugh have been a superb combination. There is some light humour and anecdotes in commentary, but for the most part they focus and comentate on the game and their analysis (even in the shortened form of T20) has been on the ball. I would love to see how they would go if they were given the opportunity to call longer matches like ODIs and Tests. Nevertheless, Ch10 management have unearthed the right combination. In addition, Mel McLaughlin as host/anchor and Freddie Flintoff as the guest overseas commentator have been a breath of fresh air. I just miss Viv "I'm cool mahn" Richards dulcet tones in the box. Where did Viv go?
Ch9 are no longer "Still the One" like they were during the Packer years. Ch9's decline in commentary started with when they changed from 2 to 3 commentators per stint in 2006/07, to Warne's inclusion a couple of years later, to Brayshaw slowly getting more airtime in T20s/ODIs...but things rapidly declined from 2012/13 when Greigy was diagnosed with cancer during the pre-season and died just days before his planned comeback for the SCG test, Benaud's last summer in the box before a car accident just before the 2013/14 Ashes ended his career, and Lawry going into semi-retirement afterwards and only calling the Boxing Day tests. Only Lee, Hussey, and Taylor have been shining lights in the 'younger generation' of commentators Ch9 have produced. I was watching highlights from the 2011/12 summer the other day (the last summer of the Benaud/Lawry/Greig/Chappelli quartet) and noticed a big difference in the quality of commentary compared to what has transpired since then. Bottom line is that we, in Australia, who grew up watching cricket during the halcyon days (such as myself in the mid '90s) were definitely spoiled for many years and I feel sorry for the younger generations who have grown up listening to Brayshaw et al.
