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James Brayshaw

icewind

Juniors
Messages
2,312
lol yeh... getting hit on the helmet so many times throughout his career and each time out comes that crazy smile as if he actually enjoyed getting hit.
 

undertaker

Coach
Messages
11,079
lol.... i actually find him quite funny... mixes it up a wee bit.

he seems to have good chemistry with the others in the box also...

the big question i have is how the hell an ex-AFL player get a gig as a cricket commentator?

He's an ex-Sheffield Shield cricketer from Western Australia who masquerades AS a fumbleballer from Victoriania. Although his brother played fumbleball and unlike over former cricketers like Simon O'Donnell and Max Walker who were involved with fumbleball before playing cricket, James had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with the sport until he landed a position on the Ch9 fumbleball commentary team when they got the rights in 2002 after anchoring Ch7's 2001 Ashes coverage alongside Jeff Thomson (That was his "big break", if you like to call it that way). 10 yrs ago, he was a nobody. Since then, like the likes of McChins, Hairy Lyon et al., Brayshaw has completely infiltrated the fumbleball media and organisation. He must've brown-nosed a lot ppl along the way at Ch9 and AFL to achieve the Eddie McChin's rise in the sport that Brayshaw has accomplished in an extremely short time, because there's no way someone who was never involved with the sport could achieve as much as he did in such a short time constraint. From his cricket commentary (e.g. repeating what Greigy, Chappelli et al. say when he's in commentary alongside them), he does strike me as the typical fumbleballer personality who will "follow the script" from his "imperial masters" to get favours in return. Very artificial and fake if you ask me.
 

undertaker

Coach
Messages
11,079
Brendon Julian isn't much better when it comes to vomiting AFL all over cricket commentary.

Can't stand Julian since he became anchor of Fox's cricket coverage when they acquired the domestic cricket rights from Ch9 in 2006 and decided to revamp their whole cricket coverage. Out of the regular Fox commentators (BJ, AB, Junior, Greg Blewett and Flemmo), BJ was the only one considered as a "benchwarmer" for the Australian side during the '90s. He was never good enough to consolidate his position in the side and only was picked when there was injuries (only claim to fame was being a player of the squad that ended the Windies #1 reign in 1995. But, as I said, was only picked because Flemming and McDermott were ruled out with injury).

Besides the chronic AFL references, he thinks the whole party revolves around him. Loved it when he had to commentate alongside Andrew Symonds during the BBL. Symo put him in his place on a few occasions when BJ tried to interrupt him as they were doing interviews with the players, not to mention the AFL references which you alluded to. Much preferred the late David Hookes as anchor on Fox. Shame he's no longer around.
 
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undertaker

Coach
Messages
11,079
I always enjoyed C7 sports commentary minus TK

Same. Pretty sure their first ever cricket game was the epic 1996 Sheffield Shield final where the 10th wicket pair for South Australia batted out an hour to force a draw (someone who had Optus back then maybe able to confirm this). The thing I loved about C7 was that they gave a lot of coverage to domestic cricket. They televised the Mercantile Mutual Cup games that Ch9 didn't, and they also televised Sheffield Shield games and matches involving the touring international sides that Ch9 didn't cover (e.g. Australia A vs South Africa). YouTube "robelinda/robelinda2" and there's many highlights taken from C7 coverage (e.g. Andrew Symonds first century in FC cricket at Bankstown oval). Their only international matches involving Australia was the 1996 one-off test vs India, and the 2001 Ashes. Fox got the monopoly on all the international Australian tours. I didn't have cable tv (as it wasn't available in Newcastle until 1999), but my cousin in Sydney had Optus and used to watch it regularly when I visited her place.

I know you may argue and say that Fox also provides a lot of coverage for domestic cricket as well, but they completely screwed the one-day comp (called the Ryobi Cup) and crowds are now literally non-existent. The days where List A games at North Sydney Oval sold out are nothing but a distant memory. They should just scrap the Ryobi Cup, since no one cares about it now and they put all their eggs into the BBL. Also, they only show the Sheffield Shield final. Such a shame domestic cricket coverage isn't the same.

Sorry, another question regarding coverage of Sheffield Shield: I heard somewhere that some states used to show matches on FTA. Since I started following cricket during 1995/96 summer, I don't recall there ever being any Shield matches on FTA here in NSW. I don't know if this is true for the other states though.
 
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Messages
33,280
C7/Sports Australia used to cover games like the Lillac Hill match (Lillee played against Pakistan I think it was) and plenty of tour games. Their coverage was fantastic and professional. Their cricket show was first class as well.

I used to love watching the Shield and now it's not on because it won't rate FFS.
 

Horrie Is God

First Grade
Messages
8,073
C7/Sports Australia used to cover games like the Lillac Hill match (Lillee played against Pakistan I think it was) and plenty of tour games. Their coverage was fantastic and professional. Their cricket show was first class as well.

I used to love watching the Shield and now it's not on because it won't rate FFS.

Yep..It sucks following the Shield off Cricinfo or Cricket Australia..
 

hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
155,262
C7/Sports Australia used to cover games like the Lillac Hill match (Lillee played against Pakistan I think it was) and plenty of tour games. Their coverage was fantastic and professional. Their cricket show was first class as well.

I used to love watching the Shield and now it's not on because it won't rate FFS.
DKs son played in that game as well. Pretty sure C7 didn't some of the tour games on the 97 ashes tour. And at the wicket was a top show even allowing for the fact that Nuffy Gavin Robertson was on it.
 

Gas Panic!

First Grade
Messages
5,508
Can't stand Julian since he became anchor of Fox's cricket coverage when they acquired the domestic cricket rights from Ch9 in 2006 and decided to revamp their whole cricket coverage. Out of the regular Fox commentators (BJ, AB, Junior, Greg Blewett and Flemmo), BJ was the only one considered as a "benchwarmer" for the Australian side during the '90s. He was never good enough to consolidate his position in the side and only was picked when there was injuries (only claim to fame was being a player of the squad that ended the Windies #1 reign in 1995. But, as I said, was only picked because Flemming and McDermott were ruled out with injury).

The story goes that Brendon Julian was picked for tours / squads because he was a hit with the ladies, and the others would feed off his scraps ..
 
Messages
33,280
DKs son played in that game as well. Pretty sure C7 didn't some of the tour games on the 97 ashes tour. And at the wicket was a top show even allowing for the fact that Nuffy Gavin Robertson was on it.

Haha Robertson! Who else? TK, Skul, Geoff Lawson, Keith Stackpole - I remember Barry Richards commentating but not sure if it was just a yarpie tour or not
 
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hineyrulz

Post Whore
Messages
155,262
Haha Robertson! Who else? TK, Skul, Geoff Lawson, Keith Stackpole - I remember Barry Richards commentating but not sure if it was just a yarpie tour or not
Barry Richards was still living out here then. How could you forget Thommo??? I'll never forget his Japanese flag gaff lol. Deano also commentated iirc.
 
Messages
33,280
Lol Caddick was such a nuffy. I think it was John Crawley that got seven shades of shit kicked out of him outside of a pub :lol:

Barry Richards was still living out here then. How could you forget Thommo??? I'll never forget his Japanese flag gaff lol. Deano also commentated iirc.

I remember Thommo from the international coverage particular 2001 Ashes.
 

Steve_oneskie

Juniors
Messages
662
I cant stand the normal nine commentators at the best of times, Brayshaw just makes it that much worse and it gets to the point where i just go and listen to the grandstand coverage
 
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