I agree that things are looking up, however, would they be doing all this coverage if it was a tour to New Zealand? I doubt it, the fact is they know that England-Oz is big, but what I want to see is a long term commitment.

The fact is that the BBC didn't even bother to bid for the last round of rights for Home Tests, leaving SKY to clean up over the very low Channel 4 bid..

The fact is that all of that was before the last Ashes, if the bidding process had occurred a year later (with Channel 4 getting 7 -8 million viewers during the day!) then I get the feeling that the process would have had a very different result!!

None of the analogue channels wanted the cricket and Sky did.Nobodies can complain that we now have a good team that they can't see because the powers that be at BBC decided they couldn't make money by a voting phone poll if they showed cricket.

All the base 5 channels are interested in is making cheap tacky garbage that they can make money on.

BBC - Strictly Come Dancing,Something About Maria and Strictly Dance Fever
ITV - Love Island,I'm a Celebrity Get Me a New Career,X-Factor
C4 - Big Brother
C5 - The Farm

Add to that the constant drivel from the soaps and there is no place left for cricket in the schedules.