THE GOOGLY: Telly Tests offered a Christmas treat

HUW TURBERVILL: I know for many the festive season is about families reuniting, gifts exchanged and youngsters shrill with excitement... but for cricket badgers, it was a chance to envy those sitting in the Southern Hemisphere sunshine

How was Christmas for you then? All that cricket on telly, it was the gift that kept on giving, right?

Yes I know for many the festive season is about families reuniting, gifts exchanged and youngsters shrill with excitement... but for cricket badgers, it was a chance to envy those sitting in the Southern Hemisphere sunshine.

Did you stay up downstairs, with a brandy and mince pie, or watch on your phone, under a snug duvet?

Australia v India provided the most compelling cricket. The weird oxymoron at the heart of the hosts – one of the most potent bowling attacks in world cricket, welded on to one of the worst batting units, like one of ‘Dave’s dodgy motors’.

Virat Kohli, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane’s batting was a treat, Jasprit Bumrah (with high-class support) and Pat Cummins’ bowling ditto. Test cricket at its best. The subplots: Deciding whether Marcus Harris has ‘it’ or not (he took some nasty blows on the lid but played some exquisite drives down the pitch); Usman Khawaja’s strange struggle against spin, and weirdest of all, Tim Paine and Rishabh Pant’s bizarre banter battle.

^{Virat Kohli celebrates victory over Australia in Melbourne}

Australia were trailing by an already impregnable 339 in the third Test at the MCG, but the Aussie captain was still trying to win a micro-skirmish by inviting his fellow stumper to Hobart for some Big Bash action: to a “nice apartment on the waterfront”, and to do some babysitting while he takes his wife to the cinema. I know Aussie captains of yesteryear have had some interesting turns of phrase – the probably apocryphal “which one of you bastards called this bastard a bastard,” anyone? – but it was all a bit unbecoming.

Pant blasted back later. “Have you heard of a temporary captain ever? He loves to talk. That’s the only thing he can do boy. Only talking, talking.” Oooh, get them...

For those brought up on Channel 9, the Fox feed on BT Sport was fascinating. Shane Warne, Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan; and Alison Mitchell and Isa Guha holding their own in such esteemed company; with the verbose Harsha Bhogle and wacky Kerry O’Keeffe as the maverick elements. All this was anchored back in a BT broom cupboard in Blighty by our own Simon Hughes.

The half-filled stadiums have been concerning, although as it was pointed out, the crowd at the new venue actually represented a Perth record for an Australia v India Test, now that the characterful but smaller Waca has been mothballed.

There was some decent cricket in the Blackcaps v Sri Lanka two-Test series, and the venues and pictures coming out of the island of the long white feather, thanks to Sky, were a treat. The crowds have looked relatively good, helped by the more intimate venues. I love the history and idiosyncrasies of Wellington’s Basin Reserve, and Christchurch’s Hagley Oval is sumptuous. Let us hope the New Zealand Cricket Board are buoyed by the positive perception of the series.

"Let’s raise a glass to cricket at Christmas. And pray that the authorities never shunt the Tests away from this holiday period"

Tom Latham was incredible; Kane Williamson wonderful to watch as usual, and Jeet Raval is starting to look the part. Tim Southee and Trent Boult, with his thunderbolts, had the kind of purple patches that will make England’s life difficult again next winter, although Angelo Mathews and Kusal Mendis ensured the hosts did not have things all their own way in the drawn first Test.

The South Africa v Pakistan series, again, thanks to Sky, also offered tasty festive fare, in more sociable hours. Mark Nicholas, once of Channel 9, resurfaced in the commentary box at Centurion for the first Test, to watch evergreen Dale Steyn break South Africa’s Test wickets record.

Back to BT again, and the Big Bash entertained for those who fancied the insta-thrills of T20. Jos Buttler sealed his stunning 2018 with some scintillating batting for Sydney Thunder. There was further opportunity to pore over Jofra Archer’s England credentials. Tuffers turned up to inject a bit of Brit in the comms box. The women’s tournament has been on YouTube, with Heather Knight impressing early on, and fans have followed both Bashes via the BBC Sport website and 5 Live sports extra. 

So let’s raise a glass to cricket at Christmas. And pray that the authorities never shunt the Tests away from this holiday period. I know many people are annoyed at Sky’s (and BT’s) dominance of cricket coverage at the expense of terrestrial, but for those growing up in the 1980s and before, we are damn lucky to have all this to watch. In that regard, truly the best of times, it has to be said. 

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