YP Comment: Cricket stumped by lack of terrestrial TV

For many aficionados, the official start of summer was the moment the late Richie Benaud began his first commentary of the year with the warming words “Morning everyone”. Those were the days.

Yet it is also short-sighted of Colin Graves, the head of the sport’s governing body, to overshadow yesterday’s pulsating action at Headingley between England and Sri Lanka to say, categorically, that Test cricket will never return to terrestrial television. How can he claim that the younger generation will not watch these matches if they’re not given the chance?

Tactical affairs, Test matches can be just as enthralling as the crash, bang wallop of Twenty20 and the England and Wales Cricket Board should, for example, be open to the idea of the BBC, or one of its terrestrial rivals, being permitted to show live coverage of the final session of each day’s play. It’s surely better than nothing and, coming after schools have finished for the day, it will certainly put the view of Mr Graves to the test...