BBC commission series on cricket's history

The BBC has announced that it has commissioned a four-part series called The History of Cricket. The hour-long shows will tell the story of how cricket grew into a global game.

The first programme will look at the history of the game in England, while the second concentrates on the West Indies and how youngsters are being lured away by major American sports. The third show examines the game in the subcontinent, while the final part focuses on Australia.

The show, which will be shown in 2009, will be made in-house by the same BBC Bristol team who were responsible for the acclaimed World Cup Stories series in 2006.