Even Tuffers knows to tone down the laddishness on TMS
Paul Hayward in his Observer blog fears that Test Match Special could be threatened by Radio 5
Jamie Alter
25-Feb-2013
Paul Hayward in his Observer blog fears that Test Match Special could be threatened by Radio 5. The suspicion has been that Radio Mate wants to eat away at Radio Old Chum, a mission to dump 5 Live's tone on a commentary box that used to be synonymous with Brian Johnston and his cakes. Thankfully there's still Phil Tufnell.
Great cricket commentating, as in all sports, describes what is happening and allows your imagination to do the rest. It respects your intelligence. It does not bombard you with all the voices in the ground. The promise it makes is to assist your love of the game and cast light on that which a) you can't see or b) don't fully understand.
These are the virtues that TMS embodies, as Tufnell himself acknowledges by turning down the dial of his laddishness. The good news is that the old guard, minus the scandalously discarded Mike Selvey, have all been signed up for this summer's Ashes. Even the trendies know not to mess with that.
Jamie Alter is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo