The Commentators' View: Ashes special with Aggers

John Murray & Ali Bruce-Ball are joined by Jonathan Agnew to discuss commentating on cricket. He talks about his journey from lorry driver to broadcaster. Aggers reveals how much prep he does and his commentary top tips. And suggestions always welcome for our Great Glossary of Football Commentary and unintended pub names from commentary - WhatsApp voicenotes to 08000 289 369 & emails to [email protected]

03:55 Jonathan Agnew joins the pod 08:45 From archery & dressage to Ben Stokes in 2019 12:45 What prep Aggers does for cricket? 18:00 From lorry driver to broadcaster 23:10 Aggers’ Ashes memories down under 32:00 How to follow the Ashes on the BBC 35:25 Unintended pub names 39:30 Jonathan’s favourite commentators’ view 45:25 Great Glossary of Football Commentary 55:30 Jonathan on commentating on a replay!

5 Live / BBC Sounds Premier League commentaries: Sat 1500 Liverpool v Forest, Sat 1500 Fulham v Sunderland on Sports Extra, Sat 1730 Newcastle v Man City, Sun 1400 Leeds v Aston Villa, Sun 1630 Arsenal v Tottenham, Tue 2000 Chelsea v Barcelona, Tue 2000 Man City v Bayer Leverkusen on Sports Extra, Wed 2000 Arsenal v Bayern Munich, Wed 2000 PSG v Tottenham on Sports Extra,

Glossary so far (in alphabetical order):

DIVISION ONE Bosman, Couldn’t sort their feet out, Cruyff Turn, Dead-ball specialist, Fox in the box, Giving the goalkeeper the eyes, Head tennis, Hibs it, In a good moment, Johnny on the spot, The Maradona, Olimpico, Onion bag, Panenka, Rabona, Scorpion kick, Spursy, Tiki-taka, Where the kookaburra sleeps, Where the owl sleeps, Where the spiders sleep.

DIVISION TWO Ball stays hit, Business end, Came down with snow on it, Catching practice, Cauldron atmosphere Coat is on a shoogly peg, Come back to haunt them, Corridor of uncertainty, Easy tap-in, Daisy-cutter, First cab off the rank, Good leave, Has that in his locker, High wide and not very handsome, Howler, Leading the line, Nutmeg, One for the cameras, One for the purists, Played us off the park, Purple patch, Put their laces through it, Rolls Royce, Root and branch review, Row Z, Screamer, Seats on the plane, Show across the bows, Stramash, Taking one for the team, That’s great… (football), Thunderous strike.

UNSORTED 2-0 is a dangerous score, After you Claude, All-Premier League affair, Aplomb, Bag/box of tricks, Brace, Brandished, Bread and butter, Breaking the deadlock, Bundled over the line, Champions elect / champions apparent, Clinical finish, Commentator’s curse, Coupon buster, Cultured/Educated left foot, Denied by the woodwork, Draught excluder, Elimination line, Fellow countryman, Foot race, Formerly of this parish, Free hit, Goalkeepers’ Union, Goalmouth scramble, Good touch for a big man, Honeymoon Period, In and around, In the shop window, Keeping ball under their spell, Keystone Cops defending, Languishing, Loitering with intent, Marching orders, Nestle in the bottom corner, Numbered derbies, Opposite number, Park the bus, PK for penalty-kick, Postage stamp, Put it in the mixer, Rasping shot, Red wine not white wine, Relegation six-pointer, Rooted at the bottom, Route One, Roy of the Rovers stuff, Sending the goalkeeper the wrong way, Shooting boots, Sleeping giants, Slide rule pass, Small matter of, Spiders web, Stayed hit, Steepling, Stinging the palms, Stonewall penalty, Straight off the training ground, Taking one for the team, Team that likes to play football, Throw their cap on it, Thruppenny bit head / 50p head, Towering header, Two good feet, Turning into a basketball match, Turning into a cricket score, Usher/Shepherd the ball out of play, Walking a disciplinary tightrope, Wand of a left foot, We’ve got a cup tie on our hands, Winger in their pocket, Wrap foot around it, Your De Bruynes, your Gundogans etc.