The BBC has signed a new four-year deal with the ECB to provide ball-by-ball commentary of every men’s First Class and List A cricket match played in England and Wales, covering the LV= Insurance County Championship, the Royal London Cup and the Vitality Blast.
The deal will see some 3,100 days of cricket broadcast on the BBC’s network of local radio stations and the BBC Sport website, with Nottinghamshire's season covered once more by BBC Radio Nottingham. Some will also be aired on BBC Radio 5 Live Sports Extra.
The agreement means the BBC will provide coverage of all red and white ball competitions for the following four domestic cricket seasons through to the end of 2024.
“The BBC’s ball-by-ball radio coverage of county cricket is the soundtrack to the summer for so many people and we are delighted to have agreed a long-term deal ahead of the new domestic season,” said ECB Chief Executive Officer Tom Harrison.
“The informative and entertaining commentary has never been more important than during the pandemic to ensure our passionate county members and fans can listen to every ball this summer and keep us all closely connected to the county game.”
Included in the deal is a commitment to get new and diverse commentary talent on air through the BBC’s ‘third voice’ scheme.
Adam Mountford, Assistant Editor of BBC Cricket, said County Cricket is “a cornerstone” of the corporation’s coverage.
“The County Cricket service has proved to be a breeding ground for the next generation of cricket commentators," he said.
"The likes of Charles Dagnall, Aatif Nawaz, Isabelle Westbury and Scott Read have all become Test Match Special regulars following time spent covering County games.”
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Tickets to witness Notts Outlaws’ defence of their Vitality Blast title in 2021 are now on general sale.
