Many Sky viewers miss last wickets (24 August 1999)

24 August 1999

Many Sky viewers miss last wickets

Kevin Tutty

Sky Television says it received no complaints about cutting short its live coverage of New Zealand's dramatic series-clinching test cricket win over England yesterday.

Viewers on Sky Sport missed the conclusion to the test when coverage was stopped five minutes before lunch to go to the world motor-cycling championship.

Viewers missed the seventh English wicket right on lunch, and the 13 balls after lunch when New Zealand wrapped up the series win with three quick wickets.

The cricket was moved to Sky Sport 2 after lunch. That is the digital channel available to only a limited number of viewers.

While the cricket was reaching its conclusion, Sky Sport viewers were watching officials inspecting the motor-cycling track in the Czech Republic after an accident delayed the race.

The final 13 balls were shown delayed on Sky Sport about 15min after the cricket ended, and while the break in the motor-racing continued.

"I haven't had any (complaints)," Melissa Brady, Sky's public relations officer, said yesterday.

"We have had a lot of positive calls, I can tell you that - people thanking us for getting the cricket in."

She said Sky's commitment to live coverage of the world motor-cycling championship forced it to quit its cricket coverage. "The motor-cycling had been on the schedule for months. Unfortunately the cricket and motor-cycling were both things that people wanted to watch."

Source :: The Christchurch Press (http://www.press.co.nz/)