Editing Test Match Special

{{Short description|Long-running cricket radio programme}}
{{Infobox Radio Show
| show_name = Test Match Special (TMS)
| image = Tmslogo 170x170.jpg
| imagesize = 150px
| caption = 
| other_names = 
| format = Sport ([[cricket]]) commentary
| runtime = During [[England cricket team|England]] [[Cricket|matches]]
| country = UK
| language = [[English language|English]]
| home_station = [[BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra]]<br>[[BBC Sounds]]
| first_aired = 30 May 1957
| last_aired = present<br>
<small>(1957–1992: BBC Radio 3 MW<br>Summer 1992: BBC Radio 3 FM<br>1992-1994: [[BBC Radio 5 (former)|BBC Radio 5 MW]]<br>1994-2023: BBC Radio 4 LW<br>2002-present: BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra<br>2018-present: BBC Sounds)</small><br>
| audio_format = MW, digital radio and digital television
| opentheme = "[[Soul Limbo]]" by [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]]
| endtheme = 
| website = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/tms/ Official website]
| podcast = [https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/series/p02nrsl2 Official podcast]
}}

'''''Test Match Special''''' (also known as '''''TMS''''') is a British [[sports radio]] programme, originally, as its name implies, dealing exclusively with [[Test cricket]] matches, but currently covering any professional [[cricket]]. The programme is available on [[BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra]] ([[digital radio|digital]]) and on [[BBC Sounds]] to the United Kingdom and (where broadcasting rights permit) the rest of the world. TMS provides ball-by-ball coverage of most [[Test cricket]], [[One Day International]], and [[Twenty20]] matches and tournaments involving the [[England cricket team]].

==History==
[[BBC Radio]] was the first broadcaster to cover every ball of a Test match.{{cn|date=October 2023}} Live cricket had been broadcast since 1927, but originally it was thought that Test match cricket was too slow for ball-by-ball commentary to work. However, [[Seymour de Lotbiniere]], who was responsible for live sports coverage and who went on to become head of [[Outside broadcasting|outside broadcasts]] at the BBC, realised that ball-by-ball commentary could make compelling radio. In the mid-1930s he got [[Howard Marshall (broadcaster)|Howard Marshall]] to begin commentating on cricket, rather than only giving reports. From the mid-1930s to the 1950s the amount of ball-by-ball commentary gradually increased, but it was not until ''TMS'' was launched in 1957 that every ball was covered for their British audience.<ref>However, according to [[EW Swanton]] full ball-by-ball coverage was first tried experimentally in 1939, with himself, Howard Marshall and [[Michael Standing (broadcaster)|Michael Standing]] as the commentators, but the full coverage only went to the West Indies.  EW Swanton, ''Sort of a Cricket Person'', Collins, 1972, p281 of the 1974 Sportsman's Book Club edition. Similarly, in 1948 the BBC provided full ball-by-ball coverage for Australia.</ref>

[[Robert Hudson (broadcaster)|Robert Hudson]] was responsible for the launch of ''TMS'', writing to his Outside Broadcasts boss [[Charles Max-Muller]] in 1956, proposing broadcasting full ball-by-ball coverage of Tests rather than only covering fixed periods, and suggesting using the [[BBC Third Programme]] (later to become [[BBC Radio 3]]) frequencies, since at that time the Third Programme only broadcast in the evening.{{sfnp|Martin-Jenkins|1990|p=91}}

''TMS'' became a fixture on Radio 3's [[medium wave]] frequencies until Radio 3 lost them in February 1992. The programme moved to Radio 3 FM that summer and the following summer the morning session was broadcast on [[BBC Radio 5 (former)|Radio 5]], switching to Radio 3 for the afternoon session. The launch of [[BBC Radio 5 Live|Radio 5 Live]] in 1994 saw ''TMS'' move to Radio 4 long wave (198 LW, plus various localised MW frequencies including 720 MW in London and 603 MW in the north east). However, coverage on long wave ended at the conclusion of the 2023 season. 

2002 saw the launch of [[BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra|Radio 5 Sports Extra]] (then known as BBC Radio Five Live Sports Extra), and [[Digital radio in the United Kingdom|Digital radio]] was seen as the solution for "where to put" ''TMS'', and as a way for cricket fans to avoid broadcasts of the [[Shipping Forecast]], ''[[The Daily Service]]'' and ''[[Today in Parliament|Yesterday in Parliament]]'' which would otherwise interrupt the cricket on long wave. 

From 1973 to 2007, ''Test Match Special'' was produced by [[Peter Baxter (radio producer)|Peter Baxter]]. Halfway through 2007, Baxter retired and was replaced by [[Adam Mountford]], previously the Five Live cricket producer. Mountford was aged just one when Peter Baxter became involved with ''TMS''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2007/06/new_man_at_the_helm.shtml|title=BBC {{!}} Radio Five Live Sports Extra {{!}} Test Match Special blog|date=2007-07-01|access-date=2019-11-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070701201159/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2007/06/new_man_at_the_helm.shtml|archive-date=1 July 2007}}</ref>

Full commentaries are now available for thirty days on [[BBC Sounds]], and since late-2015 a "live-rewind" feature has been available.{{cn|date=October 2024}}

Format changes include the addition of daily live weather forecasts and reports on the domestic county championship for home series, plus an end of day summary with [[Jonathan Agnew]] and [[Geoffrey Boycott]]. After Boycott left ''Test Match Special'' in 2020, Agnew now conducts the end of day summary alongside [[Michael Vaughan]]. 

[[Calypso music|Calypso]]-tinged [[theme music]] from the track "[[Soul Limbo]]" by the American [[Soul music|soul]] band [[Booker T. & the M.G.'s]] is played at the beginning and end of ''TMS'' coverage each day. <ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-04-19|title=Cellist wins Test Match Special acclaim with four-part rendition of famous theme|url=http://www.irishnews.com/magazine/daily/2020/04/19/news/cellist-wins-test-match-special-acclaim-with-four-part-rendition-of-famous-theme-1908261/|access-date=2020-07-16|website=The Irish News|language=en}}</ref>

In December 2008 the BBC won the UK radio rights up to 2013.<ref>http://www.ecb.co.uk/ecb/about-ecb/media-releases/bbc-sport-gain-radio-rights,303608,EN.html ECB media release regarding 2010 – 2013 UK radio rights</ref>  On 26 January 2012 the ECB announced a further six-year deal covering home Tests until the 2019 Ashes.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/16737334|title=BBC Sport and ECB agree six-year live radio deal|date=2012-01-26|access-date=2020-01-15|language=en-GB}}</ref> In 2017 the ECB agreed a new deal with the BBC to cover England cricket on radio from 2020 to 2024 alongside the new rights for BBC TV coverage of live Twenty20 Cricket and Test match and ODI International highlights.

In September 2021, Melissa Story became the youngest ever commentator on ''TMS'', an accolade previously held by Christopher Martin-Jenkins.

The BBC also covers winter series but has lost certain rights to [[Talksport|talkSPORT]] over the years as broadcasting rights for tours are controlled by the host country and it is not uncommon for there to be disputes. In 2001, Agnew was forced to broadcast by mobile phone from the ramparts of [[Galle Fort]], overlooking the Sri Lankan ground, when the BBC were locked out.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1323898/Test-match-lock-out-fails-to-stump-BBC.html|title=Test match lock-out fails to stump BBC|last=Leonard|first=Tom|journal=The Daily Telegraph|date=24 February 2001|access-date=15 January 2020|language=en-GB|issn=0307-1235}}</ref>

On 31 July 2023, TMS aired its final broadcast on BBC Radio 4 LW ahead of the planned closure of Radio 4's long wave transmissions sometime in 2024.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/articles/2023/bbc-radio-4-long-wave-transition|title=BBC Radio 4 begins information campaign to transition listeners from Long Wave|journal=BBC|date=29 May 2023|access-date=3 August 2023|language=en-GB}}</ref>

==''TMS'' commentators==
In a Test match three or four commentators and three or four summarisers are used in rotation; each commentator "sits in" before the microphone for twenty minutes, and each summariser for thirty minutes, at a time. Some of the commentators have nicknames (a few based on the first syllable of their surname, plus [[Oxford "-er"|the syllable "-ers"]]). They have included: {{citation needed|date=January 2015}}
* [[E. W. Swanton]] (1938–1975)
* [[Rex Alston]] (1945–1964)
* [[John Arlott]] (1946–1980)
* [[Ken Ablack]] (1950–1962)
* [[Robert Hudson (broadcaster)|Robert Hudson]] (1958–1968)
* [[Peter West]] (1958)
* [[Alan Gibson]] (1962–1975)
* [[Peter Cranmer]] (1965, 1968 – 2 matches only)
* [[Brian Johnston]] ("Johnners") (1966–1993)
* [[Neil Durden-Smith]] (1969–1974)
* [[Christopher Martin-Jenkins]] ("CMJ") (1973–2012)
* [[Don Mosey]] ("The Alderman") (1974–1991)
* [[Henry Blofeld]] ("Blowers") (1974–1991, 1994–2017)
* [[Tony Lewis]] ("ARL") (1977–1985)
* [[Jack Bannister]] (1988–1994)
* [[Jon Champion]] (2000–2003)
* [[Mark Saggers]] (2001–2008)
* [[Arlo White]] (2005–2009)
* [[Mark Pougatch]] (2006–2008)
* [[Simon Hughes (cricketer)|Simon Hughes]] (2007–2010)
* [[Ed Smith (cricketer)|Ed Smith]] ("Wordsmith") (2012–2018)
* [[Charles Dagnall]] ("Daggers") (2012–2021)

Current ''TMS'' commentators include:

* [[Jonathan Agnew]] ("Aggers") (1991–)
* [[Simon Mann (cricket commentator)|Simon Mann]] (1996–)
* [[Alison Mitchell]] (2007–)
* Kevin Howells (2007–)
* [[Daniel Norcross]] (2016–)
* [[Isabelle Westbury]] (2017–)
* [[Isa Guha]] (2018–)
* Henry Moeran (2019–)
* Nikesh Rughani (2019-)
* Aatif Nawaz (2020–)
* Melissa Story (2021–)
* [[Emily Windsor]] (2021–)

===Regular summarisers===
The long-standing pattern of a broadcast was commentary during the [[over (cricket)|over]] followed by a summary or other comments between overs (usually by retired [[first-class cricket]]ers). In recent years, this pattern has changed, with comments being made not just between overs but between balls.<ref>{{cite web |last=Harman |first=Jo |date=27 November 2019 |title=The changing art of cricket commentary |url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/27/changing-art-cricket-commentary |website=The Guardian |location=London |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127123104/https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2019/nov/27/changing-art-cricket-commentary |archive-date=27 November 2019 |access-date=23 May 2025}}</ref>

Past summarisers have included:
* [[Norman Yardley]] (1956–1969, 1973)
* [[Freddie Brown (cricketer)|Freddie Brown]] (1957–1969)
* [[Trevor Bailey]] ("Boil") (1974–1999)
* [[Fred Trueman]] (1974–1999)
* [[David Lloyd (cricketer)|David Lloyd]] ("Bumble") (1981–1991)
* [[Colin Milburn]] (1983–1988)
* [[Mike Selvey]] (1984–2008)
* [[Graeme Fowler]] (1994–2005)
* [[Angus Fraser]] (2002–2008)
* [[Graham Gooch]] (2002–2009)
* [[Geoffrey Boycott]] (2005–2020)<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52944158|title=Sir Geoffrey Boycott leaves Test Match Special after 14 years|work=BBC Sport|date= 5 June 2020}}</ref>
* [[Alec Stewart]] (2006–2019)
* [[Graeme Swann]] ("Swanny") (2014–2019)

Current summarisers include:
* [[Vic Marks]] ("The Vicar") (1990–)
* [[Phil Tufnell]] ("Tuffers") (2003–)
* [[Michael Vaughan]] ("Vaughnie") (2009–21,  2023–)
* [[Ebony Rainford-Brent]] (2015–)
* [[James Anderson (cricketer)|James Anderson]] (2018–)
* [[Steven Finn]] (2018–)
* [[Mark Ramprakash]] (2019–)
* [[Alastair Cook|Sir Alastair Cook]] (2019–)
* [[Alex Hartley (cricketer)|Alex Hartley]] (2020–)

===Guest commentators and summarisers===
In addition, visitors from overseas join the ''TMS'' team as commentators or summarisers when their country is touring England or vice versa. These have included: 

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
!Country
!Commentators
!Summarisers
|-
|Afghanistan
|Devender Kumar
|-
|Australia (traditionally done collaboration with [[ABC Radio Grandstand|ABC Grandstand Cricket]]).
|
Adam Collins<br>
[[Tim Lane (journalist)|Tim Lane]]<br>
Geoff Lemon<br>
[[Jim Maxwell (commentator)|Jim Maxwell]]<br>
[[Alan McGilvray]]
|
[[Ian Chappell]] ("Chappeli")<br>
[[Stuart Clark]]<br>
[[Aaron Finch]]<br>
[[Jack Fingleton]]<br>
[[Adam Gilchrist]]<br>
[[Jason Gillespie]] ("Dizzy")<br>
[[Matthew Hayden]]<br>
[[Mitchell Johnson (cricketer)|Mitchell Johnson]]<br>
[[Dean Jones (cricketer)|Dean Jones]]<br>
[[Mel Jones]]<br>
[[Justin Langer]]<br>
[[Stuart Law]]<br>
[[Geoff Lawson (cricketer)|Geoff Lawson]]<br>
[[Damien Martyn]]<br>
[[Glenn McGrath]] ("Pigeon")<br>
[[Dirk Nannes]]<br>
[[Neville Oliver]], nicknamed "The Doctor" in reference to his initials and the film ''[[Dr. No (film)|Dr. No]]''<br>
[[Michael Slater]] ("Slats")<br>
[[Jeff Thomson]] ("Thommo")
|-
|Bangladesh
|
|
Roushan Alam<br>
[[Athar Ali Khan]]
|-
|India
|
[[Harsha Bhogle]]<br>
[[Prakash Wakankar]]
|
[[Fatehsinghrao Gaekwad|Maharajah of Baroda]]<br>
[[Aakash Chopra]]<br>
[[Deep Dasgupta]]<br>
[[Rahul Dravid]]<br>
[[Farokh Engineer]] ("Rooky")<br>
[[Sunil Gavaskar]]<br>
[[Ravi Shastri]]
|-
|Ireland
|
John Kenny<br>
Michael McNamee
|
[[Alan Lewis (rugby union and cricket)|Alan Lewis]]<br>
[[Niall O'Brien (cricketer)|Niall O'Brien]]
|-
|New Zealand
|
[[Bryan Waddle]]
|
[[Jeremy Coney]]<br>
[[Stephen Fleming]]<br>
[[Iain O'Brien]]<br>
[[Ian Smith (New Zealand cricketer)|Ian Smith]]
|-
|Pakistan
|
[[Omar Kureishi]]
|
[[Imran Khan]]<br>
[[Azhar Mahmood]]<br>
[[Wasim Akram]]<br>
[[Mushtaq Mohammad]]<br>
[[Rameez Raja|Ramiz Raja]]<br>
[[Waqar Younis]]
|-
|Scotland
|
|
[[John Blain (cricketer)|John Blain]]<br>
[[Dougie Brown]]
|-
|South Africa
|
[[Gerald de Kock]]<br>
[[Natalie Germanos]]<br>
[[Neil Manthorp]]
|
[[Daryll Cullinan]]<br>
[[Firdose Moonda]]<br>
[[Shaun Pollock]]<br>
[[Barry Richards]]<br>
[[Graeme Smith]]<br>
[[Vernon Philander]]
|-
|Sri Lanka
|
[[Roshan Abeysinghe]]
|
[[Gamini Goonesena]]<br>
[[Russel Arnold]]
|-
|West Indies
|
[[Tony Cozier]]<br>
Roy Lawrence<br>
[[Fazeer Mohammed]]<br>
[[Donna Symmonds]]
|
[[Curtly Ambrose|Sir Curtly Ambrose]]<br>
[[Carlos Brathwaite]]<br>
[[Colin Croft]]<br>
[[Sir Viv Richards]]
|-
|Zimbabwe
|
|
[[Duncan Fletcher]]<br>
[[Pommie Mbangwa]]<br>
[[Henry Olonga]]
|}

===Scorers===
The ''TMS'' team also includes a [[scorer]]. The first was [[Arthur Wrigley]], followed in 1966 by [[Bill Frindall]] (affectionately known as "the Bearded Wonder") whose final Test was England's drawn second Test with India in December 2008. Jo King was used as scorer for overseas tours after Frindall stopped travelling. When Jo was unavailable for the 2006/07 Commonwealth Banks Series finals in Australia, [[Michael Robinson (cricketer)|Michael Robinson]] replaced her for the first final at the [[MCG]]. [[Malcolm Ashton]] (affectionately known as "Ashtray") became TMS scorer following Frindall's death in 2009.<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2009/04/ashton_joins_tms_team.shtml BBC Sport Online], ''Ashton joins TMS team'' (consulted 18 May 2009).</ref> South African [[Andrew Samson]] was the scorer on overseas tours from the Ashes tour of 2010/11, and took over from [[Malcolm Ashton]] in 2014, for the home series against Sri Lanka and India. [[Andy Zaltzman]] became the scorer on the Sri Lankan tour of England in 2016.<ref>[https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8159286/The-Ashes-2010-Sky-Sports-v-Test-Match-Special.html], "The Ashes 2010: Sky Sports v Test Match Special" (consulted 8 December 2012).</ref> Having been the scorer on numerous England women's matches, Phil Long made his debut on the programme at the start of the [[2019 Cricket World Cup]] where he and Zaltzman were the scorers. 

* [[Arthur Wrigley]] (1934–1966)
* [[Bill Frindall]] ("The Bearded Wonder" or "Bearders") (1966–2008)
* Jo King
* [[Michael Robinson (cricketer)|Michael Robinson]]
* [[Malcolm Ashton]] ("Ashtray") (2009–2014)
* [[Andrew Samson]] (2010–2019)
* [[Andy Zaltzman]] (2016 to date)
* Phil Long (2019 to date)

===Producers and reporters===
The producer from 1973 to June 2007 was [[Peter Baxter (radio producer)|Peter Baxter]], who was also himself a capable commentator. He succeeded Michael Tuke-Hastings, and on his retirement was succeeded by [[Adam Mountford]].<ref>[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/2007/07/new_tms_producer_signs_on.shtml], "
New TMS producer signs on" (consulted 8 December 2012).</ref>

==Light-hearted style==
''TMS'' has always had a distinctively irreverent style. While it takes seriously its role of describing and commenting on the action, there is also much light relief. Brian Johnston, who was as happy on the stage and working in light entertainment presentation as he was in the commentary box, was the master of this style. This could on occasion lead to hilarity in the box, for instance on one occasion in August 1991 at [[The Oval]] when [[Ian Botham]] was dismissed "[[hit wicket]]" and Agnew said Botham "just couldn't quite get his leg over." This remark led both Agnew and Johnston to collapse in a fit of giggles, which was quickly followed by Johnston's giggly chastening, "Aggers, do stop it!" This clip has become a broadcasting classic and is frequently replayed. In 2005, Radio 5 Live listeners voted it the greatest sporting commentary of all time, with ten times as many votes as "[[they think it's all over]]".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2005/aug/20/sport.andrewculf|title=Incident which led to greatest sporting commentary of all time|last1=Culf|first1=Andrew|date=2005-08-20|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-15|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

Other Johnners classics include, "There's Neil Harvey standing at leg-slip with his legs wide apart, waiting for a tickle",{{sfnp|Johnston|1974|p=207}} and "...and Ward bowls to Glenn Turner, short, ooh! and it catches him high up on the, er, thigh. That really must have hurt as he's doubled over in pain. I remember when..." and after 2 minutes of typical Johnners fill, he continued, "Well, he's bravely going to carry on ... but he doesn't look too good. One ball left."{{sfnp|Johnston|1974|pp=258–259}}

Listeners' letters and emails are often read out on air. Brian Johnston was once taken to task by a schoolmistress correspondent, pretending indignation, for saying during a West Indies Test commentary: "The bowler's [[Michael Holding|Holding]], the batsman's [[Peter Willey|Willey]]." However, on this occasion he was innocent.{{sfnp|Martin-Jenkins|1990|p=160}}

Concern about BBC Sport's commitment to maintaining the tone and style of the programme after its 50th anniversary led to an [[Early Day Motion]] being tabled in Parliament by [[Andrew George (politician)|Andrew George]] MP in June 2007.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33451&SESSION=885|title=Andrew's Early day Motion}}</ref>

==Cakes==
Brian Johnston started the tradition of the public sending cakes to the commentary box. In Johnston's day they were [[chocolate cake]]s, whereas now [[fruit cake]]s seem to be more popular. Indeed, in 2001 [[Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom|the Queen]] herself had a fruit cake baked for the ''TMS'' team. She said that it was baked "under close supervision" by her following Jonathan Agnew's light-hearted questioning of her as to whether she might have baked it herself.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/tv_and_radio/test_match_special/1446552.stm|title=TMS by royal appointment|date=19 July 2001|access-date=29 September 2017|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall]] commissioned a cake featuring the helmets and captains from the England vs. New Zealand teams, delivered and consumed during the World Cup Final.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/07/13/duchess-cornwall-send-presonalised-cake-bbc-broadcast-team-ahead/|title=Telegraph article|date=14 July 2019|access-date=14 July 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite twitter|url=https://twitter.com/Aggerscricket/status/1150399971201622018|title=Tweet from Aggers|user=Aggerscricket|date=14 July 2019|access-date=14 July 2019|language=en-GB|number=1150399971201622018}}</ref>

==Beards==
Beards have become a recurring theme during ''TMS'' commentary, under the supervision of "Bearders" himself — scorer and statistician. The ''TMS'' team receive sporadic missives from [[Keith Flett]], social historian, serial newspaper letter writer and chairman of the [[Beard Liberation Front]], a group dedicated to the removal of a societal prejudice against the facially follically enhanced or bearded. Flett offers his opinions on the state of beards in the game today and his views are frequently discussed on TMS, particularly by Jonathan Agnew, including transformations in the recent and bygone Pakistan cricketers, and most recently with regards to the "splendidly hirsute" [[Monty Panesar]]. [[Bill Frindall]] was announced "Beard of the Year" winner in 2008.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2008/dec/21/englandinindia200809-englandcricketseries|title=India v England - as it happened|last1=Andy|first1=Bull|date=21 December 2008|work=The Guardian|access-date=29 September 2017|last2=Swains|first2=Howard|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

==Charity==
There is a tradition that every Saturday of a home Test match the commentators wear a [[Primary Club]] tie. Membership of the Primary Club is available to anybody who has been [[dismissal (cricket)|out]] [[duck (cricket)|first ball]] (a "golden duck") in any form of cricket. Proceeds are donated to a charity for blind and partially sighted cricketers.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Bats, balls & bails : the essential cricket book|last=Les|first=Scott|publisher=Random House|isbn=9781446423165|location=London|oclc=953577425|date = 31 August 2011}}</ref>

==View from the Boundary==
This is a regular Saturday lunchtime feature during home Test matches, in which guests from all walks of life are interviewed about their love of cricket as well as their own sphere of activity. In the early years of the feature the interviewer was usually Brian Johnston; nowadays most interviews are conducted by Jonathan Agnew. [[Lily Allen]] has been interviewed twice and stated a preference for the longer Test form of the game during her first interview on View from the Boundary.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annathompson/2009/08/lily_brings_a_smile_to_tms.html|title=Lily brings a smile to TMS|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090826162102/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/annathompson/2009/08/lily_brings_a_smile_to_tms.html|archive-date=26 August 2009}}</ref> [[Daniel Radcliffe]] was interviewed on his 18th birthday at the Lord's Test in 2007 after being hunted down by Shilpa Patel, ''TMS'''s assistant producer. During the Ashes Test in 2009 at Lord's Patel also attracted the New Zealand actor [[Russell Crowe]] into the ''TMS'' box, while his cousin, the former Kiwi test cricketer [[Jeff Crowe]], was serving as the match referee. Agnew remarked "that we have been joined by the cousin of the match referee" live on air.<ref>Thanks Johnners: Jonathan Agnew Blue Door Publishing 2010</ref> British prime ministers have been guests, including cricket fans [[John Major]], [[David Cameron]], who was interviewed twice, once as the Leader of Her Majesty's Official Opposition, [[Theresa May]], and [[Rishi Sunak]].

== Lunchtime Features ==
{{unsourced|section|date=August 2024}}
In addition to View from the Boundary, ''TMS'' regularly provides features such as interviews with ex-players or reminiscences of matches and seasons gone by. In each case, the narrator tells the story interspersed with recorded interviews with the main protagonists as well as pieces of archive commentary. This [incomplete] list is as follows:

1988: Islands in the Sun: Similar to the Poms Down Under and again produced by Peter Baxter.   These were broadcast on the first day of every test match of the 1988 England v West Indies test series. This programmes focused on the England (again MCC for many years) tours of the West Indies. It contained (but is not limited to) the tours of 1967–68, 1973–74, 1980–81 and 1985–86.

1989: The Poms Down Under – produced by Peter Baxter. A series of programmes broadcast at lunchtime on the first day of every test match during the 1989 Ashes series.   Each programme chronicled an England (or MCC as it was for many years) tour of Australia.   These tours included 1950–51, 1954–55, 1965–66, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1978–79 (including the short tour of 1979–80), 1982–83 and 1986–87.

1990: A passage to India: Chronicling the England (or MCC for many years) tours of India including 1972–73, 1976–77, 1981–82 and 1984–85.

Seasons to Savour: A series of programmes produced by Peter Baxter telling the highlights of various significant seasons.   Presented by Peter Baxter, these included: 1971 and 1975. In each case, not just the internationals but the country (championship, NatWest and B&H) seasons were covered.

More recent lunchtime features{{when|date=August 2024}} have tended to be more live with ex-players reuniting to share their memories with new TMS scorer Andy Zaltzman giving some statistical context. [[Ray Illingworth]] made some appearances on the programme during lunchbreaks often taking about past matches together with a synopsis of the state of play currently.

While some of the more recent lunchtime features have been made available (for a period at least) on the TMS website, many of the older recordings have been abridged. None have ever been made available for purchase except for 3 cassettes sold in the late 1980s and early 1990s:

* From Bradman to Botham: The story of the Ashes 1948–1981.
* England v West Indies: 1950–1976
* The Great Match: Various test matches.

==Brian Johnston Champagne Moment==
At the end of each test match, the commentators vote for their favourite special moment in the match, and the player involved wins a bottle of [[Veuve Clicquot]] [[Champagne (wine)|champagne]]. Examples include a personal milestone for a player, such as a century or five-wicket haul, a dramatic celebration, or a spectacular piece of fielding, wicket or shot.

==Criticism==
In 2008 [[Mike Selvey]] was replaced as a ''TMS'' summariser as new producer Adam Mountford brought in Phil Tufnell and Michael Vaughan. Selvey then criticised what he described as a shift towards "laddish" commentators such as [[Arlo White]] and [[Mark Pougatch]] who have "little knowledge of the game, especially of the cadences of Test Match cricket".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/people,1279,mike-selvey-rounds-on-laddish-presenters,40453|title=The Week UK|website=The Week UK}}</ref> This sentiment was echoed by some of his contemporaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kingcricket.co.uk/mike-selvey-leaves-tms/2008/08/21|title=Mike Selvey leaves TMS|website=www.kingcricket.co.uk|date=21 August 2008}}</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of cricket commentators]]
*[[Test Match Sofa]]
*[[ABC Radio Grandstand]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
*{{cite book |last=Johnston |first=Brian |author-link=Brian Johnston |date=1974 |title=It's Been a Lot of Fun |location=London |publisher=W. H. Allen |isbn=0491014716}}
*{{cite book |last=Martin-Jenkins |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Martin-Jenkins |date=1990 |title=Ball by Ball: The Story of Cricket Broadcasting |publisher=Grafton Books |isbn=0246135689}}
*{{cite book |title=Test Match Special – 50 Not Out: The Official History of a National Sporting Treasure |date=2007 |location=London |publisher=BBC Books |isbn=0563539062}}

==External links==
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00fr0n5 BBC Sport ''TMS'' homepage]
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/tms/ ''TMS'' blog (discontinued)]
*[https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p02nrsl2/episodes/downloads ''TMS'' podcast]
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/cricket/tms/6104978.stm How to listen to ''TMS'']
*[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k0qZDdfvZk The classic Brian Johnston "leg over" commentary in full]
*[https://www.flickr.com/photos/testmatchspecial/ ''TMS'' Flickr Page]
*[http://edmi.parliament.uk/EDMi/EDMDetails.aspx?EDMID=33451&SESSION=885 Parliamentary Early Day Motion]
{{BBC Radio 4}}
{{BBC Radio 5 Live}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2019}}

[[Category:Cricket on the radio]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 4 programmes]]
[[Category:British sports radio programmes]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 5 Live programmes]]
[[Category:BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra]]