COVENTRY MESSAGE BOARD

Test Match Special commentary from Jonathan Agnew, Phil Tufnell and Geoff Boycott will remain on the BBC until 2019, after the corporation agreed a new rights deal with the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).



The BBC has announced a new six-year agreement to broadcast ball-by-ball radio commentary of all England's home internationals from 2014 to 2019.

The deal enables the corporation's Test Match Special team to offer live and exclusive radio coverage of all home Test, One-Day International and T20 series. It includes two home Ashes series in 2015 and 2019, along with the visit of India in 2014 and South Africa in 2017.

This extends the BBC's existing four-year rights deal, which was due to expire in 2013, and comes despite the corporation slashing its sports rights budget by 15% under a cost-cutting drive.

BBC Sport director Barbara Slater said that she was "delighted" to have agreed the deal, and described Test Match Special as one of the "most treasured programmes on the BBC".

"We're delighted to be taking cricket on the radio forward for a further six years," said Slater.

"Test Match Special, now in its 55th year, is one of the most treasured programmes on the BBC with its unique mix of expert commentary, insight, humour and entertainment.

"In a new digital era the programme and its accompanying download have never been more popular with its audience."

ECB chief executive David Collier added: "This is excellent news for all cricket lovers. Test Match Special brings cricket into millions of homes in this country each summer and is widely recognised for its unique and world-class coverage of cricket.

"The next six years are set to be exciting ones for the sport and Test Match Special's coverage together with the regular summaries and updates provided by BBC Radio 5 live will play a significant role in promoting cricket from the playground to the Test arena."