WICB Media circulated a scorecard and access to still photo for the ICC Americas v Barbados Pride NAGICO Super50 game on Wednesday, soon after the game had ended. The photos are for “editorial use”, which basically means they can be used by recognized media contacts and outlets to support match reports.

I note the original source of the copyright WICB Media/Ashley Allen photo of a slog-sweep by ICC Americas leading scorer, Srimantha Wijeyeratne, in a photo of this action shot of the WICB Media’s photo website. I did that to demonstrate the WICB Media provide text stating who is batting and who are the fielders. The photo was not made available by WICB Media as an “anonymous batsman with unnamed wicketkeeper and slip fielder”.

The ESPNCricinfo game scorecard includes a photo and if you look through the supporting photos for the game you will find the original photo of the slog-sweep shot by ICC Americas top-scorer on the day. During Ian Bishop’s ESPN video report about the game the still photo of this shot also makes an appearance.

In a facebook post using the photo of the WICB Media website with the two sets of text on who’s doing what and who’s who in Ashley Allen’s photo I ask the question: how many leagues or provincial governing cricket bodies in North America make scorecards and photos (with key players identified) from important league games and tournaments available on a same-day basis?

Now in attempting to provide such timely coverage there may be the occasional error in names or transcription – but a correction can always be distributed or made when any mistake is noticed or advised.

One facebook post I saw yesterday indicated someone liked watching the game on TV. I suspect “the poster” liked match commentaries where batsmen, bowlers and fielders were identified; scoreboards that changed when runs were scored or wickets fell (plus on screen details of the innings scorecard); and replays of game action.

Some of those features may not be found when visiting a cricket ground near you in various parts of Canada and the USA and your local newspaper(s) and TV station(s) may not include much, if any, local cricket news. Something that surely needs to change if cricket is to become better known in the ICC Americas region.

During the 2009 ICC U19 World Cup Qualifier games at Maple Leaf Cricket Club, King City, those operating the manual scoreboards used chalk to indicate player numbers on those scoreboards and posted individual scores of the two batters at the crease. A step on the road to making the game and the players better known before the day arrives when inexpensive video cameras will automatically recognize the teams and players so the camera can provide intelligent commentary and run it’s own game scorecard.

Eddie Norfolk