Cricket on 5

Lore & Background

Cricket on 5 began in 2006 after the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) awarded live Test cricket rights exclusively to Sky Sports, ending Channel 4's coverage. Channel 5 was the only broadcaster to bid for the highlights rights, despite having no prior cricket experience. The programme initially took most of its personnel from Channel 4, including anchor Mark Nicholas and analysts Simon Hughes and Geoffrey Boycott. Over time, the team expanded to include Michael Vaughan, Alec Stewart, Alison Mitchell, and guest commentators from opposing countries such as Ian Bishop, Matthew Hayden, Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, Mitchell Johnson, and Mike Hussey.

Reader's Guide

Cricket on 5 served as the primary free-to-air cricket highlights programme for England's international matches from 2006 to 2019. Its significance lies in maintaining public access to cricket highlights after live coverage moved to subscription-based Sky Sports. The programme initially ran 45 minutes (7:15 pm to 8 pm) and expanded to 60 minutes (7 pm to 8 pm) after 2011. For day/night games, it aired at midnight. The ECB extended Channel 5's contract in 2012 until 2017, then to 2019. In June 2017, BBC Sport secured the free-to-air rights from 2020, ending Cricket on 5. The final episode covered England's win in the last Ashes test of the 2019 series, with the presenting team thanking viewers and England captain Joe Root thanking Channel 5 for 13 years of support.

Did You Know?

• Richie Benaud joined the commentating team for the 2009 Ashes series.
• The final episode highlighted England's win at the last Ashes test of the 2019 Ashes series.

Origins & the Broadcasting Rights Shift

In December 2004, the world of English cricket television was reshaped. The England and Wales Cricket Board had long been anticipated to divide live Test coverage between Sky Sports and Channel 4, yet the board ultimately handed the exclusive live contract to Sky Sports alone, effective after the 2005 Ashes concluded. Channel 4, long the home of live Test cricket, was left without that format. Into the resulting gap stepped Channel 5, which won the rights to broadcast highlights of every England Test, ODI, and T20I match. Remarkably, Channel 5 was the only broadcaster to submit a bid for those highlights and had no prior history of showing cricket on its channel. The agreement, however, came with a notable restriction: unlike Channel 4's former output, it carried no domestic cricket whatsoever, excluding County Championship fixtures and T20 Finals' Day. Channel 5 later extended its deal to 2017 and then again to 2019, cementing its role as the free-to-air destination for England's international cricket highlights before the rights ultimately migrated to the BBC.

The Presenting & Commentating Lineup

Cricket on 5 assembled much of its on-screen talent by poaching key figures from Channel 4's former cricket team. Mark Nicholas, a presenter recognised for his award-winning work, anchored the show from its 2006 launch through to 2019, joined by analysts Geoffrey Boycott and Simon Hughes, the latter staying until 2017. Alec Stewart contributed during 2007 and 2008, while former England skipper Michael Vaughan joined the panel in 2009 and remained until the final year. A distinctive feature of the format was the inclusion of a fourth commentator drawn from the opposing nation: Ian Bishop appeared for West Indies series, Matthew Hayden for Australia encounters, and the legendary Richie Benaud lent his voice to the 2009 Ashes. When India toured England in 2018, Sunil Gavaskar and Sourav Ganguly added their perspectives, and Mitchell Johnson alongside Mike Hussey were brought in for the 2019 Ashes. Alison Mitchell also featured in the programme's final season.

Format, Scheduling & Production

Behind the camera, Cricket on 5 was produced by Sunset & Vine, a specialist sports production company with a deep pedigree in English cricket broadcasting. The firm had previously delivered Channel 4's award-winning live Test coverage between 1999 and 2005, bringing that expertise to the new highlights format. During its initial phase from 2006 to 2011, the show occupied a 45-minute window, airing from 7:15 pm to 8 pm. After 2011, the slot expanded to a full hour, running from 7 pm to 8 pm, which afforded the production team greater breathing room for match analysis and storytelling once commercial breaks were accounted for. For day-night fixtures, the highlights were shifted to a late-night slot between midnight and 1 am, ensuring that even the most time-zone-challenged viewers could still follow the action. This scheduling adaptability underscored the programme's commitment to making international cricket accessible to a wide free-to-air audience across the UK.

The Final Episode & Passing of the Torch

In June 2017, the BBC confirmed it would become the ECB's free-to-air partner from 2020 onward, absorbing Channel 5's highlights rights alongside new live coverage of The Hundred, women's domestic T20 competition, and men's and women's T20 Internationals. This announcement signalled the twilight of Channel 5's cricket output. The very last episode of Cricket on 5 captured England's hard-fought victory in the final Test of the 2019 Ashes series. In a poignant closing sequence, every member of the presenting team gathered on camera to express their gratitude to the viewing audience, formally bringing to a close thirteen years of Channel 5 and cricket. England captain Joe Root also addressed the viewers, offering his thanks to Channel 5 for its sustained support of the game throughout that period. The moment marked not merely the end of a single programme but the conclusion of Channel 5's entire association with cricket broadcasting.