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CRICKET ROADSHOWS

Week 4 Preview - 1 Jun, Edgbaston Ropadshow takes a World Cup theme

Only those lesser spotted inhabitants of Mars and Venus would be unaware the football World Cup blasts off this weekend, so in true "give 'em what they want" style the Cricket Roadshow will take its own unique bent on the Japan and Korea tournament with a soccer flavoured programme this week, broadcast live from Edgbaston, Birmingham.

Star turn in the cross-sport brigade will be Steve "Slow Death" Bucknor, now the world's most experienced Test umpire and a man truly unique among sporting officials having taken charge of a football World Cup qualifier.

Not to be outdone the Roadshow also looks back at the golden era of British sport when ridiculously talented individuals could turn their hand – or feet - to both sports without the inconvenience of overlapping seasons or central contracts. Yes, this week's Top 4 takes a peek at the lost art of cricketing footballers.

Continuing the historical theme Warwickshire's Dougie Brown celebrates Edgbaston's Test match centenary by looking back at a county cricketer's life 100 years ago, while memorabilia enthusiast Dermot Reeve teams up with Sybil Ruscoe to investigate the burgeoning market for sporting artifacts.

Elsewhere on the programme Darren Gough opens his heart about cricket, life and his future plans. The talismanic England bowler may be sidelined at present with a knee injury but he can't wait to return to his natural stage after one of the most difficult winters of his career.

Cricketer-turned-journalist Angus Fraser also pops in with former county colleague Simon Hughes to talk about the injury pitfalls for fast bowlers, while also running the rule over Gough and Andy Caddick's possible successors as England's new ball pairing.

One of those now trying to establish his credentials, Surrey's Alex Tudor, gets the "60 seconds with Slats" treatment, and the thorny question of overseas players also comes up for discussion.

Are there too many already or should there be more? Richard Bevan, of the PCA, gives his views, as does former England and Scotland all-rounder but now Yorkshire II player Gavin Hamilton.

And talking of Yorkshire, the county cricket section focuses on what's going wrong at the defending county champions and, of course, there will be a round-up of the very latest developments from the 2nd npower Test between England and Sri Lanka at Edgbaston.

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