Multi-tasking Mancunian

I'd have to admit to missing Mike Atherton's Sunday column when he moves to The Times after England's tour to New Zealand. The former England skipper will combine reporting duties as well as his Sky Sports contract. Can he do both? What about breaking stories with a commitment to both parties? These are questions answered by Ted Corbett in a pieces for Sport Star. I can't see a problem with it. I've been lucky to interview Athers enough times to realise he needs no prep in front of the camera and he is well capable of pulling off 1,000 words before deadline. As Ted says, however, it will be when there is a major controversy that things might get a little frantic. But that's what journalism is all about.

Hotspot warms up UK

Sky Sports will be showing another new addition to its cricket production when Hotspot is unveiled on TV screens during this week's first Test of the summer.

It's a great tool. Channel Nine first unveiled the technology during the Ashes whitewash and it is complemented by a decent chill out track, too.

In fact, the technology couldn't be more contrasted as to its uses elsewhere on the globe. From the serene quarters of a cricket pitch, Hotspot is mainly used to tracker fighter jets and tanks. Channel Nine spent months secretly looking into the technology before they purchased the rights from a French company.

Read the Ashes Hotspot post here.

Adelaide Diary: Old Boys still got it

Sport has always had tradition where it is customary for recently-retired players to go behind the microphone. Sky Sports, more than most, has a plethora of ex-cricket boys and in the 16-odd years since broadcasting, I wonder how many times coaching staff have asked commentators for advice on a struggling tour member? Michael Holding, the best bowler in Sky's motley crew, has been asked by Kevin Shine, England's bowling coach, to help study Steve Harmison's action in time for Friday's second Test. Holding and Shine will study television footage from 2004, when Steve Harmison was the world's deadliest paceman. If the story is correct, Holding will no doubt focus on Harmy's technique and not the opposition, during one particularly deadly Caribbean blitz, that year. Personally the story looks a dead one; can you imagine Holding's golfing afternoons being tampered with so that he can iron out England's problems earlier in the day?

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The old boy stories continue with the news of an on-stage interview with Darren Gough last night, at the Adelaide pre-Test dinner. The former England bowler said that Darren Lehmann, the South Australian skipper, was a 'strong rumour' as the next England coach after Duncan Fletcher. Whether it was a blast at the current coach is unknown, but Gough said: "He teaches enjoyment to the players... his knowledge is second-to-none, especially of the England players after playing in the country for so long."

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Word reaches Nutley of a sponsored streak during the Adelaide Test. It is understood a major company has been looking at ways to maximise marketing potential over the last few months through the stunt. One local radio station had a phone-in this morning to gauge the city reaction. In a country that used to like the odd disruption at sporting events, the results were surprisingly even, depending on the sex of the streaker and what time of day it was at the time.

Cricket World's Island Diary No.3

After close on five years living in Galle, British couple Joe and Jack Eden, grandson of former prime minister Anthony Eden, have developed their business of helping run and maintain villas in the city, but not just through hard work. Word-of-mouth and tourism to the south-west coast have flourished and as Cricket World discovered, staying in one of these beautiful villas (www.villasinsrilanka.com) is close on equal to having the privilege of watching a Test match here.

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UNESCO recently visited the Old Fort area, a world heritage site, to help develop Galle for its future. And after several years of the Citadel being unable to maintain various sites with the funds given to them, the development uinit at the University of London has drawn up plans which will see the Fort's ramparts being properly maintained and conserved, advertising on the city's tuk-tuks and a focus on urban regeneration in the principle.

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If the Australian batsmen find themselves in a spin next February, when they are due to tour Sri Lanka, they could no worse than finding solace in one of their country's own brand of wines. Aussie company Angoves specialises in exporting wines and has tapped Sri Lanka as one of the new emerging markets after previously sourcing India and China. Last month it shipped its first 700 cases to Colombo.

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Finally, former England legend Ian Botham, who is covering the tour for Sky Sports and Ten Sports, has been busy on two fronts. He arrived in Sri Lanka only last week only then to fly to Melbourne, Victoria to shoot the latest in his line of Shredded Wheat adverts before flying back on Monday in time for the first Test.