Well, well, well. We’ve been here three days now.
Some house keeping. For those that don't know, you can click on any image and it will take you to the high resolution version.
Day one was a travel day and day two we did some rigging. I say some because a lot of the equipment was not here yet! Eish, talk about cutting things fine! Cameras went up at their positions and some testing was done with them. The EVS that I am supposed to be working on is broken and its replacement is on the way from South Africa. This is going to make fitting the new EVS a real pain cause now I have to stay back till late this Wednesday evening, the evening right before we are due to start the first test match. The new EVS needs to be wired in and all logo’s and stings that we need for the show have to be captured.
A couple of us ended up watching the Zimbabwe team practice in the nets. Brian Vitori looks to be one heck of a left arm bowler. Muscle bound and really quick, he looks really mean! The Bangladeshis’ would do well to study THIS video and analyze his action for any clues as to how to face the man. The local newspaper here in Harare had him listed in their team sheet as Brain Vitori. Maybe they know something we don’t? More on the content of these local newspapers in good time.
Zimbabwe is confident of winning this, their first test match back since their exclusion in 2006. We’re all secretly hoping it will happen in three days. Go the Zimbos!
We capped day two off with a crew cricket match on the Harare cricket ground outfield. This sort of thing is really great for crew moral and helps to bond the crew. That’s important because on tours like this you tend to get in each other’s space all the time while under pressure to perform. Over time, tolerance levels are drastically eroded and a good temperament is a prerequisite.
Phillip our satellite operator finally arrived today, Wednesday the 3rd and rigged his satellite through lunch. Just as well cause there wasn’t enough chow for everyone. Six people missed out on food due to the caterers running out before everyone had been served. Unbelievable!
Carina really doubted my headline in my first post, Zimbabwe Cricket Test Trials and Tribulations. She reckoned that statement was a bit premature as we hadn’t even left South Africa yet. Well, it’s living up to its name now, for sure! At least the OB van hasn’t caught fire, yet.
A fine story from our director during a tour here from 2009 goes something like this.
Due to the shortages in Zimbabwe it was illegal to sell red meat in restaurants and the stuff was even rationed at the butchery. Lo and the OB guys asked about ordering T-bone steaks at this restaurant and the waitress said they had T-Bone steak but that she could only bring them ’chicken’. All confused the guys looked at each other and eventually when the meal arrived the ‘chicken’, code for T-bone, was completely covered in lettuce to hide it from prying eyes. This all after Lo and the boys won a foot race to get into the restaurant in the first place!
Chatter was nonstop on the bus from the airport to the hotel when we first got here. One of the stories to come out was about a certain retired world renowned blond Australian spin bowler dating a rather world renowned actress, Liz. The interesting thing for me though was that he was using about as much Botox as Liz was!
More good times tomorrow, call time is on site at 07H30 for day one of the first test match. Should be really interesting!
The uplink van in the foreground with its majestic satellite dish next to it beams the images we produce into outer space. Satellites in low orbit bounce these signals back down to earth where broadcasters receive and distribute them to the relevant channels.
Our ‘trusty’ outside broadcast van.
Electricians wiring in a third phase of electricity. This is very late in the evening!
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