Sky Sports labelled ‘woke’ as fans fume over broadcaster’s latest change

Sky Sports have been blasted by cricket fans just hours into the first Test match of the summer. England opened their summer campaign against New Zealand on a soggy morning at Lord’s.

The two sides managed just under one hour of play before the heavens opened and the action was paused. England entered the break 24/1, with debutant Emilio Gay having been dismissed early on in the contest.

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But it was those watching from home who were left most disappointed as the Sky Sports coverage displayed a new scoreboard graphic. The centrepiece was the score of the batting team, which took up a chunk of space in the middle of the screen.

It was also double the width of the old scoreboard, while there was no written indication as to which team was which, with the respective badges the only identifier. Fans were not happy with the change, and many flocked to social media to express their dismay.

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Speaking on X, @ellemccoole said: “That new Sky scoreboard on the cricket is disgusting. Simplified woke nonsense.”

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@himganj153 wrote: “This is looking good but it's the dumbest thing I've seen. There are no team names anywhere, the age old format of "ENG 21-1" is completely gone, so I don't know which team is 21-1 at a glance. WHY? Who approved this?”

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@RobertCatesby72 added: “Not a fan of this new scoreboard on Sky. The score in the middle doesn't feel right.”

@BenJoyceFoot remarked: “The new Sky Cricket score graphic is HORRIBLE. No need for it to be a third of the screen.”

@ncfcnodge wasn’t happy: “Love how the scoreboard/ticker for the cricket on Sky takes up half the screen when they zoom in on the ball being bowled.”

However, not everyone was disappointed, with @_Pegasus_14_ saying: “Been a big fan of sky sports @SkyCricket score graphic. It’s just simple and clean (glassy finish). New score graphic look a lot empty space. Score in middle,no way. Bring back old score graphic.”

The New Zealand clash is the first of three matches in the series, with a series against Pakistan to follow later in the summer. Away from red ball action, England will also play India in a five-match T20 series.

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