FROM CLASSIC CALLS TO MODERN JARGON: DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS OF LEXICAL CHANGES IN ENGLISH CRICKET COMMENTARY

Abstract

This study examines lexical innovation and register shift in English cricket commentary between 1990 and 2025 with the goal of understanding the changes in match formats, media practices and technology and how these have impacted on the language of commentary over time. The data for this research is taken from available clips, highlights of the match, and full match commentary available from YouTube, so that coverage of various eras and formats of cricket are available. A purposive sampling method was used to select representative examples of commentary from Test matches, One Day Internationals and T20 matches that enabled specific comparison across formats and time periods. The analysis is informed by the register theory and sociolinguistic style shift theory which together offer a framework for exploring the ways in which language choices are made in relation to the context, audience and purpose of communication. The findings suggest that although the traditional vocabulary of cricket has stayed very stable, a number of lexical additions have been made, especially to the vocabulary, in reaction to the development of faster formats and greater focus on entertainment and analysis. The increasing use of technology and information on computer screens has additionally also led to the use of analytical and evaluative language in commentary. Overall, the study shows that cricket commentary has become a hybrid register balancing tradition and innovation as representing wider changes in the game, in broadcasting practices, audience expectations and in global media environment.