Creased Up

Before YouTube allowed anyone with a microphone and basic video software to spoof sports footage, Rory Bremner did it on a commercial scale. “Creased Up” is not a traditional stage performance. Instead, it is a 1995 direct-to-VHS release where the British satirist takes real cricket broadcasts and overdubs the commentary track with his own impressions.

At the time, Bremner was an established television fixture known for his political comedy on Channel 4. Here, he pivots his focus entirely to cricket, a sport he genuinely follows. He layers the visual action with precise characterizations of familiar broadcasting voices like Richie Benaud, Graham Gooch, and David Gower. The tape functions as an affectionately mocked compilation of the sport’s slower moments and broadcast quirks. It found a massive niche audience upon release, climbing the UK sports video charts and reportedly becoming one of the best-selling cricket tapes ever produced.