We haven't played a test without a spinner since 1982 supposedly. Counting Border as a spinner that would be.
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3rd Ashes Test England v Australia July 6-10 1930hrs @ Headingley
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jhong
Old man yelling at clouds
It will be Hazelwood for Boland . That's what the selectors will do .
You’re spot on, but I think they’d still like to get Green in there.
Green for Murphy is the only legitimate thing worth discussing.
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ChappellG was all style, wasn't he? From memory, he said that he used to play himself in by only attempting straight shots between mid-off and mid-on until he felt the had his eye in, after which he'd play shots square of the wicket. Tubby Taylor too, I think.
The bloke I mentioned before, Simon Lane (whom I never got out) did the same thing, I am sure. Lane was also an incredible fielder. At short cover and off his own bowling he was able to backhand the ball to hit the stumps at the bowler's end which he must have practised for hours and hours. Uncanny.
Lillee and Thomson were my heroes. Regrettably, I was a hot-head back then. Opposition players not batting used to deride me by calling out "Lennie" (ie Pascoe) after some dumb
or aggro 
thing I did.I had a poster on my wall back then, too --- not of Lillee --- but Samantha Fox:
I wouldn't say I had a 'bunny' back then, but I remember well the #3-4-or-5 for Kilburn back in the day. I think his surname was Justin. His fave shot was the one you described above which he used to frequent 4-and-6-scoring effect, a big clip off his toes but I'm pretty sure I got his wicket every time we played them. Unfortunately, sometimes after he'd made 40+
. My stock ball (amongst a lot of rubbish) was outswing and my change-up was a straight ball delivered from wide on the crease, slanting in, maybe once every 2 overs. He feasted on that ball, until I worked out a variation --- I'd bowl an outswinger from very close to the stumps which started on a line of just outside or on leg stump. From the hand it looked like money for jam for him, but the outswing either caught him on the pad dead in front or he played over it and got bowled.Most memorably, we played Kilburn in a semi-final to qualify for the GF. We'd finished top and they were 4th. We'd beaten them easily in the Minor Round and on the day I sensed my teammates and batsmen especially were 'expecting' a win --- even back then, I was wary of that attitude which can cause complacency. Our Captain (and best batsman) even said in his pre-match address something along the lines of "Even if they get me cheaply, I know the rest of you will get the runs". I thought it was a crap attitude which infected their mindset. I wanted him to say "DON'T rely on me or others to make runs; make them yourself!".
Our blokes batted like millionaires and we were rolled wicket after cheap wicket for 77. Dammit.
I was furious.
Our quick, Smithy, opened from the S end running slightly downhill with a breeze behind him and I trundled away from the N end running uphill into the breeze. Great catches can make bowlers look much better'n they are. Smithy fielded at 3rd slip and I remember an absolute screamer he took. I can still see him at full stretch, horizontal to the ground, grabbing the ball inches off the grass in his right hand, like a Cameron Green specialty. Our keeper rose to the occasion too. One of my wide nothing-balls short of a length hit some Random spot on the wicket and off-cut back (NONE of my doing, I promise you), getting an inside edge. Our keeper was wrong-footed and the act of changing direction sat him on his bum but he flung out his left glove and caught it, sitting down. Incredible.
Next bloke in was the batsmen I described above. Our Captain wanted to rest me after about 8 overs on the trot, 4 wickets or not, but I said to him "I reckon I can bowl this bloke. Just leave the field open from square leg to mid-on" which would be a juicy invitation for his fave midwicket shot.
The Captain smirked, called me a cocky ****er, and said I could have ONE more over.
As you know,"one more over" can be costly.
The first two I bowled him were standard, 4th stump outswing the second of which he smeared through cover for 4. Third ball angled in, yorker, he blocked. Fourth ball, he clipped through midwicket but our deep square leg scrambled, dived and saved it for 2.
4 balls for 6. I didn't look at my Captain who had a death-stare going, he told me later. The 5th ball was the winner, as above, started just outside leg which he tried to murder through midwicket, but he overplayed it, missed and was bowled. Skipper called me an "arsey bastard".
I wish the story had a happy ending. By the end of day they were 5/33 chasing the 77.
Next day, they stonewalled for the first hour. The 2 batsman had obviously been told to block everything on the stumps and leave everything else, which they did, making Boycott look like Stokes.
I kid you not, they scored 5 runs in that hour, 2 of which were leg byes
.One of their best batsmen had been unavailable the day before, which is why they put us in on the toss (we'd have batted anyway), but he was in after one of the stonewallers finally had a poke and holed out to cover.
I had two LBWs that I thought were plumb turned down. Smithy had a caught-behind refused, but the click of the edge was clear and our keeper took it just to the L of first slip. Nope. Not out.
Smithy and I ran out of puff and they passed us at 8-down.
It was my biggest-ever sporting disappointment.
You played cricket for 50 years!! ??
Gotta say, I've enjoyed it immensely, too, but some posters would have seen the length of our posts and gone "pass".
Meh.
We've had fun!
Yeah, GasBaggers. Funniest thing you've said so farAnd maybe even when the Mighty Baggers kick the living crap out of those Ravens....
. You wish! With the Hazlewood inclusion, I think we should take time out to give some credit to the selectors for how he’s been managed.
Some of the pre Ashes talk that he should be “no where near the Test side” was simply ridiculous.
Remarkably though, it still plays second fiddle to talk of Bryce Street being elevated from Grade Cricket, straight into the Test side.
Some of the pre Ashes talk that he should be “no where near the Test side” was simply ridiculous.
Remarkably though, it still plays second fiddle to talk of Bryce Street being elevated from Grade Cricket, straight into the Test side.
Harrison Bergeron
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Clearly the main reason Warner never gets dropped is that they just like the comfort of seeing the first five letters of his surname still on the team sheet.
Only logical explanation really.
Only logical explanation really.
ChappellG was all style, wasn't he? From memory, he said that he used to play himself in by only attempting straight shots between mid-off and mid-on until he felt the had his eye in, after which he'd play shots square of the wicket. Tubby Taylor too, I think.
The bloke I mentioned before, Simon Lane (whom I never got out) did the same thing, I am sure. Lane was also an incredible fielder. At short cover and off his own bowling he was able to backhand the ball to hit the stumps at the bowler's end which he must have practised for hours and hours. Uncanny.
Lillee and Thomson were my heroes. Regrettably, I was a hot-head back then. Opposition players not batting used to deride me by calling out "Lennie" (ie Pascoe) after some dumb
I had a poster on my wall back then, too --- not of Lillee --- but Samantha Fox:
View attachment 1737916
I wouldn't say I had a 'bunny' back then, but I remember well the #3-4-or-5 for Kilburn back in the day. I think his surname was Justin. His fave shot was the one you described above which he used to frequent 4-and-6-scoring effect, a big clip off his toes but I'm pretty sure I got his wicket every time we played them. Unfortunately, sometimes after he'd made 40+
Most memorably, we played Kilburn in a semi-final to qualify for the GF. We'd finished top and they were 4th. We'd beaten them easily in the Minor Round and on the day I sensed my teammates and batsmen especially were 'expecting' a win --- even back then, I was wary of that attitude which can cause complacency. Our Captain (and best batsman) even said in his pre-match address something along the lines of "Even if they get me cheaply, I know the rest of you will get the runs". I thought it was a crap attitude which infected their mindset. I wanted him to say "DON'T rely on me or others to make runs; make them yourself!".
Our blokes batted like millionaires and we were rolled wicket after cheap wicket for 77. Dammit.
I was furious.
Our quick, Smithy, opened from the S end running slightly downhill with a breeze behind him and I trundled away from the N end running uphill into the breeze. Great catches can make bowlers look much better'n they are. Smithy fielded at 3rd slip and I remember an absolute screamer he took. I can still see him at full stretch, horizontal to the ground, grabbing the ball inches off the grass in his right hand, like a Cameron Green specialty. Our keeper rose to the occasion too. One of my wide nothing-balls short of a length hit some Random spot on the wicket and off-cut back (NONE of my doing, I promise you), getting an inside edge. Our keeper was wrong-footed and the act of changing direction sat him on his bum but he flung out his left glove and caught it, sitting down. Incredible.
Next bloke in was the batsmen I described above. Our Captain wanted to rest me after about 8 overs on the trot, 4 wickets or not, but I said to him "I reckon I can bowl this bloke. Just leave the field open from square leg to mid-on" which would be a juicy invitation for his fave midwicket shot.
The Captain smirked, called me a cocky *er, and said I could have ONE more over.
As you know,"one more over" can be costly.
The first two I bowled him were standard, 4th stump outswing the second of which he smeared through cover for 4. Third ball angled in, yorker, he blocked. Fourth ball, he clipped through midwicket but our deep square leg scrambled, dived and saved it for 2.
4 balls for 6. I didn't look at my Captain who had a death-stare going, he told me later. The 5th ball was the winner, as above, started just outside leg which he tried to murder through midwicket, but he overplayed it, missed and was bowled. Skipper called me an "arsey bastard".
I wish the story had a happy ending. By the end of day they were 5/33 chasing the 77.
Next day, they stonewalled for the first hour. The 2 batsman had obviously been told to block everything on the stumps and leave everything else, which they did, making Boycott look like Stokes.
I kid you not, they scored 5 runs in that hour, 2 of which were leg byes
One of their best batsmen had been unavailable the day before, which is why they put us in on the toss (we'd have batted anyway), but he was in after one of the stonewallers finally had a poke and holed out to cover.
I had two LBWs that I thought were plumb turned down. Smithy had a caught-behind refused, but the click of the edge was clear and our keeper took it just to the L of first slip. Nope. Not out.
Smithy and I ran out of puff and they passed us at 8-down.
It was my biggest-ever sporting disappointment.
You played cricket for 50 years!! ??
Gotta say, I've enjoyed it immensely, too, but some posters would have seen the length of our posts and gone "pass".
Meh.
We've had fun!
Yeah, GasBaggers. Funniest thing you've said so far
I usually found it was very difficult for an outswing bowler to start on the leg stump line and then swing it away. Something about opening out the action, leaning over, and angles of release and all that technical stuff. It's a great ability to have.
Yes, I did play for 50 years. From 8 (Bill Lawry was Captain of Australia) to 58. I played for 6 years in the under 14's as there was no under 10's or 12's in those days. I'm pretty sure I didn't make a run for the first season or 2...
but I loved it, still do, but too old, too fat and too slow these days...Great story about a loosing GF. I might be able to top you though...
I played with Emerald, which is a small town in the Dandenong Ranges East of Melbourne. This was my first season with them, so pretty pleased to make the GF. I was about 34 at the time, so quite some time ago....
We had an arch enemy to rival anything Carlton and Collingwood could dish up, Seville. Seville is a much bigger town, 20 minutes drive away. Their Pres was Secretary and mover and shaker of the League, and somehow, (just pure luck, I'm sure) things always went Seville's way If this snoozer had anything to do with it...
Ok, GF day. We were a pretty good team, pretty well balanced. strong batting down the order and about 7 bowling options. (none of them me..) We were surprised when we got to the ground to find one of the Umpires who had been appointed had played for Seville just the year before, a bloke named 'Barney'. We were sus, but there was nothing we could do about it.
Anyway, we won the toss and batted (think about bowling for a millisecond, and then bat anyway, is my core belief). I opened at one end, and was going along ok, untill their captain came on to bowl Leggies. Cryptonyte to a stodgy opener who wants pace on the ball. I didn't last long, played all around a wrong'un and was either stumped or bowled. Dunno, I didn't look back.
We went along ok, I think our #3 got 80 plus, and a few others got runs. 250 was a very good score in that league and we were approaching it with about 7 wickets down. Then our number 10 came in to bat....and made 100 n.o.! It was a blistering innings on a smallish, quick ground. But still, a century from a number 10 is unheard of.
We made 396 in a day, easily enough runs to win one would think.
Next week we fronted up for the final day of the seaason, 396 on the board, confidence brimming, or should I say over confidence....
The guys bowled like millionaires, with ultra attacking fields, not a care in the world about the mounting runs...we had almost 400...
Enter Barney. To say Seville are in my mind the biggest pack of cheats ever to take a cricket field would be understatement. I can sort of understand the full toss that hit the pad half stump high and was missing Leg and Off being given not out. I'm less inclined to believe in the unbiased nature of the officiating umpire when the Keeper takes a nick in front of 2nd slip and it is not given out.....TWICE.
Long story short, some poor captaincy, a couple of tough grassed chances, including from me, and great batting from some of their players lead to the position where they needed 2 to win with one wicket in hand. Their Skipper is/was an absolute Ferret, and was batting at the time, we were hopeful to get him out, but no, he inside edged one past me at backward square, took off for two, then charged off the field, thinking he had won.
It turned out when they checked the scores that it was a tie. We had finished on top, so we would be premiers. Seville decided they were going back out to bat, but we were having none of that, their Skipper ran off the field. He had declared.
One last twist. Said Secretary and cheating prick decided HE alone was going to oversee the reviewed accounting of the scores, and lo and behold, they found an extra run for Seville. God I hate that mogrel mob, even almost 30 years later.
Post script to the story. The following year a mate of mine was appointed umpires advisor for the league. I bumped into him one day, and he asked me if I knew the story about Barney being appointed to that game... 'No,' Say's I ... 'do tell'.
It turns out that above mentioned cheating prick and secretary of the League had err...... 'influenced' The previous umpires advisor (Umpires selector, effectivley) to appoint the recently retired Seville player to the game. Some victories are very hollow.
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Pretty sure most of the squad has been given a mini holiday.
candyapple
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Spot on
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At his best he is. But he was a long way off his best in the first 2 tests. His figures flattered a couple of very ordinary performances.
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I didn't do it often. I worked on that ball after the Xmas break when I started to really think about what I was doing. It was just a matter of getting as close as possible to the wicket.
I woulda been about 26/27 but had just been promoted to A-grade, after the previous season in the C's, then first game of new season in the B's 6/43 vs. Grange. I was nervous; not confident, and did what our Captain wanted ie bowled a 4th stump line (even wider was ok by him) to a stacked off-side field.
It worked. Batsmen pretty much stayed in their crease back then. No ramps or reverse-sweeps.
I got a lot of caught in slips or behind, or when batsmen lost their patience slashing catches after leaving wider balls. The Captain didn't mind the change-up delivered from wide slanting in because it got at least one wicket every dig, unless it went down the legside which he hated.
I remembered that batsman's name, too --- J. Garnaut --- quiet bloke, very good technique.
He and Terry Jenner carved me up one game in a 6th or 7th wicket slogfest that took the game away from us, with Jenner chirping/sledging relentlessly every ball. I mean, EVERY ball
. I had 4 wickets for not-many, but by the time I got Garnaut it was around 5/80.WOW, amazing longevity, congrats!Yes, I did play for 50 years. From 8 (Bill Lawry was Captain of Australia) to 58. I played for 6 years in the under 14's as there was no under 10's or 12's in those days. I'm pretty sure I didn't make a run for the first season or 2...
I hear you there, brother.
It was a losing semi-final. We didn't play in the GF and didn't deserve to after being knocked over for 77. Until that semi- we had beaten every side bar one (which they lost in the first game when I was still in the B's) either by making 240+ most digs and bowling them out for usually less-than-200 or chasing down oppo scores at 4-, 5- or 6- wickets down. I hardly batted at all that season.
As I said, I was shattered. That loss really got me down. We had been the best team until that one game, lost by batter hubris.
Individually it hurt too. I was the leading wicket-taker until the GF, when an oppo bowler pipped me by a couple of wickets in the GF.
It was a great story, thanks.
That woulda felt bad, very bad.
One year, we played St. Aloysius Old Scholars way out in the donga of NE Adelaide. Pretty ground, shaded by blue gums.
We were 8/90-odd, then 9/139 chasing 181 to win. One of our openers grafted a 50 in the first 70 or so runs and I came in at #11 with our #6 still there. He was an 18yo kid, built like a brick outhouse, looked older'n me; named Clayton Crameri and was about 35*.
My previous highest score had been 7*. If I had to bat to save my life, I was a dead man.
I had borrowed our Captain's bat, one of those heavy 3+pound Gunn-Moore monsters from back then. I also had only 2 shots:
--- anything pitched full on about leg stump, I could hoik over mid-on/midwicket. I dunno how or why, I just could, and
--- I could sorta-kinda-sweep.
I came in at the change of over. Clayton said "Let's see if we can make a few runs to warm you up to bowl in their second dig". I said, smiling,
"I'll stick around while you get your 50".
Knowing my record, he laughed at me, but it was good-natured.
The very! first! ball!! he faced while I was at the other end, he nicked to second slip who dropped an absolute, slow, lobbing sitter. It would've been one of my finest nought-not-outs.
{Btw, I was the bloke who phoned the scores into the Sunday Mail. Individual scores of 30+ and 3+ wickets could be published. I amused myself and teammates by phoning in MyName 2*, or 0*, or 5 etc
until the Secretary of the Association called the Club and I was told to stop.}Anyway, Clayton got through the over and I had to face an offie. I didn't know it, but when I went out to bat, our keeper had so much confidence in me that he went to the change rooms to shower and pad up for the next dig.
The second ball I faced was in my slog-spot and the Gunn-Moore hit it sweetly over mid-wicket into a redgum for 6. I can still hear the CLICK! of that bat and the lovely feel of it through my hands. The laughs and surprised cheers from my mates was music to my ears.
Next ball, I tried to "sweep" but got a weird upper edge to it --- it might even have hit the back of my bat --- and it looped to backward-square, spinning wickedly. The spin did him in; he dropped it, and again a couple overs later. Same "shot", same bloke, poor bastard. One of the sweeps connected for 4 and somehow, miraculously, I hit my one-and-only square cut ever for four past backward point. The rest is a blur, but we were both dropped twice and I was given not out for a stumping when I slid my foot back after the bails had hit the ground. It was Jack at point, The Umpire who Loved Me
.Long story short, Clayton and I slogged and nicked our way to 181+.
He got his 50+ and I made 23, given out LBW from an inside-edge onto my pad. I trudged off, but was cheered up by laughing teammates who yelled out "Raise your bat, raise your bat!!" so I did. Shoulda been out 3 times, but they hooped and hollared like I'd made a ton.
Yeah/nah, that cheating prick would've loved that he stole the victory from you.Post script to the story. The following year a mate of mine was appointed umpires advisor for the league. I bumped into him one day, and he asked me if I knew the story about Barney being appointed to that game... 'No,' Say's I ... 'do tell'.
It turns out that above mentioned cheating prick and secretary of the League had err...... 'influenced' The previous umpires advisor (Umpires selector, effectivley) to appoint the recently retired Seville player to the game. Some victories are very hollow.
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I’m not sure that’s the way to get the best performances out of everyone. In today’s cricket the coaches that move away from that style seem to be the ones having the most success.
I’ve read a lot of what the Aussie players from the 2005 Ashes said about that series. A lot of them said how it was such a high pressure environment and they felt like they couldn’t get out of the cricket bubble, by the end of it they felt drained and it probably effected their performance.
The fact is the majority of the squad are actually performing really well.
Usman, Smith, Head, Marsh, Carey, Cummins and Starc are all in strong form. Keeping those guys fresh and in a good headspace to tackle two of the biggest games of their life is more important at this stage than hitting a thousand balls at training. They’ve played four tests in just over five weeks, lack of match practice is not an issue here.
Someone like Marnus who is clearly a bit unclear technically about where his off stump is might benefit from a more old school approach.
Not always.
Terry Alderman, swing bowler, 12 Tests in England and 83 wickets and 19runs/wicket. Wow.
Massie, whom you mentioned, debuted in England with 16/137
I think Australia has not produced many swing bowlers who've capitalised on English wickets.
Reportedly Graham Gooch used to have an amusing message on his answering machine..
'Hi this this is Gooch, I'm out now, probaly LBW Alderman...
They way we are going, we should think about writing a book...I didn't do it often. I worked on that ball after the Xmas break when I started to really think about what I was doing. It was just a matter of getting as close as possible to the wicket.
I woulda been about 26/27 but had just been promoted to A-grade, after the previous season in the C's, then first game of new season in the B's 6/43 vs. Grange. I was nervous; not confident, and did what our Captain wanted ie bowled a 4th stump line (even wider was ok by him) to a stacked off-side field.
It worked. Batsmen pretty much stayed in their crease back then. No ramps or reverse-sweeps.
I got a lot of caught in slips or behind, or when batsmen lost their patience slashing catches after leaving wider balls. The Captain didn't mind the change-up delivered from wide slanting in because it got at least one wicket every dig, unless it went down the legside which he hated.
I remembered that batsman's name, too --- J. Garnaut --- quiet bloke, very good technique.
He and Terry Jenner carved me up one game in a 6th or 7th wicket slogfest that took the game away from us, with Jenner chirping/sledging relentlessly every ball. I mean, EVERY ball
WOW, amazing longevity, congrats!
I hear you there, brother.
It was a losing semi-final. We didn't play in the GF and didn't deserve to after being knocked over for 77. Until that semi- we had beaten every side bar one (which they lost in the first game when I was still in the B's) either by making 240+ most digs and bowling them out for usually less-than-200 or chasing down oppo scores at 4-, 5- or 6- wickets down. I hardly batted at all that season.
As I said, I was shattered. That loss really got me down. We had been the best team until that one game, lost by batter hubris.
Individually it hurt too. I was the leading wicket-taker until the GF, when an oppo bowler pipped me by a couple of wickets in the GF.
It was a great story, thanks.
That woulda felt bad, very bad.
One year, we played St. Aloysius Old Scholars way out in the donga of NE Adelaide. Pretty ground, shaded by blue gums.
We were 8/90-odd, then 9/139 chasing 181 to win. One of our openers grafted a 50 in the first 70 or so runs and I came in at #11 with our #6 still there. He was an 18yo kid, built like a brick outhouse, looked older'n me; named Clayton Crameri and was about 35*.
My previous highest score had been 7*. If I had to bat to save my life, I was a dead man.
I had borrowed our Captain's bat, one of those heavy 3+pound Gunn-Moore monsters from back then. I also had only 2 shots:
--- anything pitched full on about leg stump, I could hoik over mid-on/midwicket. I dunno how or why, I just could, and
--- I could sorta-kinda-sweep.
I came in at the change of over. Clayton said "Let's see if we can make a few runs to warm you up to bowl in their second dig". I said, smiling,
"I'll stick around while you get your 50".
Knowing my record, he laughed at me, but it was good-natured.
The very! first! ball!! he faced while I was at the other end, he nicked to second slip who dropped an absolute, slow, lobbing sitter. It would've been one of my finest nought-not-outs.
{Btw, I was the bloke who phoned the scores into the Sunday Mail. Individual scores of 30+ and 3+ wickets could be published. I amused myself and teammates by phoning in MyName 2*, or 0*, or 5 etc
Anyway, Clayton got through the over and I had to face an offie. I didn't know it, but when I went out to bat, our keeper had so much confidence in me that he went to the change rooms to shower and pad up for the next dig.
The second ball I faced was in my slog-spot and the Gunn-Moore hit it sweetly over mid-wicket into a redgum for 6. I can still hear the CLICK! of that bat and the lovely feel of it through my hands. The laughs and surprised cheers from my mates was music to my ears.
Next ball, I tried to "sweep" but got a weird upper edge to it --- it might even have hit the back of my bat --- and it looped to backward-square, spinning wickedly. The spin did him in; he dropped it, and again a couple overs later. Same "shot", same bloke, poor bastard. One of the sweeps connected for 4 and somehow, miraculously, I hit my one-and-only square cut ever for four past backward point. The rest is a blur, but we were both dropped twice and I was given not out for a stumping when I slid my foot back after the bails had hit the ground. It was Jack at point, The Umpire who Loved Me
Long story short, Clayton and I slogged and nicked our way to 181+.
He got his 50+ and I made 23, given out LBW from an inside-edge onto my pad. I trudged off, but was cheered up by laughing teammates who yelled out "Raise your bat, raise your bat!!" so I did. Shoulda been out 3 times, but they hooped and hollared like I'd made a ton.
Yeah/nah, that cheating prick would've loved that he stole the victory from you.
'Anecdotes from minor cricketers, never good enough....'
I'll match your batting story with one of my rare appearances at the bowling crease. It was under 16's (we eventually won the Premiership. We had two nascent District First grade players in that team). Anyway, it was one of those miserable, wet, Melbourne mornings when the game was going no-where, as time was going to run out. At one of the many rain breaks I convinced the Captain to give me a bowl if we got back on the field.
Eventually we got back on and true to his word he threw me the ball. I marked out my err.... 5 pace run up, bowling slow medium cow manure. The captain, with all faith in me took everyone out of the slips and scattered them hither and yon.
First ball was a beauty, hit a length on off stump caught the edge and dollied to a non existant first slip. I think they ran two.
The next 7 balls (they were 8 ball overs back then) went for either 4 or 6 over mid wicket. I ended up with 28 off the over, and was never asked to grace the bowlers end again....
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"Has-been Memoirs from Cricketing never was-es" ...??
"The sweet smell of mediocrity" by Two Old Farts??
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2012 was the last time we didn’t pick a spinner in a test vs India at the Waca.
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Same match as the unlikely win, same wicketkeeper who had so much faith in my batting he went off to the change rooms as I went out to bat at 9-down ...They way we are going, we should think about writing a book...
'Anecdotes from minor cricketers, never good enough....'
I'll match your batting story with one of my rare appearances at the bowling crease. It was under 16's (we eventually won the Premiership. We had two nascent District First grade players in that team). Anyway, it was one of those miserable, wet, Melbourne mornings when the game was going no-where, as time was going to run out. At one of the many rain breaks I convinced the Captain to give me a bowl if we got back on the field.
Eventually we got back on and true to his word he threw me the ball. I marked out my err.... 5 pace run up, bowling slow medium cow manure. The captain, with all faith in me took everyone out of the slips and scattered them hither and yon.
First ball was a beauty, hit a length on off stump caught the edge and dollied to a non existant first slip. I think they ran two.
The next 7 balls (they were 8 ball overs back then) went for either 4 or 6 over mid wicket. I ended up with 28 off the over, and was never asked to grace the bowlers end again....
In their second dig, I opened the bowling and was getting some nice outswing, first over.
I ran in for ball #4, delivered and in that same moment saw the keeper running in to the stumps.
Their opener snicked the ball which went over the keeper's shoulder nearly taking off his ear.
If he'd stayed back it was an easy catch.
Instead, 0/4
.
So why are you doing it again?Raining every day of the next test, surely at least a draw this test. Or England do something drastic to make a game of it. That works in our favour.
But I said this exact thing last test.
It's hilarious some of you are watching the weather forecasts when the game is still 5 days way. With the pace England batts, the way we throw away our wickets, and with the pitch certainly going to be a result pitch, the only way we get a draw is half the test is washed out. Don't waste your time and energy
Will be shocked if they don't make that one move.
Only other move I see them making is not playing a spinner in which case Green or Neser in. Have to play Marsh again after that performance.
Around the Wicket
Norm Smith Medallist
- Dec 8, 2021
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The pitches have been pretty flat, if you had two sides playing traditional cricket no doubt we would have seen a draw or two by now so I reckon a bowling average of around 30 for the series is pretty decent
- Feb 18, 2017
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We want to reclaim the Ashes
A washout is the easiest way to achieve this
I fear England's momentum
If it was 2-2 in the last test and we were in trouble I'd get it but some people were doing rain dances here going into the 2nd day of the last test ffs
As I stated above it's going to have to be a ton of rain to get a draw, and looking that far ahead with weather forecasts is weird unless you're interested in how it affects the preparation of the pitch.
As for England's momentum, it was just one win, which they were well behind multiple times in the match. We just need one more great team performance and we have done it, and yes reclaiming the Ashes would be great, I want a series win this time.
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