Favourite cricket anecdotes

[PhatBoy]

Seems to be - and yes I’m fully aware I contribute to it - lot of angsty posting at the moment about this or that.

What are some of your favourite random cricket anecdotes of recent or distant past?

I’ve personally always liked, whether it’s true or somewhat embellished, the story about the giant from Orange out near where I’m from, George Bonnor allegedly skying a mis-hit so high around 140 years ago in England that he had nearly completed his third run by the time he was caught.

Also like the story about Gilbert ‘The Croucher’ Jessop smashing that century at the Oval in 1902(?) from 5-40 or whatever it was in about 70 minutes to chase down 240 or something and I think he once put a ball into the gasometers next to the ground. Just his nickname is awesome.

 

[James Colorado]

Not so much a story about cricket, but rather about cricketers.

I was fortunate enough to see Ian Botham and John Embury on their speaking tour last year. Botham is a very engaging speaker, and Embury is brilliant in the MC role. Botham spent some time talking about Shane Warne, due to their own friendship as well as this being a Melbourne crowd (it was at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, about 800m or so from the MCG). He got to talking about a charity golf pro-am they were involved in in England; I'm guessing mid-90s is when the story takes place. There's always a big dinner the night before, and apparently they're able to get some big names to play in the band. Now, most of the guests who needed to take to the green the next day when in their room at a reasonable hour. Not S.K. Warne. He'd passed a 100 pound note to the uni student waiter on the understanding a vodka and red bull would be brought out at 7 minute intervals, and this continued until about 4am when he was finally dragged to bed (even accounting for the natural sportsman's embellishment over time, that is a lot of booze). By the time it was time to hit the links, Warney was apparently quite the worse for wear. The pro he was partnered with (apologies that I can't remember his name, but I don't know much about golf) was desperate to win the tournament, and after being saddled with Shane for a few holes, realised that hair of the dog might help. So, a fresh drink came out every hole. This changed the game so much they rocketed up the leaderboard, and finished one shot off the eventual winners.

One of those stories that as improbable as the facts sound, makes sense when you consider who it's about.

 

[PhatBoy]

Not so much a story about cricket, but rather about cricketers.

I was fortunate enough to see Ian Botham and John Embury on their speaking tour last year. Botham is a very engaging speaker, and Embury is brilliant in the MC role. Botham spent some time talking about Shane Warne, due to their own friendship as well as this being a Melbourne crowd (it was at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, about 800m or so from the MCG). He got to talking about a charity golf pro-am they were involved in in England; I'm guessing mid-90s is when the story takes place. There's always a big dinner the night before, and apparently they're able to get some big names to play in the band. Now, most of the guests who needed to take to the green the next day when in their room at a reasonable hour. Not S.K. Warne. He'd passed a 100 pound note to the uni student waiter on the understanding a vodka and red bull would be brought out at 7 minute intervals, and this continued until about 4am when he was finally dragged to bed (even accounting for the natural sportsman's embellishment over time, that is a lot of booze). By the time it was time to hit the links, Warney was apparently quite the worse for wear. The pro he was partnered with (apologies that I can't remember his name, but I don't know much about golf) was desperate to win the tournament, and after being saddled with Shane for a few holes, realised that hair of the dog might help. So, a fresh drink came out every hole. This changed the game so much they rocketed up the leaderboard, and finished one shot off the eventual winners.

One of those stories that as improbable as the facts sound, makes sense when you consider who it's about.

Lollll yeah I’ve heard a few about Warnie’s golf getting better when he’s had a few

I’ve mentioned this one a few times on this forum but my former chief of staff at the paper when I was a journo was an ex NSW second XI regular, was a bee’s off playing Shield. Played a lot of cricket with guys like Trevor Bayliss and Michael Whitney.

He rocked up to open at Mosman once when Wayne Daniel from the West Indies was having a season in Grade cricket and they lost the toss and got sent in, and he lost another coin toss with Bayliss and had to face the first ball from Daniel.

“I was utterly shitting myself. He looked massive and I’d heard stories about how fast he was. I stood there and in he charges, I’d never seen anything like it, I saw the ball about two feet before it got to me, had a blind swing and hooked it out of the ground. I didn’t see the next one but I heard my stump fly about 10 metres behind me. I’ve never been so happy to walk off a cricket field.’

 

[Rabish Binney]

A story went around Adelaide about what was said on the 3rd evening of the last Sheffield shield game in 1979/80 between SA and Victoria at the Adelaide oval.

And given who was supposedly involved, I can believe it.

SA just needed to draw the game to win the shield. Conversely Victoria needed to win the game to win the shield.

Victoria certainly had done their part to try to win the game with declarations in each of their innings (they batted first). Thus they set SA 244 to win and as far as I can remember, SA had all of the last day to chase the runs.

The talk went around that on that 3rd night, Ian Chappell was in the front bar of the Queens Head hotel in North Adelaide and was 8-9 beers deep when someone in the bar asked him about SA's chances, and also that Jim Higgs might be a danger on a 4th day Adelaide Oval pitch.

Upon being asked this, Chappell was rumoured to have gotten his old fella out of his pants, grabbed it with his right hand and said "Higgs; f*** Higgs, I could play him with this"

Ironically on the last day, Jim Higgs spun Victoria to victory by taking 6-57 as SA were bowled out for 160!!

For those interested, the scorecard to the game is herewith. Some bloody good names in both sides which shows the shield these days is even the more poorer for the test players that don't play in many of the games (but I cant for the life of me remember the Vic openers, Broad & Matthews).

SOA vs VIC Cricket Scorecard at Adelaide, March 07 - 10, 1980

Live Cricket Scoreboard: Get South Australia vs Victoria cricket scorecard, Sheffield Shield 1979/80 dated March 07 - 10, 1980.

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[Rabish Binney]

In a TV interview many years back, legendary English fast bowler Fred Trueman was asked about Cricket being a Gentlemen's game.

His response? "In my opinion, a Gentlemen is one who gets out of the bath to have a piss".

 

[PhatBoy]

I have a feeling Ravi’s comment at Newlands is the sort of thing that will pop up in these threads in years to come

 

[big_e]

In a TV interview many years back, legendary English fast bowler Fred Trueman was asked about Cricket being a Gentlemen's game.

His response? "In my opinion, a Gentlemen is one who gets out of the bath to have a piss".

Speaking of which, this is a good read: Never a Gentleman's Game: The Scandal-filled Early Years of Test Cricket : Knox, Malcolm: Amazon.com.au: Books

 

[Jim Prideaux]

I once went to a Lancashire academy camp and flintoff was there. As I was there as a technical adult, I hadn’t brought any kit other than my bowling spikes. Freddie was kind enough to lend me his kit, essentially so he he work me over. Was a wonderful and terrifying experience

 

[Plugger35]

Kerry O'Keefe told a great story in one of his books about how he went for a beer with Doug Walters and Rod Marsh the night before a test match in Adelaide in 1976 against Pakistan, he thought it would just be a quiet beer or two but of course it turned into an all night bender.

He said Doug and Rod were right as rain the next day as they were used to that sort of stuff but he was hungover as hell and to make matters worse Greg Chappell lost the toss so Pakistan chose to bat and he had to bowl.

He ended up being Australia's best bowler that day taking 3 for 42 off 19 overs and that was also the day that Thommo busted his shoulder.

This was the test match, back when they played a test match over Christmas, the test match started on Christmas Eve, those were the days.

AUS vs PAK Cricket Scorecard, 1st Test at Adelaide, December 24 - 29, 1976

Get cricket scorecard of 1st Test, AUS vs PAK, Pakistan tour of Australia 1976/77 at Adelaide Oval dated December 24 - 29, 1976.

www.espncricinfo.com

 

[dogs105]

Kerry O'Keefe told a great story in one of his books about how he went for a beer with Doug Walters and Rod Marsh the night before a test match in Adelaide in 1976 against Pakistan, he thought it would just be a quiet beer or two but of course it turned into an all night bender.

He said Doug and Rod were right as rain the next day as they were used to that sort of stuff but he was hungover as hell and to make matters worse Greg Chappell lost the toss so Pakistan chose to bat and he had to bowl.

He ended up being Australia's best bowler that day taking 3 for 42 off 19 overs and that was also the day that Thommo busted his shoulder.

This was the test match, back when they played a test match over Christmas, the test match started on Christmas Eve, those were the days.

AUS vs PAK Cricket Scorecard, 1st Test at Adelaide, December 24 - 29, 1976

Get cricket scorecard of 1st Test, AUS vs PAK, Pakistan tour of Australia 1976/77 at Adelaide Oval dated December 24 - 29, 1976.

www.espncricinfo.com

Somewhere he stated that Doug handed him an open beer at the lunch break, and said "stay pissed and you'll take 6".

 

[Black Diamond]

Not so much a story about cricket, but rather about cricketers.

I was fortunate enough to see Ian Botham and John Embury on their speaking tour last year. Botham is a very engaging speaker, and Embury is brilliant in the MC role. Botham spent some time talking about Shane Warne, due to their own friendship as well as this being a Melbourne crowd (it was at the Corner Hotel in Richmond, about 800m or so from the MCG). He got to talking about a charity golf pro-am they were involved in in England; I'm guessing mid-90s is when the story takes place. There's always a big dinner the night before, and apparently they're able to get some big names to play in the band. Now, most of the guests who needed to take to the green the next day when in their room at a reasonable hour. Not S.K. Warne. He'd passed a 100 pound note to the uni student waiter on the understanding a vodka and red bull would be brought out at 7 minute intervals, and this continued until about 4am when he was finally dragged to bed (even accounting for the natural sportsman's embellishment over time, that is a lot of booze). By the time it was time to hit the links, Warney was apparently quite the worse for wear. The pro he was partnered with (apologies that I can't remember his name, but I don't know much about golf) was desperate to win the tournament, and after being saddled with Shane for a few holes, realised that hair of the dog might help. So, a fresh drink came out every hole. This changed the game so much they rocketed up the leaderboard, and finished one shot off the eventual winners.

One of those stories that as improbable as the facts sound, makes sense when you consider who it's about.

Did vodka red bulls even exist in the mid 90s?

 

[PhatBoy]

Did vodka red bulls even exist in the mid 90s?

Yeah, allegedly in America.

 

[Cold Sober]

Don't know the origin but always have a chuckle at an umpires reply to ' that wasn't out'.
' If you don't think so , look in tomorrows paper'.

 

[PhatBoy]

Was reading this one a little while ago, about Tom Goddard playing county cricket where he bowled something like 40 overs straight and started to finally get the shits and turned around and said ‘when the hell am I going to get a spell’

The captain had left the field hours beforehand and left him to run the show.

 

[Rabish Binney]

Kerry O'Keefe told a great story in one of his books about how he went for a beer with Doug Walters and Rod Marsh the night before a test match in Adelaide in 1976 against Pakistan, he thought it would just be a quiet beer or two but of course it turned into an all night bender.

He said Doug and Rod were right as rain the next day as they were used to that sort of stuff but he was hungover as hell and to make matters worse Greg Chappell lost the toss so Pakistan chose to bat and he had to bowl.

He ended up being Australia's best bowler that day taking 3 for 42 off 19 overs and that was also the day that Thommo busted his shoulder.

This was the test match, back when they played a test match over Christmas, the test match started on Christmas Eve, those were the days.

AUS vs PAK Cricket Scorecard, 1st Test at Adelaide, December 24 - 29, 1976

Get cricket scorecard of 1st Test, AUS vs PAK, Pakistan tour of Australia 1976/77 at Adelaide Oval dated December 24 - 29, 1976.

www.espncricinfo.com

I notice in the scorecard that Thommo didn't bowl in Pakistan's 2nd innings - was this the test where he and Alan Turner collided (I see Turner batted in the 2nd innings)??

Thommo said he was never the same after that and couldn't bowl as fast as he did previously.

 

[Rabish Binney]

Don't know the origin but always have a chuckle at an umpires reply to ' that wasn't out'.
' If you don't think so , look in tomorrows paper'.

Tomorrow's fish and chips wrapper....

 

[Rabish Binney]

More of a commentary anecdote with this one.

I was watching a WI vs England test on Fox 12 odd years ago and Geoff Boycott was commentating.

The late Runako Morton was opening for the Windies and was struggling a bit to get bat on ball. After a while he was dismissed for not many and as he trudged off the field, I will never forget Boycott's commentary; "there's not doubt young Runako is a battler but in fact he's not that good. In fact he is rubbish. Off you go son"

 

[the_interloper]

Kerry O'Keefe told a great story in one of his books about how he went for a beer with Doug Walters and Rod Marsh the night before a test match in Adelaide in 1976 against Pakistan, he thought it would just be a quiet beer or two but of course it turned into an all night bender.

He said Doug and Rod were right as rain the next day as they were used to that sort of stuff but he was hungover as hell and to make matters worse Greg Chappell lost the toss so Pakistan chose to bat and he had to bowl.

He ended up being Australia's best bowler that day taking 3 for 42 off 19 overs and that was also the day that Thommo busted his shoulder.

This was the test match, back when they played a test match over Christmas, the test match started on Christmas Eve, those were the days.

AUS vs PAK Cricket Scorecard, 1st Test at Adelaide, December 24 - 29, 1976

Get cricket scorecard of 1st Test, AUS vs PAK, Pakistan tour of Australia 1976/77 at Adelaide Oval dated December 24 - 29, 1976.

www.espncricinfo.com

There was a Test match in NZ in the late 70s where Doug Walters made 250. I think after the first day Walters and Gilmour had both made tons so they had to get on the piss to celebrate. Anyway Doug rocks up the next day feeling rough and went on to get 250, this had to be celebrated as well.

And also i think Walters got on the turps before day 1 too, though this was probably just the routine!

 

[Plugger35]

I notice in the scorecard that Thommo didn't bowl in Pakistan's 2nd innings - was this the test where he and Alan Turner collided (I see Turner batted in the 2nd innings)??

Thommo said he was never the same after that and couldn't bowl as fast as he did previously.

Yeah that was where he collided with Alan Turner and obviously Thommo came off second best as Turner kept on playing while he didn't.

There was a Test match in NZ in the late 70s where Doug Walters made 250. I think after the first day Walters and Gilmour had both made tons so they had to get on the piss to celebrate. Anyway Doug rocks up the next day feeling rough and went on to get 250, this had to be celebrated as well.

And also i think Walters got on the turps before day 1 too, though this was probably just the routine!

I also heard that story about Doug Walters making the 250, he seemed to be one of those guys that could still perform with a hangover.

 

[the_interloper]

I also heard that story about Doug Walters making the 250, he seemed to be one of those guys that could still perform with a hangover.

Or to look at it another way, he probably struggled to perform if he wasn't hungover!

 

[PhatBoy]

More of a commentary anecdote with this one.

I was watching a WI vs England test on Fox 12 odd years ago and Geoff Boycott was commentating.

The late Runako Morton was opening for the Windies and was struggling a bit to get bat on ball. After a while he was dismissed for not many and as he trudged off the field, I will never forget Boycott's commentary; "there's not doubt young Runako is a battler but in fact he's not that good. In fact he is rubbish. Off you go son"

lol I can just hear him saying it.

There is something to be said for honest commentary.

I have a soft spot for cricinfo commentators who use the term ‘that’s filth’

 

[Randall Stevens]

There was a Test match in NZ in the late 70s where Doug Walters made 250. I think after the first day Walters and Gilmour had both made tons so they had to get on the piss to celebrate. Anyway Doug rocks up the next day feeling rough and went on to get 250, this had to be celebrated as well.

And also i think Walters got on the turps before day 1 too, though this was probably just the routine!

The other part of this story is that Kerry O’Keefe was horrified to see Walters and Gilmour drinking late at night as the not out batsmen, calling them irresponsible and a disgrace, “you’ll be out first over tomorrow” etc (Skull was also next man in).

The next day Doug went from 129 to 250, and Gilmour from 65 to 101. When Kerry eventually batted he was run out for 8, for which he blamed Walters. Apparently Doug just smiled and asked “so are you having a drink with us tonight.”

 

[the_interloper]

The other part of this story is that Kerry O’Keefe was horrified to see Walters and Gilmour drinking late at night as the not out batsmen, calling them irresponsible and a disgrace, “you’ll be out first over tomorrow” etc (Skull was also next man in).

The next day Doug went from 129 to 250, and Gilmour from 65 to 101. When Kerry eventually batted he was run out for 8, for which he blamed Walters. Apparently Doug just smiled and asked “so are you having a drink with us tonight.”

Ah so it was Doug who was celebrating his ton the first night not Gilmour. I reckon if both made ducks he would have still got pissed anyway ha ha

 

[Randall Stevens]

Ah so it was Doug who was celebrating his ton the first night not Gilmour. I reckon if both made ducks he would have still got pissed anyway ha ha

Haha, for sure.
Doug tells the story of a tour game (not a Test at least!) in South Africa when he and Brian Taber shared six bottles of beer for breakfast! He then went out - batting at 3 instead of his usual 5 or 6 - and made his only century of the tour.

 

[the_interloper]

Haha, for sure.
Doug tells the story of a tour game (not a Test at least!) in South Africa when he and Brian Taber shared six bottles of beer for breakfast! He then went out - batting at 3 instead of his usual 5 or 6 - and made his only century of the tour.

So many ripper Doug Walters stories. One of the funniest was in one of Chappelli's books, they were in England on a tour match. Chappelli goes out, comes into the rooms, shouts "there's no ****ing justice in this game", hits a cupboard with his bat and sits down in a huff.

8 years later they're on an Ashes tour again in England and they're playing the same county at the same ground. Walters goes out, comes into the rooms, shouts "there's no ****ing justice in this game", hits the same cupboard with his bat and sits down in a huff next to Chappelli, what a man.