AFLW 2024 - Round 9 - Indigenous Round - Chat, game threads, injury lists, team lineups and more.
You didn't like him 12 months ago did you? What changes your mind?
That is way too heartbreaking. There is about a dozen of them. And as good looking a batsmen as Mark Waugh was, you could argue he was pretty lucky to stay in that team for so long with an average just a tick above 40. He did make some pretty crucial tons though, but you could argue the likes of Lehmann, Law, Love, Siddons et al would have done so if given more a chance. The only guy I can think off the top of my head he did well at shield level but couldn't step up to tests was Bevan. To a less degree Greg Blewett and Matt Elliot ended up with pretty uninspiring records, but did have their moments of brilliance at the top.
Law is the ultimate sliding doors story. He and Ponting came in for Blewett who was dropped and Steve Waugh who was injured. Ponting went in first, and first ball he ran down the wicket to Murali, edged a catchable ball just wide of first slip and was off the mark with a four to third man. Taylor declared after Pinting was dismissed for 96. Law was unbeaten on 54. Ponting went on to become Ponting and Law became a one test wonder when Steve Waugh came back for the next test.
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Got found out against the short ball. Barely bowled in his first few tests, then got given the ball as a part timer and took some wickets, then took a 6-for not long after. Batting deteroriated and got moved from a middle order batsmen to a bowling all rounder batting at 7, maybe even 8, but with Warney in the team bowling so many overs it was never going to be viable long term. In the end he wasn't getting enough overs, and when he was bowling he wasn't able to sustain the success he had in a couple of earlier series, and his batting averaged dropped below 30, so had to get dropped.
Thanks Guys. Thought I'd ask because I don't really like to judge players too harshly who are utilised in unsuitable roles.
Right. So earlier on when you criticised for non-cricketing reasons and then said you like him you were just being disingenuous.
Bevan was picked as the Batsman to replace Allan Border, he went to Pakistan got 3 50's in his first three tests, including a 70, an 80 and a 90, came back for an Ashes series and missed out in three digs and looked less the assured against the short ball and that's where things went pear shaped for him. He certainly played more cricket but others went past him and the 91 he got in Pakistan remained his highest score. Later he got a game due to his chinaman's but the knock on him stayed with him for all time.
The thing with Bevan and the short ball was that once the bouncer was reintroduced into oen day cricket, it didn't seem to affect him. At Shield level he was often facing faster and better bowlers than many Test nations (South Africa aside) had at the time. I think it was largely mental, possibly the pressure of playing a Test.
No I disagree, Bond and Gough regularly troubled him with it, but it was always less of a threat because of the nature of the game. It definitely weighed him down for a long time until his last few years. He was an intense cat, would shower in his gear and was just so intense when he got out it used to put a few blokes off. Fitting into the environment is a very important thing and it is underrated by many. In a 50/50 call things like that count against you.
Not a great spinner though. More likely to go somewhere as a batsman, rather than a spinner.
