Who is your favourite fielder?

[Ohitsthatguy]

People bring up Ponting and Jonty... Legends.

Mine is Roy Symonds. A man of that size had no right to be that brilliant in the field.

 

[dexter_]

Mark Waugh made catching look so easy

 

[Bedi]

For me AB was right up there. I could only find these highlights from 1990/91


But this is still my favourite catch of all time


but Jonty Rhodes was nothing short of spectacular!

 

[Iceman!]

Roy and Ponting are two stand outs.

In terms of favourites i just loved clarkes arm, i spent countless hours practising throwing at 1 stump in the back yard pretending i was him.

 

[Ohitsthatguy]

In terms of favourites i just loved clarkes arm, i spent countless hours practising throwing at 1 stump in the back yard pretending i was him.

Yeah Clarke was probably a bit underrated

 

[10Dulkar]

This thread wouldn't be complete without mentioning Herschelle Gibbs - both good and bad.

I loved watching Yuvraj Singh because when he came in, he was so far ahead of the others (with Kaif).

Jonty Rhodes will get a mention. He came to my cricket club because his mate was coach there and put on a fielding masterclass. I was watching in awe. Even at 50, his arm looked like a machine it was that well grooved. The only comparison I can draw is watching Nadal's left arm playing tennis. A phenomenon.

 

[Gough]

Colin Bland if you ask my old man.

 

[PhatBoy]

Colin Bland if you ask my old man.

Always remember when SA returned and Jonty was getting plaudits from everyone - and rightly so - all the commentators on 9 from the pre-banishment era unanimously mentioned Bland as being every bit as good

 

[Gough]

Always remember when SA returned and Jonty was getting plaudits from everyone - and rightly so - all the commentators on 9 from the pre-banishment era unanimously mentioned Bland as being every bit as good

One of only two Wisden cricketers of the year, the other being Stuart Surridge to be depicted fielding rather than batting or bowling in their picture in the annual.

 

[sosos]

Alan Border. That baseball arm, throwing the stumps down from midwicket, etched in my memory.

Mark Taylor. Most reliable first slip I ever saw. Better than both the Chappels, which was such a high bar already.

I'm going to put a call out to a line of Australian fast bowlers who patrolled fine leg with incredible aplomb since the 70s.

Thompson was sensational there until his shoulder. Mervyn Hughes did extremely well for a big guy, and Geoff Lawson was very good too. Mcgrath is probably the one for mine, probably recency bias but that catch is up there with the best ever. More recently, I have been a fan of Starc's whole hearted efforts there.

Probably missed a few there, but wanted to call them out, as they may not make many people's lists.

 

[Bedi]

Alan Border. That baseball arm, throwing the stumps down from midwicket, etched in my memory.

Mark Taylor. Most reliable first slip I ever saw. Better than both the Chappels, which was such a high bar already.

I'm going to put a call out to a line of Australian fast bowlers who patrolled fine leg with incredible aplomb since the 70s.

Thompson was sensational there until his shoulder. Mervyn Hughes did extremely well for a big guy, and Geoff Lawson was very good too. Mcgrath is probably the one for mine, probably recency bias but that catch is up there with the best ever. More recently, I have been a fan of Starc's whole hearted efforts there.

Probably missed a few there, but wanted to call them out, as they may not make many people's lists.

McDermott had a very good arm too, landing them over the bails every time from the deep

 

[tombomb]

Hayden was a really underrated fielder.

 

[ioppolo]

We were blessed to have Clarke, Symonds and Hussey all at one time patrolling around Gully.

I remember those KFC blow up fielders that had their caricatures on them circa 2006/07.

 

[Sea fog]

I remember reading reports that Vic Richardson was considered not to be human as a fielder, so out of his world was his athleticism, and close in catching He was star footballer as well and spawned the Chappells who were both great in the field. Greg was as good an outfielder as slipper. He dropped so few catches. Also as a young kid I recall Thomson being the speediest flat returner of the ball ever seen. He could not do this after Turner collided with him and bust his shoulder.

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Carl Hooper in slips was very good. Mark Taylor, Mark Waugh too. Mohammed Azharuddin.
Viv Richards in the circle in one dayers.
Herschelle Gibbs, Jonny Rhodes, Ricky Ponting & Michael Clarke at point

 

[Mofra]

I remember reading reports that Vic Richardson was considered not to be human as a fielder, so out of his world was his athleticism, and close in catching He was star footballer as well and spawned the Chappells who were both great in the field. Greg was as good an outfielder as slipper. He dropped so few catches. Also as a young kid I recall Thomson being the speediest flat returner of the ball ever seen. He could not do this after Turner collided with him and bust his shoulder.

Viv - absolute freak of a fielder. Coolest crickter in his day too.
Ashley Mallett was loved by his teammates, I didn't see enough of him.

Jonty Rhodes was brilliant, and in the current era (outside of tests) Jordan Silk deserves some recognition.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

Came here to also say Viv.
To win a World Cup Final largely thanks to 3 run outs from Richards is some effort.

 

[Robroy22]

Paul Sheehan was brilliant in the covers, so too Ross Edwards. Terry Alderman was really underrated as an opening bowler who was a fabulous gully fielder.

But Roy has em all covered....simply cat like.

Best slippers: Mark Waugh, Steve Smith and Bob Simpson.

 

[FreddyTwoShoes]

Dean Jones was dynamic in the field and had a rocket arm to go with it.

 

[HalloweenJack]

Paul Sheehan was brilliant in the covers, so too Ross Edwards. Terry Alderman was really underrated as an opening bowler who was a fabulous gully fielder.

But Roy has em all covered....simply cat like.

Best slippers: Mark Waugh, Steve Smith and Bob Simpson.

Good post.

Just wanted to add a story about Bob Simpson. I have a cricket book (can't remember which one) that has a picture of Simpson taking a catch when he was fielding at first slip early on in his test career.

The interesting thing is he is taking the catch where third slip would be by diving behind Brian Booth who was fielding at second slip and who hadn't moved.

 

[Sea fog]

Paul Sheehan was brilliant in the covers, so too Ross Edwards. Terry Alderman was really underrated as an opening bowler who was a fabulous gully fielder.

But Roy has em all covered....simply cat like.

Best slippers: Mark Waugh, Steve Smith and Bob Simpson.

Ashley Mallett was a brilliant gully fielder from the Edwards/Sheahan era. BTW, would have either Greg Chappell ahead of Waugh and Smith as they've dropped more catches and Chappell with his extra reach used to effortlessly get to catches they would have to stretch for and maybe not lay a hand on.

 

[dogs105]

Sam Konstas

 

[Kenny Dee]

Somehow, Maxwell is still underrated

 

[Cmarsh]

Roger Harper of the West Indies was excellent.

Special mention also to Courney Walsh who developed a bowling like action to throw the ball from the boundry following persistent shoulder problems that were very accurate.

 

[Gough]

Roger Harper of the West Indes was excellent.

Special mention also to Courney Walsh who developed a bowling like action to throw the ball from the boundry following persistent shoulder problems that were very accurate.

The archetype Gary Pratt, Harper pioneered the gun fielder as a sub while your bowlers have a breather.