Favourite Cricketers (1 Viewer)

[Jack]

I thought this might prove an interesting diversion for the the cricket fans on the Forum.

For me:

Brian Close - Yorkshire, Somerset and England. Toughest man to play the game. In the twilight of his career stood up to the might of the West Indies. I read his autobiography as a boy and loved it - 'I Don't Bruise Easily' was the title I think.

Dennis Amiss - Warwickshire and England. A gentleman when not everyone playing was one!

Kepler Wessels - Queensland, Australia, South Africa and about four other state/county sides. A tough man.

Adam Gilchrist - Western Australia and Australia - played hard and played fair.

Stephen Fleming - New Zealand. For a while he was the best captain in the world.

Allan Border - NSW, Queensland and Australia. A Man for All Seasons.

George Bailey - Tasmania and Australia. Proved that the race does not always go to the swiftest or the strongest.

Thoughts?

Jack

 

[Mirof]

Mine :tongue:

 

[Jack]

Mine :tongue:

View attachment 141883

Excellent - that made me laugh!{sm4}{sm4}{sm4}

 

[larso]

Ok....

Shane Warne. Simply an amazing bowler. With McGrath made Australia unbeatable. Wouldn't want him dating my daughter though.....

Gilchrist - he rewrote the manual on batting. What astonishing shots he played!

Allan Border - he always batted as if his life depended on it.

Michael Slater - more than a dasher, had a real buzz about him. A good commentator now too.

Greg Matthews - went a fair way with modest talent and a lot of self belief. I saw him bring up his first test hundred with a six.

Flintoff - went at it like a Battle of Britain fighter pilot in that glorious (and painful) summer of 2005.

 

[waynepoo]

These blokes you can't go past, I grew up watching them....the best of the lot.
Wayne.

 

[Rob]

Ian Botham, feared no one and had great aggressive spirit.

Viv Richards, natural flair and timing like no other batsman, made it look so easy. No one came close.

Andy Roberts, fearsome pace and thrilling to watch.

Malcolm Marshall, the destroyer.

Shane Warne, superb spin bowler.

Graham Barlow (Middx country player) superb batsmen, great entertainer and possibly the best fielder I ever saw.

Freddie Flintoff, Botham spirit, power, and was a real sportsman as demonstrated in the Ashes over here.

 

[TomB]

Mine :tongue:

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Good one Mirof....cheers TomB

 

[TomB]

I thought this might prove an interesting diversion for the the cricket fans on the Forum.

For me:

Brian Close - Yorkshire, Somerset and England. Toughest man to play the game. In the twilight of his career stood up to the might of the West Indies. I read his autobiography as a boy and loved it - 'I Don't Bruise Easily' was the title I think.

Dennis Amiss - Warwickshire and England. A gentleman when not everyone playing was one!

Kepler Wessels - Queensland, Australia, South Africa and about four other state/county sides. A tough man.

Adam Gilchrist - Western Australia and Australia - played hard and played fair.

Stephen Fleming - New Zealand. For a while he was the best captain in the world.

Allan Border - NSW, Queensland and Australia. A Man for All Seasons.

George Bailey - Tasmania and Australia. Proved that the race does not always go to the swiftest or the strongest.

Thoughts?

Jack

Michael Bevan....Watching him save his team many a time by intelligent bating and last over run chase's, turn my indifferents towards cricket to a some what fantic approach whenever he batted.....He seemed to give the tail ender the confidence to have a wack...they...the taileders knowing if they got out Bevan was still there to save the side...Yep...there are many great Aust and Pom...etc...etc... batsmens and I love'em all... but ....Michael Bevan is still the standout crickerter to me....my opinion...cheers TomB

 

[simmo]

As a Yorkshireman I would have to go for Geoff Boycott!

I don't know if the Aussie forum members get his commentary over there, but he is entertaining in an honest/opinionated kind of way.

.....and he could bat a bit.

 

[damian]

King Kallis

 

[Rob]

As a Yorkshireman I would have to go for Geoff Boycott!

I don't know if the Aussie forum members get his commentary over there, but he is entertaining in an honest/opinionated kind of way.

.....and he could bat a bit.

Well said, even my missus likes the way he tells it like it is, he was scathing about our performance this time and he was right. He was also a great batsman, he had no Viv Richards flair but his concentration drove bowlers to distraction.

Rob

 

[TomB]

As a Yorkshireman I would have to go for Geoff Boycott!

I don't know if the Aussie forum members get his commentary over there, but he is entertaining in an honest/opinionated kind of way.

.....and he could bat a bit.

Geoff Boycott.....the only cricketer I have seen bowling quick slow balls with is cap on ...cheers TomB

 

[simmo]

Well said, even my missus likes the way he tells it like it is, he was scathing about our performance this time and he was right. He was also a great batsman, he had no Viv Richards flair but his concentration drove bowlers to distraction.

Rob

Rob, I once saw him open the batting at a summer fete to raise funds for a local cricket club.

10 overs a side.

Did he play with flair and give the crowd some entertainment?

No. Stayed in for 10 overs and made about 50!

 

[Rob]

Rob, I once saw him open the batting at a summer fete to raise funds for a local cricket club.

10 overs a side.

Did he play with flair and give the crowd some entertainment?

No. Stayed in for 10 overs and made about 50!

^&grin

A real character is Mr Boycott!

Rob

 

[Jack]

As a Yorkshireman I would have to go for Geoff Boycott!

I don't know if the Aussie forum members get his commentary over there, but he is entertaining in an honest/opinionated kind of way.

.....and he could bat a bit.

Simmo

As a boy I read everything I could about Geoffrey Boycott as I was also quite the fan. I still have Don Mosey's biography which I flick through every now and again. It is really interesting in its discussion of Yorkshire. It is not a 'positive' take on Boycott but Mosey does seem to suggest that you needed almost to be a Yorkshireman to understand him.

I believe that since he has retired he has become less 'intense' and therefore more likable. As a commentator he is excellent, but given that I watch Channel Nine here in Australia, the standard is not high. Mark Nicholas is head and shoulders above the rest.

Jack

 

[Jack]

Ian Botham, feared no one and had great aggressive spirit.

Viv Richards, natural flair and timing like no other batsman, made it look so easy. No one came close.

Andy Roberts, fearsome pace and thrilling to watch.

Malcolm Marshall, the destroyer.

Shane Warne, superb spin bowler.

Graham Barlow (Middx country player) superb batsmen, great entertainer and possibly the best fielder I ever saw.

Freddie Flintoff, Botham spirit, power, and was a real sportsman as demonstrated in the Ashes over here.

Rob

Botham had enormous flair and talent but I cannot put him in the highest rank for two reasons.

1. 1981. I can never forgive.
2. No century against the Windies. As a player in the 1980s that was the benchmark.

I sense a Middlesex bias in your choices. What about Compton and Edrich (DFC) - before our time but we can still have them as 'favourites'!

Jack

 

[Jack]

King Kallis

A batsmen whose statistics line up against any one of his contemporaries. Going on the stats one of the greatest all rounders in history. There is a perception (at least among some writers) that he batted 'at his pace' regardless of the demands of the game. No suggestion of selfishness, just that he did not dominate the way the really great batsman were able. A harsh criticism given what he has achieved. He remains the greatest South African cricketer of the post Apartheid era.

 

[Jack]

Michael Bevan....Watching him save his team many a time by intelligent bating and last over run chase's, turn my indifferents towards cricket to a some what fantic approach whenever he batted.....He seemed to give the tail ender the confidence to have a wack...they...the taileders knowing if they got out Bevan was still there to save the side...Yep...there are many great Aust and Pom...etc...etc... batsmens and I love'em all... but ....Michael Bevan is still the standout crickerter to me....my opinion...cheers TomB

My friend Larso (who rates Simon O'Donnell!!) will probably disagree, but Bevan was good - and on occasion great - but when the asking rate climbed above a run a ball he did not have the power of a Mike Hussey.

 

[TomB]

My friend Larso (who rates Simon O'Donnell!!) will probably disagree, but Bevan was good - and on occasion great - but when the asking rate climbed above a run a ball he did not have the power of a Mike Hussey.

Beven was good...but unfortuneatly never great....did not have the power and got caught most times he went into the air,..... he did win a man of the match against the West Indies when they were at their peak when he got Aust outa trouble with the Bat and Ball...3 wicket I think..that would have been the highlight of his career I reckon.....Simon O'Donnell...a great Allrounder,maybe the best....The current Tests and 20T cricket have been spot-on.....Often wonder how AFL players would stand up to a tough 5 day cricket match.....they must have the greates lurk in the world...play for 2 hrs a week for a couple of months of the year.....we cant all be that lucky I guess...cheers TomB.

 

[Rob]

Rob

Botham had enormous flair and talent but I cannot put him in the highest rank for two reasons.

1. 1981. I can never forgive.
2. No century against the Windies. As a player in the 1980s that was the benchmark.

I sense a Middlesex bias in your choices. What about Compton and Edrich (DFC) - before our time but we can still have them as 'favourites'!

Jack

Sure could have done with a Botham this time Jack!

Definite Middx bias im afraid, many happy memories of Lords.

Rob