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Any cricket lovers on here?

Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
in The cake stop
No cricket being played, but BBC2 are showing some.

6.45PM tonight. England v West Indies. 2nd Test 1984 at Lord's.

Gordon Grenidge scoring 214 in an afternoon. One of the most brutal innings ever. 20/20 stuff long before that was invented. Proper Test Match cricket.

Best of all, Richie Benaud will be commentating.
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  • surrey_commutersurrey_commuter Posts: 13,255
    It will be a reminder of how censored the coverage used to be.

    Sky has a cricket channel that is showing classic test matches, funnily enough England always win, not much footage of the Windies in the 70s and 80s.

    Have you seen Fire in Babylon?
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    edited June 2020
    surrey_commuter said:



    Have you seen Fire in Babylon?

    Seen it? Never heard of it! What is it?
    (We don't have Sky)

    Edit...I've just Googled that. Seen it? I lived through it. I remember it all very well. Changed Test cricket forever as a response to Lillee and Thomson. Some fearsome bowling in those days.

    I remember Dennis Amiss going out to bat in a baseball helmet for protection and getting all sorts of flack. Everyone wears those nowadays.
  • verylonglegsverylonglegs Posts: 3,552
    I may well give it a look. I didn't really follow cricket until the early nineties (terrible timing given the quality of the England test side then!) and was too young to remember the WI side of the 70's and 80's, my memories are of Ambrose and Walsh. I have seen Fire of Babylon, a good watch. Micheal Holding also had the best nickname in sport.
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 3,608
    Those WIndies teams were some of the very best of all time. 95 mph x 4 bowlers, then you had superb openers, and the greatest batsman bar Bradman in Sir Viv. When he was in the mood, Viv was impossible to get out. Great middle order too.

    And to think helmets weren't even considered and no restrictions on the number of bouncers!
  • joe2019joe2019 Posts: 1,105
    Dorset_Boy said:

    Those WIndies teams were some of the very best of all time. 95 mph x 4 bowlers, then you had superb openers, and the greatest batsman bar Bradman in Sir Viv. When he was in the mood, Viv was impossible to get out. Great middle order too.

    And to think helmets weren't even considered and no restrictions on the number of bouncers!

    I went to Taunton many times as a lad when Somerset had Sir Viv, Botham and Joel Garner playing for them. Viv was a nonchalantly savage batsman against any attack.

    Somerset also played my local football team at the time, with Botham and Viv playing for them. They were both still playing test cricket at the time.

    Here's an old photo of me saving a diving header from Both.




  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    I was a member at Lancashire when they had Clive Lloyd and Faroukh Engineer playing for them. When they were in the mood they too were unplayable against even a decent county attack.
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 3,608
    I also used to go to Taunton when Viv, Joel and Sir ITB were in their pomp. Those Sunday 40 over games were fun!
  • joe2019joe2019 Posts: 1,105
    edited June 2020
    Dorset_Boy said:

    I also used to go to Taunton when Viv, Joel and Sir ITB were in their pomp. Those Sunday 40 over games were fun!

    Weren't they just, used to hope that Rose or Dasher would get out early, or that the away team would score enough runs if they were batting first.

    The autograph queue for Joel was the stuff of legends and he'd sign all of them.
  • ProssPross Posts: 26,317
    Saw Viv and Botham play for Somerset against Glamorgan who used to at a festival match every year at the small ground in my home town. The cars parked behind the sight screen and the (then brand new) houses on the other straight boundary took some damage. The biggest hits I saw there though were from Ravi Shastri (I think he had recently become the second player to hit six sixes in an over - incidentally the mother of Malcolm Nash who was on the receiving end of Sobers doing it lived a few hundred metres from the ground).

    I also remember seeing Greg Thomas and one of the West Indian quicks (possibly Joel Garner) running in from more or less the boundary ropes. When I say seeing, it was just a windmill of arms followed by the keeper, who was about two thirds of the way back to the boundary, returning the ball a second later.
  • joe2019joe2019 Posts: 1,105
    Pross said:

    Saw Viv and Botham play for Somerset against Glamorgan who used to at a festival match every year at the small ground in my home town. The cars parked behind the sight screen and the (then brand new) houses on the other straight boundary took some damage. The biggest hits I saw there though were from Ravi Shastri (I think he had recently become the second player to hit six sixes in an over - incidentally the mother of Malcolm Nash who was on the receiving end of Sobers doing it lived a few hundred metres from the ground).

    I also remember seeing Greg Thomas and one of the West Indian quicks (possibly Joel Garner) running in from more or less the boundary ropes. When I say seeing, it was just a windmill of arms followed by the keeper, who was about two thirds of the way back to the boundary, returning the ball a second later.

    Garner used a 12-pace run-up, could have been Hallam Moseley running in from the boundary.
  • Dorset_BoyDorset_Boy Posts: 3,608
    Malcolm Marshall used to sprint in and not slow up in his delivery stride unlike so many of the taller bowlers. Joel was so tall he often released the ball above the top to the sight screens.
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    I saw Colin Croft playing for Lancashire in a Roses match. Opened the bowling against Boycott. We hate Boycott.

    First 5 balls went straight through to Engineer. Yorks fans were jeering. Lancs captain David Lloyd had a word with Croft before the final ball. More jeers.

    Croft ran in. Boycott never saw it. Stumps all over the place. Uproar. Brilliant.

    We still hate Boycott.
  • morstarmorstar Posts: 4,176
    joe2019 said:

    Dorset_Boy said:

    Those WIndies teams were some of the very best of all time. 95 mph x 4 bowlers, then you had superb openers, and the greatest batsman bar Bradman in Sir Viv. When he was in the mood, Viv was impossible to get out. Great middle order too.

    And to think helmets weren't even considered and no restrictions on the number of bouncers!

    I went to Taunton many times as a lad when Somerset had Sir Viv, Botham and Joel Garner playing for them. Viv was a nonchalantly savage batsman against any attack.

    Somerset also played my local football team at the time, with Botham and Viv playing for them. They were both still playing test cricket at the time.

    Here's an old photo of me saving a diving header from Both.




    That's cool.

    Apologies for going off topic but...
    I grew up in Nottingham in the 70's and 80's when Nottingham forest were 'the greatest football team'.

    Anyway, we used to kick a football about on our local park most evenings and we are talking jumpers for goalposts stuff with a total mishmash of ages and abilities. This was not a collective of skilled footballers, we were literally just the local kids.

    On many, many occasions, we would be joined by anything between 1 and 5 Forest players with zero pomp or ceremony, including European cup winners and England players. These were simply talented blokes with time on their hands and a love of their sport. No photos were ever taken though.
  • coopster_the_1stcoopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    It's disappointing to see that Sir Geoffrey Boycott has had to retire from TMS.

    He was a refreshing breath of honesty about the English team and rarely wrong with his views. He also had a great dynamic with Aggers.
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    coopster_the_1st said:

    It's disappointing to see that Sir Geoffrey Boycott has had to retire from TMS.

    Has he? Why is that? Must agree that he knows what he is talking about, and he is always immaculately dressed.
  • coopster_the_1stcoopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    edited June 2020
    Darius_Jedburgh said:

    coopster_the_1st said:

    It's disappointing to see that Sir Geoffrey Boycott has had to retire from TMS.

    Has he? Why is that? Must agree that he knows what he is talking about, and he is always immaculately dressed.
    A combination of C19, his age and a quadruple heart bypass a couple of years ago.
  • joe2019joe2019 Posts: 1,105
    edited June 2020
    coopster_the_1st said:

    Darius_Jedburgh said:

    coopster_the_1st said:

    It's disappointing to see that Sir Geoffrey Boycott has had to retire from TMS.

    Has he? Why is that? Must agree that he knows what he is talking about, and he is always immaculately dressed.
    A combination of C19, his age and a quadruple heart bypass a couple of years ago.
    Such a shame; loved his honest commentary, and his rapport with Jon Agnew.

    Aggers wind-up over the 'disallowed' Rest of the World tests, meaning that Boycott's 100th first class century wouldn't have been at Headingley was a classic.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52944158

  • mr_goomr_goo Posts: 3,755
    joe2019 said:

    coopster_the_1st said:

    Darius_Jedburgh said:

    coopster_the_1st said:

    It's disappointing to see that Sir Geoffrey Boycott has had to retire from TMS.

    Has he? Why is that? Must agree that he knows what he is talking about, and he is always immaculately dressed.
    A combination of C19, his age and a quadruple heart bypass a couple of years ago.
    Such a shame; loved his honest commentary, and his rapport with Jon Agnew.

    Aggers wind-up over the 'disallowed' Rest of the World tests, meaning that Boycott's 100th first class century wouldn't have been at Headingley was a classic.

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/52944158

    I love this.

    TMS is great company when I'm in the car all day during cricket season.
    Always be yourself, unless you can be Aaron Rodgers....Then always be Aaron Rodgers.
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    I heard the Brian Johnstone "Get your leg over" commentary driving home from work. I had to stop the car because I was almost hysterical with laughter.
  • crispybug2crispybug2 Posts: 2,915
    Was a half decent-ish cricketer in my schooldays, Northamptonshire U-15’s and 16’s.

    The 1970’s Windies team was truly something to behold, you had one of the greatest opening duos ever in Greenidge and Haynes. Once you got past them you had the best batsman I’ve ever seen in Viv Richards, with Richie Richardson and Clive Lloyd lying in wait
    Once you got through the batting order there was the small matter of Holding, Marshall, Roberts, Garner trying to remove your head from your shoulders with probably the most hostile fast bowling the cricket world has ever seen

    Opinions vary of course but I think you can make a very strong argument that that era of West Indian cricket being the best team ever!
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    crispybug2 said:



    Opinions vary of course but I think you can make a very strong argument that that era of West Indian cricket being the best team ever!

    Can't argue with that. The 1970/80 sides were just awesome.
  • coopster_the_1stcoopster_the_1st Posts: 5,158
    crispybug2 said:

    Opinions vary of course but I think you can make a very strong argument that that era of West Indian cricket being the best team ever!

    Would love to have seen that team pad up against the Australian Cricket team of early 2000's that contained Slater, Hayden, Waugh (x2), Ponting, Gilchrist, etc batting and Warne, McGrath and B Lee, etc bowling

    I'm not sure who would come out top but what a test match it would be to watch
  • Darius_JedburghDarius_Jedburgh Posts: 675
    True. But the Windies were the first really complete team and other sides just had no idea how to play against them. They had the psychological edge that only the "first" sides can have.
  • ProssPross Posts: 26,317
    coopster_the_1st said:

    crispybug2 said:

    Opinions vary of course but I think you can make a very strong argument that that era of West Indian cricket being the best team ever!

    Would love to have seen that team pad up against the Australian Cricket team of early 2000's that contained Slater, Hayden, Waugh (x2), Ponting, Gilchrist, etc batting and Warne, McGrath and B Lee, etc bowling

    I'm not sure who would come out top but what a test match it would be to watch
    I think it would come down to what rules you're playing under (restrictions on bouncers etc.) and fielding which improved hugely between the 80s and 00s.
  • ProssPross Posts: 26,317
    crispybug2 said:

    Was a half decent-ish cricketer in my schooldays, Northamptonshire U-15’s and 16’s.

    The 1970’s Windies team was truly something to behold, you had one of the greatest opening duos ever in Greenidge and Haynes. Once you got past them you had the best batsman I’ve ever seen in Viv Richards, with Richie Richardson and Clive Lloyd lying in wait
    Once you got through the batting order there was the small matter of Holding, Marshall, Roberts, Garner trying to remove your head from your shoulders with probably the most hostile fast bowling the cricket world has ever seen

    Opinions vary of course but I think you can make a very strong argument that that era of West Indian cricket being the best team ever!

    Such a shame the impact that politics, money and the lure of US sport had on them. I only really remember the tail end of that era but it was incredible to watch.
  • deebeegeedeebeegee Posts: 9
    Just discovered the cricket thread after years of not posting and having to change username and all that.

    Was lucky enough to play pro way back when, and though I just missed it (thank god) and faced Marshall when he was a swing bowler (and literally unhittable on his day). The word on the county circuit for the worst bowler to face - Sylvester Clarke. A barrel chested psycho on the pitch who used to rough up absolutely everyone. Though actually the most worried ever was fielding at point to Robin Smith. Liable to crack off the bat at lightning zip and if the crowd / hoardings on the other side of the pitch were unkind you could end up eating the ball.

    The two fastest bowlers I faced were Duncan Spencer (famously threw his bouncer which was 3 yards quicker than regular deliveries, and they were quick enough) and Adrianus van Troost. Facing van Troost in fading light was the only time I've ever been genuinely worried for my safety playing sport.
  • ballysmateballysmate Posts: 15,047
    Jeff Dujon talking about the quickest of the quicks.
    Bit of a surprise.

  • joe2019joe2019 Posts: 1,105
    deebeegee said:

    Just discovered the cricket thread after years of not posting and having to change username and all that.

    Was lucky enough to play pro way back when, and though I just missed it (thank god) and faced Marshall when he was a swing bowler (and literally unhittable on his day). The word on the county circuit for the worst bowler to face - Sylvester Clarke. A barrel chested psycho on the pitch who used to rough up absolutely everyone. Though actually the most worried ever was fielding at point to Robin Smith. Liable to crack off the bat at lightning zip and if the crowd / hoardings on the other side of the pitch were unkind you could end up eating the ball.

    The two fastest bowlers I faced were Duncan Spencer (famously threw his bouncer which was 3 yards quicker than regular deliveries, and they were quick enough) and Adrianus van Troost. Facing van Troost in fading light was the only time I've ever been genuinely worried for my safety playing sport.

    Who did you play for, I may have watched you at Taunton :)

    I always thought that Wayne Daniels was very quick.
  • skeetamskeetam Posts: 166
    ballysmate said:

    Jeff Dujon talking about the quickest of the quicks.
    Bit of a surprise.

    Not a total surprise. Watched him bowl at Headingley in 1991 and whilst he didn't get his run up right that day he was an awful lot quicker than Ambrose and Walsh.
  • surrey_commutersurrey_commuter Posts: 13,255
    joe2019 said:

    deebeegee said:

    Just discovered the cricket thread after years of not posting and having to change username and all that.

    Was lucky enough to play pro way back when, and though I just missed it (thank god) and faced Marshall when he was a swing bowler (and literally unhittable on his day). The word on the county circuit for the worst bowler to face - Sylvester Clarke. A barrel chested psycho on the pitch who used to rough up absolutely everyone. Though actually the most worried ever was fielding at point to Robin Smith. Liable to crack off the bat at lightning zip and if the crowd / hoardings on the other side of the pitch were unkind you could end up eating the ball.

    The two fastest bowlers I faced were Duncan Spencer (famously threw his bouncer which was 3 yards quicker than regular deliveries, and they were quick enough) and Adrianus van Troost. Facing van Troost in fading light was the only time I've ever been genuinely worried for my safety playing sport.

    Who did you play for, I may have watched you at Taunton :)

    I always thought that Wayne Daniels was very quick.
    I used to work with somebody who played a bit for Surrey and he reckoned Daniels was the scariest he faced
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