Great images in cricket.

[ioppolo]

As late as the '93 Ball of the Century Ashes tour we played the odis in England in white.

Born in '95 so I genuinely only remember ODIs in colour.

 

[Tyberious Funk]

For many years, Australia was the only country to use coloured clothing in one-day cricket, because Australia was the only place with floodlit grounds.

 

[Gough]

Only the Tri Series in Australia was played with white balls and coloured uniforms and for a while England refused eventually playing in all light blue before eventually embracing it, for a long time - games in England were still red ball and whites for a long time after - white balls / coloured clothing was part of World Series Cricket introduced by Kerry Packer

The picture on the back dust jacket of Opening Up by Geoff Boycott has him wearing what looks like the long sleeve jumper that England would have worn in 79/80 if they agreed to wear coloured kit.

 

[big_e]

As late as the '93 Ball of the Century Ashes tour we played the odis in England in white.

And it would have been mid-2000s, maybe, when teams started wearing their own kit, rather than the matching ones provided by the host board, I think?

 

[PhatBoy]

Born in '95 so I genuinely only remember ODIs in colour.

Just before you were born, in the 1993 Ball of the Century tour alluded to earlier, Australia and England played a 3 match series which from memory was 55-overs a side and Robin Smith played one of the great ODI knocks seen up until that time. On paper it doesn’t look much better than most ‘big’ centuries we see now: 167 off 163 but it came in a score of 270 and the next best score in his team’s innings was 33 or something and aside from convicted drug trafficker Chris Lewis who hit a token 13 off 10 or something at the end, no other strike rate was higher than about 52.

It was an amazing innings in the circumstances and aside from the blazing cuts and pulls played by one of the most underappreciated players of his generation one of the things I remember most is that it was played in whites with a red ball and as a kid I could not get my head around why

 

[Cleavy]

the ODI series in 1997 Ashes tour was also in whites, as I recall.

 

[western royboy]

Just before you were born, in the 1993 Ball of the Century tour alluded to earlier, Australia and England played a 3 match series which from memory was 55-overs a side and Robin Smith played one of the great ODI knocks seen up until that time. On paper it doesn’t look much better than most ‘big’ centuries we see now: 167 off 163 but it came in a score of 270 and the next best score in his team’s innings was 33 or something and aside from convicted drug trafficker Chris Lewis who hit a token 13 off 10 or something at the end, no other strike rate was higher than about 52.

It was an amazing innings in the circumstances and aside from the blazing cuts and pulls played by one of the most underappreciated players of his generation one of the things I remember most is that it was played in whites with a red ball and as a kid I could not get my head around why

Judge was a seriously good player

 

[Plugger35]

Robin Smith loved sticking it up the Aussies.

He even scored a ton against them for Hampshire in 2001 which they won, me and a mate went down there for a day and it was heaving.

It was a sell out that day but the guy at the gate let us in anyway after we told him we had travelled all the way down from London for it.

 

[PhatBoy]

Judge was a seriously good player

Sadly never quite got it right against slow bowling but probably sits up there with Alec Stewart, Ricky Ponting, Inzy at times, Viv, as far as batsmen go who just looked better and better the quicker the bowling got. He loved it. I didn’t watch it live but I have seen footage of the innings in the Caribbean when he faced Walsh, Ambrose, and it was two of Patterson, Marshall and Bishop from memory and I think he had a finger shattered and got smashed on the jaw and I’m pretty sure he didn’t even have it seen to by the physio.

He was the only Englishman I think to hit a century in the disastrous 89 ashes - he hit two of them, and when he was shitcanned he was the only batsman aside from MAYBE Graham Thorpe who was averaging over 40. Got a really raw deal from the selectors

 

[Plugger35]

Sadly never quite got it right against slow bowling but probably sits up there with Alec Stewart, Ricky Ponting, Inzy at times, Viv, as far as batsmen go who just looked better and better the quicker the bowling got. He loved it. I didn’t watch it live but I have seen footage of the innings in the Caribbean when he faced Walsh, Ambrose, and it was two of Patterson, Marshall and Bishop from memory and I think he had a finger shattered and got smashed on the jaw and I’m pretty sure he didn’t even have it seen to by the physio.

He was the only Englishman I think to hit a century in the disastrous 89 ashes - he hit two of them, and when he was shitcanned he was the only batsman aside from MAYBE Graham Thorpe who was averaging over 40. Got a really raw deal from the selectors

Jack Russell also scored a ton in that 89 Ashes series, remarkably he was one of of England's best batsmen in that series along with Smith.

 

[western royboy]

Sadly never quite got it right against slow bowling but probably sits up there with Alec Stewart, Ricky Ponting, Inzy at times, Viv, as far as batsmen go who just looked better and better the quicker the bowling got. He loved it. I didn’t watch it live but I have seen footage of the innings in the Caribbean when he faced Walsh, Ambrose, and it was two of Patterson, Marshall and Bishop from memory and I think he had a finger shattered and got smashed on the jaw and I’m pretty sure he didn’t even have it seen to by the physio.

He was the only Englishman I think to hit a century in the disastrous 89 ashes - he hit two of them, and when he was shitcanned he was the only batsman aside from MAYBE Graham Thorpe who was averaging over 40. Got a really raw deal from the selectors

Savage on the short ball.

 

[PhatBoy]

Jack Russell also scored a ton in that 89 Ashes series, remarkably he was one of of England's best batsmen in that series along with Smith.

Maybe Smith was the only one to hit 2 of them - or the only ‘specialist’ batsman; he certainly had a distinction as the ‘only batsman’ to achieve something in that series I do know that, though I was too young to have actually seen it.

The amount of achievements of English batsmen in tests against Australia between then and 2005 was utterly negligible.

Mark Butcher’s century in that chase in the fourth test in 2001, I think Ramps hit a token ‘where was that the rest of your career’ century around the same time or in Australia a few years later. Graham Thorpe hit a really pretty one in 1993 that ultimately didn’t matter one iota (not his fault: I think it was his debut series)

Nasser Hussain carries that ignominy from sending Australia in at Brisbane in 2002-03 but at least he can say he scored a tonne in his team’s only live Ashes win in nearly 20 years during the 97 series

 

[PhatBoy]

Savage on the short ball.

Wonderful to watch. Everyone loves the beauty of the Kallis-esque cover drive as being the peak of cricket beauty or someone like Amla waving a cricket bat around like a magic wand and I can appreciate that.

But watching someone hooking and cutting balls off their eyebrows when it is zinging around at 150+ is as good as it gets

 

[Plugger35]

Maybe Smith was the only one to hit 2 of them - or the only ‘specialist’ batsman; he certainly had a distinction as the ‘only batsman’ to achieve something in that series I do know that, though I was too young to have actually seen it.

The amount of achievements of English batsmen in tests against Australia between then and 2005 was utterly negligible.

Mark Butcher’s century in that chase in the fourth test in 2001, I think Ramps hit a token ‘where was that the rest of your career’ century around the same time or in Australia a few years later. Graham Thorpe hit a really pretty one in 1993 that ultimately didn’t matter one iota (not his fault: I think it was his debut series)

Nasser Hussain carries that ignominy from sending Australia in at Brisbane in 2002-03 but at least he can say he scored a tonne in his team’s only live Ashes win in nearly 20 years during the 97 series

Gower and Lamb also scored tons early on in the 1989 Ashes but Smith was the only England top order batsmen that stood up consistently.

Other England top order batsmen like Gooch, Thorpe, Hussain, Butcher and Ramprakash all scored the odd ton against the Aussies in subsequent Ashes series but they were usually just one off knocks in a losing test or a dead rubber win.

It was only in the 2005 Ashes that England started to play consistently well as a team, prior to that they played like a bunch of individuals.

 

[Gough]

I loved Ramps, that 150 odd in Barbados was fantastic.

 

[PT Bar None]

Always used to feel a bit sorry for Jack Russell. Remember reading somewhere that around that time, whenever Alec Stewart was struggling with the bat he'd get the keepers gloves out and start warming up next to Russell

 

[Plugger35]

Robin Smith also came up with a great reply to a Merv Hughes sledge in the 1989 Ashes series

In the second Ashes test at Lord’s, Hughes ran into the English batsman Robin Smith and told him, “You can’t f****** bat.” However, after Smith smashed him through the offside for 4, Smith was quick to reply, “Hey Merv. We make a fine pair. I can’t f****** bat and you can’t f****** bowl.”

 

[Rabish Binney]

Maybe Smith was the only one to hit 2 of them - or the only ‘specialist’ batsman; he certainly had a distinction as the ‘only batsman’ to achieve something in that series I do know that, though I was too young to have actually seen it.

The amount of achievements of English batsmen in tests against Australia between then and 2005 was utterly negligible.

Mark Butcher’s century in that chase in the fourth test in 2001, I think Ramps hit a token ‘where was that the rest of your career’ century around the same time or in Australia a few years later. Graham Thorpe hit a really pretty one in 1993 that ultimately didn’t matter one iota (not his fault: I think it was his debut series)

Nasser Hussain carries that ignominy from sending Australia in at Brisbane in 2002-03 but at least he can say he scored a tonne in his team’s only live Ashes win in nearly 20 years during the 97 series

Robin Smith: ‘I drank vodka from the bottle. There were no half measures’

Fearless against the West Indies pace attack, the former England cricketer tells Donald McRae how retirement left him drinking heavily and close to taking his own life

www.theguardian.com

Robin Smith was as gutsy of a batsmen as I've seen.

Life went downhill or him after cricket to such as extent that he contemplated suicide. Link to a great article is attached.

Is doing much better now which is great.

 

[Rabish Binney]

Always used to feel a bit sorry for Jack Russell. Remember reading somewhere that around that time, whenever Alec Stewart was struggling with the bat he'd get the keepers gloves out and start warming up next to Russell

He was an excellent keeper......who could forget the Dean Jones stumping?

 

[PhatBoy]

Robin Smith: ‘I drank vodka from the bottle. There were no half measures’

Fearless against the West Indies pace attack, the former England cricketer tells Donald McRae how retirement left him drinking heavily and close to taking his own life

www.theguardian.com

Robin Smith was as gutsy of a batsmen as I've seen.

Life went downhill or him after cricket to such as extent that he contemplated suicide. Link to a great article is attached.

Is doing much better now which is great.

That’s an incredibly interesting, sad but somewhat uplifting article.

Loved the bit about Sylvester Clarke.

You’d be hard pressed to find a cricketer who’s ratio of international appearances, to reputation, is more profound.

His name seems to pop up relentlessly as THE guy across any batsman from that era as the bowler you just didn’t want to face

 

[Gough]

That’s an incredibly interesting, sad but somewhat uplifting article.

Loved the bit about Sylvester Clarke.

You’d be hard pressed to find a cricketer who’s ratio of international appearances, to reputation, is more profound.

His name seems to pop up relentlessly as THE guy across any batsman from that era as the bowler you just didn’t want to face

Another South African tourist who payed a heavy cost. Atherton wrote about a time in the 90s when he turned up at an England net bare foot and half cut, had a bowl and still had batsmen jumping, he's probably best known here for being the batsmen in the Dyson catch.

 

[PhatBoy]

Another South African tourist who payed a heavy cost. Atherton wrote about a time in the 90s when he turned up at an England net bare foot and half cut, had a bowl and still had batsmen jumping, he's probably best known here for being the batsmen in the Dyson catch.

Absolutely, has a first class record that literally forces a double-take and the amount of batsmen who unhesitatingly say he was the scariest of all pretty much tells you where he ranks

 

[Gough]

Absolutely, has a first class record that literally forces a double-take and the amount of batsmen who unhesitatingly say he was the scariest of all pretty much tells you where he ranks

Have you read The Unforgiven by Ashley Gray? It's a great take on the rebel West Indians and a good companion piece to Fire in Babylon.

 

[Rabish Binney]

Absolutely, has a first class record that literally forces a double-take and the amount of batsmen who unhesitatingly say he was the scariest of all pretty much tells you where he ranks

Great point Phat.

Of course the feats of Holding; Garner; Roberts; Croft; Walsh; Ambrose; Marshall et al are all well known

As you pointed out, there were a number of test and 1st class cricketers both from the Windies and other countries who said that Clarke and Patrick Patterson were the fastest of them all.

For years there, the Windies seemed to roll out scary (good) fast bowlers on a conveyer belt year after year. Imagine facing them in the nets?

You can even go back to Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith prior to the Roberts; Garner; Holding era.

Ian Chappell once said that one of the fastest bowlers he had ever faced was a Windies bowler named Roy Gilchrist (13 tests) who he faced in the Lancashire League back in the early 1960's when Chappell himself was only 18. Not only was Gilchrist lightening fast, he had a temper to match and it wasn't unusual for him to bowl beamers from 18 yards. He simply hated batsmen and on one occasion pulled a stump from the wicket and was going to bash an opposing batsmen with it. Even the great Gary Sobers was quote as saying " Ah! Gilchrist! He is the most dangerous cricketer I ever played with"

FWIW, one of my favourites Windies bowlers was Ian Bishop. Loved his action. I think his career was curtailed by injury?

 

[PhatBoy]

Great point Phat.

Of course the feats of Holding; Garner; Roberts; Croft; Walsh; Ambrose; Marshall et al are all well known

As you pointed out, there were a number of test and 1st class cricketers both from the Windies and other countries who said that Clarke and Patrick Patterson were the fastest of them all.

For years there, the Windies seemed to roll out scary (good) fast bowlers on a conveyer belt year after year. Imagine facing them in the nets?

You can even go back to Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith prior to the Roberts; Garner; Holding era.

Ian Chappell once said that one of the fastest bowlers he had ever faced was a Windies bowler named Roy Gilchrist (13 tests) who he faced in the Lancashire League back in the early 1960's when Chappell himself was only 18. Not only was Gilchrist lightening fast, he had a temper to match and it wasn't unusual for him to bowl beamers from 18 yards. He simply hated batsmen and on one occasion pulled a stump from the wicket and was going to bash an opposing batsmen with it. Even the great Gary Sobers was quote as saying " Ah! Gilchrist! He is the most dangerous cricketer I ever played with"

FWIW, one of my favourites Windies bowlers was Ian Bishop. Loved his action. I think his career was curtailed by injury?

Yep I read some stories about Gilchrist as well, Manny Martindale was another very early one with a reputation for being a bit of a batsman hater. I think Gilchrist might have been a bit of a bastard in general???

Patterson was frighteningly fast and with more discipline and less injuries to bishop they could have forced a real quartet out of those two and Walsh and Ambrose longer into the 90s: Bishop was a beautiful bowler and he himself was regarded as being the quickest in the world for a while, along with Donald, Patterson and Waqar at around the same time but yeah back injuries got him at his peak.

They are still trotting them out in terms of the specimens: they are never short of guys who can bowl at 140+, realistically in the last 5 years they should have almost always been fielding a pace attack or Gabriel, Joseph and Roach, two of whom can bowl at or close to 150, and the other of whom used to before his car accident.

It’s just the quality of them which has dropped off