In the spirit of Test Match Special I had a fascinating meeting about 20 years ago. I went to a company business meeting and met our US business leader. I'd heard he was an Aussie but when I saw him I thought I was meeting the really famous Aussie All-Rounder Alan Davidson. It was uncanny and I was fascinated that he was also called Davidson A couple of years later I was in a car with him and asked him about it. He said that it wasn't surprising as he was his cousin. But it was closer than that as their fathers were brothers and their mothers were sisters. I asked him about his own cricketing ability and he told me he was a batsman and reckoned the equal of his cousin but that he peaked at about 15 ( a bit like most of us!!). He said he played at that age with Ian Craig who was supposed to be Bradman reborn. Said he played with and against him in representative games after Craig had had a breakdown and said it was one of the saddest things to see such a gifted cricketer unable to come back. I reminded him of the Old Trafford test of 1961 when Alan Davidson scored about 80 in a last wicket partnership with Graeme (Garth) Mackenzie. What looked like a certain win by England now became a run race to get about 220. After a fantastic start by England and a wonderful knock by Dexter ( one of the best innings I've ever seen) Benaud bowled England out. Davidson and Benaud.had won the game Davidson said England blew it. David Allan, England's off-spinner had Australia over a barrel, so Davidson tried to hit him off. After fortunately hitting about 20 in one over May took him off and brought the seamers on. As Benaud was to show it was a spinners wicket and Davidson took the seamers to the cleaners. Davidson said they often showed an excerpted half hour of the last day on Oz television. I remember it because of Benaud's bowling and Close's attempt at doing the same as Davidson to Benaud. He hit him for 6 then was caught out on the square leg boundary. He was slated by the critics. He instantly became my first cricketing hero. (sorry bad previous edit)
Some of the finest catches I have ever seen in one single test match, by both sides. Two or three of them were pheeeenominal!
Strange how some of the best ones have been at Trent Bridge eh? If he was alive Cloughie would probably claim he popped down there to make the pitch more bouncy for the fielders!
Blimey, almost 3-1 and in the blinking of an eye the Ashes turns on its head. There really isn't much between the two sides and its fine lines between winning and getting an absolute hammering on the back of one or two poor sessions. The ebb and flow of Test Cricket is unrivalled.
I think you mean that Lords was the only proper test match pitch and we got hammered...rem 5-0? Two and three day test matches are frankly a joke and whilst Australia have been awful these pitches are a ****ing joke with the ball moving sideways at times. Delighted we won and bets landed but the ECB really have ****ed up. I'm sure the sponsors are delighted with these ridiculous pitches...days and revenue lost. Actually disappointed overall..was looking forward to a good contest. Please,none of the old "same for both teams"..it wasn't. Ashes risked on the the win of a toss...paid off in the end.
Thank God he didn't listen to you! Trevor Bayliss is an Australian and you can see the way we bat,field and bowl is more aggressive..more Australian. Cook does what he is told by TB..thank God!..would Cook off his own bat declared?..no chance having worked for a completely charmless Zambabwean turd before.
Swanny our ODI Captain is Irish! As were Rankin (played in the last Ashes series) and Joyce (in Ashes squad 2005) who represented us and were poached after playing for Ireland.
Question for Cyc; Do you think the loss of Harris was enormous? I do..huge imeo..he would have loved these conditions and wagged the tail a little with the willow.
Any Cricket fans..(rather than Ashes thread hangers on)..there is a great biopic on my fav fast bowler ever...and I include the WI fab 4 and JT and DL. Sir Curtly Ambrose. Matthew Hayden said he was unplayable and the best he'd faced...I'd agree. That should piss a few people off!!..discuss..
Oh Lord, forgot that, am living in the past! Am not exactly a Test Match 'hanger-on', have enjoyed the great game all my life, but I will admit to a preference for international cricket. Much more interesting. Thinking about the fast bowlers, there were a few damn near unplayable ones, especially during the West Indies reign?
I remember a spell he had in Perth - 1993 maybe? - where he was absolutely devastating. Interesting post Dex - I think Ambrose and Walsh have a deficit in the credit they deserve in comparison to the other WIndies quicks of days gone by. Fire in Babylon is a great film but the omission of those guys was a real shame.
The West Indies have over the years had some fearsome bowlers. My first introduction to the speed out of that part of the world came in the early 60s. Both Sobers and Wes Hall played Sheffield Shield cricket in Australia. As a kid, I was lucky enough to be taken to the Gabba where I got to see Hall do his thing. To this day, I can still see the big man thundering to the wicket with the tail of his shirt flailing in the wind. When he and Charlie Griffith came together as a test pair, I was smitten. Until the great WI sides (and Lillee and Thompson) came along, these two were for me the kings of speed. I'll always rate Thompson as the most fierce bowler I've seen, but right on his hammer was Michael Holding, the man known as Whispering Death and the Rolls Royce of fast bowlers.
Hall and Griffiths were also my 'introduction' to fast bowlers. They always seemed to come in pairs until the West Indies produced four/five at one go; Christ a batsman would just get 'over' the first two to be confronted by the first change, then the second change! I too loved to see Lillee and Thompson against 'my friends in the south'. SH - I know your comment was in jest however how many 'Scottish' captains have there been of the English cricket eleven: Douglas Jardine, Tony Greig and Mike Denness Any more?
Well, that was quite emotional for me, especially after the pummeling we took in Australia. Well done England, for me it was against all the odds, but not for our cricket consultant, Dexter, he had it right all along. Could never quite figure out why he thought that way at the start of this series, but what do I know, bugger all! Your confidence was almost mystical sometimes, Dexter! To Cyc, sure agree on Jeff Thomson and Michael Holding, awesome. Dennis Lillee was no slouch either!
All wrapped up...well played England. Australia was a shadow of the team that destroyed us a mere 18 months ago. Off to the old ancestral home in a bit for a funeral of one of the last remaining relies. Hope theres a few quid in it for me! GL all.
[QUOTE="SwanHills, post: 8213593, member: 1013726" ] How on earth is QMII going to talk his way out of this one? Bet he does . [/QUOTE] Let me see – I said that England would win the Test before play started on Thursday. No after-timing there. Root did not get a double ton because he came out yesterday and decided to throw the bat and threw his wicket away but England scored just under 350. No decision for Cook to make as there were no batsmen left. There will be no play on Sunday.
