Your Favourite Cricketer

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Boycott - not a particularly likeable person but I hugely admired him as a batsman when I was young. He was a f***ing outstanding test match batsman against ferocious bowling on poor wickets at times.

Randall - the polar opposite to Boycs but very talented an unbelievably fielder and a proper scruffy bastard. Loved his party trick at Jesmond where he would be signing autographs when in the outfield and take an amazing cacth when it looked as if he wasn't paying attention.

Stoneman - I lived in the next street, played cricket against his dad and was a teacher of him in secondary school. Great to see him doing well.
 


Gordon Greenidge.

All of the focus was on the great Isaac Vivian Alexander, while he quietly went about his business , paving the way for the fireworks to come.

In saying that, God help you if he started to limp.
 
hank evans said:
Tremendous player,would have had a much better record if he played in our teams from
Last 10years as opposed to 10 before.

Alec Stewart was a favourite of mine
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Stewie & Thorpe for me. Both featured in dogshit England teams that often came up against some of the best attacks on earth featuring Ambrose, Bishop, Walsh, McGrath, Lee, Hughes, McDermott, De Villiers, Donald, Pollock, Srinath, Vaas, Wasim, Waqar, Shoain, Streak. And thats just the seamers!!

In modern day cricket where the bowling is mediocre they would both average mid 50s imo.
 
A couple from my youth at Essex. The South African batsman Ken McEwan. I think at some point he scored five centuries from five innings on the trot - then out for a duck going for a sixth century. He would have been a cert for England if he'd had any inclination of changing nationality for the chance to play test cricket.

There was a West Indian all-rounder, Norbert Phillip, that I used to love watching at the one day games. He could turn a match, with the bat especially but also with the ball, in 10 minutes, in a flamboyant style that showed he simply loved playing cricket.

I guess from this century Glenn McGrath. Phenomenal accuracy to go with his pace and swing. The first test at Lords in 2005 was an object lesson in how to bowl. He may have been an Aussie putting England to the sword but it was wonderful to watch.
 
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Mackem DJ said:
Stewie & Thorpe for me. Both featured in dogshit England teams that often came up against some of the best attacks on earth featuring Ambrose, Bishop, Walsh, McGrath, Lee, Hughes, McDermott, De Villiers, Donald, Pollock, Srinath, Vaas, Wasim, Waqar, Shoain, Streak. And thats just the seamers!!

In modern day cricket where the bowling is mediocre they would both average mid 50s imo.
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Atherton doesn't get enough credit for opening during that era too.
 
TheRey said:
Shout-out to Ramps, too. Brilliant batsman and a true gent.

Remember when I was about 13, bunking off school to go to a days play at the Oval. Think he got out for about 98, and as he walked up to the dressing room, I ran over and asked him to sign my scorecard. He let me come up with him and got all the Surrey boys in the dressing room to sign it for me, despite spitting feathers that he hadn't made a ton.
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Sorry, he could have given you a handjob but I can't forgive his ineptitude for England, as a batsman, as batting coach and seemingly pulling strings to get his protegé Ansari picked.
 
TheRey said:
Shout-out to Ramps, too. Brilliant batsman
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He was abysmal on the international stage. Never did a player have more chances.

Propper County Cricket bully batsman. Hick wasnt much better but held his own in ODIs in fairness (at a time 5 an over was considered to be an aggressive run rate)
 
Mackem DJ said:
He was abysmal on the international stage. Never did a player have more chances.

Propper County Cricket bully batsman. Hick wasnt much better but held his own in ODIs in fairness (at a time 5 an over was considered to be an aggressive run rate)
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If you look at his overall record its fair to say he was poor however he did average 40 against the great Australian side which suggests he could play top class bowling well and his 154 against the west Indies was a great knock. He definitely had the all round game to be a top class international but mentally he was weak.
 
wayne entwhistle no9 said:
Sir Isaac Vivian Alexander Richards. God knows what he would do with a modern day bat.
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Absolute genius in my book. The IPL would have to do without him though cos nobody would be able to afford him if he was around now. He was way ahead of his time. Some real quicks around in his day as well and there he would be, walking out, cap on and chewing his chut as if he was heading out to face some Tommy Trundler down the welfare. Too cool for Christmas was Sir Vivian.

Him and Lord Gower were my favourites as a young'un. Thorpe as well a little later on. Remember having a right rant and hissy fit when they dropped him for Peiterson for the first Ashes test in 2005.

Azharuddin was a joy no watch as well and was as wristy as you'll see but unfortunately he won't be remembered for cricketing purposes (and rightly so I suppose).
 
Jose Sandshoe said:
Absolute genius in my book. The IPL would have to do without him though cos nobody would be able to afford him if he was around now. He was way ahead of his time. Some real quicks around in his day as well and there he would be, walking out, cap on and chewing his chut as if he was heading out to face some Tommy Trundler down the welfare. Too cool for Christmas was Sir Vivian.
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Love the story about some County pie-chucker sledging Sir Viv after he had beaten the outside edge a couple of times on a somewhat bowler-friendly pitch:

"It's red and round and you're supposed to hit it"

Shortly afterwards Viv hits the ball out of the ground into the next postcode:

"You go and find it", says he, sauntering down the wicket. "You know what it looks like".
 
Jap Stammer said:
Love the story about some County pie-chucker sledging Sir Viv after he had beaten the outside edge a couple of times on a somewhat bowler-friendly pitch:

"It's red and round and you're supposed to hit it"

Shortly afterwards Viv hits the ball out of the ground into the next postcode:

"You go and find it", says he, sauntering down the wicket. "You know what it looks like".
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Aye, it's a goodun that. He was the gaffer for me like.

There's a cracking story about how he first learned to bat for long periods. Story goes that he'd been up to no good and his Dad came to the ground one morning looking for him only to find him batting. He spotted his Dad from the middle and knew he was in for a good hiding so he decided the safest place was where he was so he batted for the whole day.
 
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