The Batsman with the best cover drive !!

[Linda]

Agreed, Martyn's off-side play rivals that of Mark Waugh when it comes to elegance and authority. However, with that said its also his greatest weakness as his leg side play is weaker as a result.

In support I offer the field settings New Zealand Captain Stephen Fleming used to great success to contain Martyn's drives and square cuts.

Sometimes a players greatest strength also becomes their most easily exploited weakness.

Since then, however, I think he has improved in that he doesnt hit them square in the air so much anymore. He's managed to keep them low and safe.

 

[Western Warrior]

Since then, however, I think he has improved in that he doesnt hit them square in the air so much anymore. He's managed to keep them low and safe.

Good to see another Sandgropper!

I will partially agree with your statement but what made Martyn so weak against New Zealand was that Fleming was aware of Martyn's strong off-side style and set fields accordingly. This coupled with the Kiwi bowlers who deliberately bowled short and wide off the off stump meant that Martyn often fell into the trap of hitting them square and in the air.

I think of other captains took a leaf out of Flemings book and set the same fields and employed the same style of bowling they will have a very good chance of either stalling in scoring of getting him out once he runs out of patience.

That said Symonds also hit some ripper through the off-side during the WC03 match against Pakistan. Certainly not as stylish as Martyn, Waugh Jnr or Tendulkar but definately with the same or even more power.

..but to conclude here is a picture that I am sure will bring a tear to the eye of more than one Australian.

 

[SJS]

Kim Hughes and Ted Dexter

 

[Joao_Quinto]

Martyn doesn't play cover drives he plays slightly angled bat foward defense for four. All class.

Brian Lara is the same except they go squarer and dont look as good.

For style, Mark Waugh, Sachin, G Chappell, Vaughan

Not so stylish but technically perfect or very close to it, Kallis, Watson, Attapattu, Dravid

Ha! I couldn't leave Watto out.

 

[pakster]

Yasir Hameed...its about the only shot he can play competently.

 

[pskov]

Vaughan's cover drive is my favourite, very graceful.

 

[Top_Cat]

Sourav Ganguly and Geoff Marsh I reckon.

And I tell you what, Michael Clarke's cover drives and square drives rocket off his bat and, unlike a lot of players, when he follows through with it, it goes to the boundary all the way along the ground.

Special mention to Mohammed Wasim from a few years back.

 

[Bapu Rao Swami]

I like Ricky Pontings cover drive very much.



what happens is that he raises his bat with a much higher backlift, both hands gripping the handle tightly and a turn of the wrists making the blade face the position of point fielder when the bat is at the top of its lift. His movement forward of the left foot is shorter,his body is fairly upright and his left leg unbent. His bat travels in the direction that the ball will take and stay on this course after it actually been hit for the full follow-through to give maximum force. His weight of the body continues to travel in the direction of the shot with his left shoulder and hip remaining firm with the right shoulder released so that when the stoke has been completed the Ponting's chest is in line with the bowler.

 

[Eclipse]

I like Ricky Pontings cover drive very much.



what happens is that he raises his bat with a much higher backlift, both hands gripping the handle tightly and a turn of the wrists making the blade face the position of point fielder when the bat is at the top of its lift. His movement forward of the left foot is shorter,his body is fairly upright and his left leg unbent. His bat travels in the direction that the ball will take and stay on this course after it actually been hit for the full follow-through to give maximum force. His weight of the body continues to travel in the direction of the shot with his left shoulder and hip remaining firm with the right shoulder released so that when the stoke has been completed the Ponting's chest is in line with the bowler.

Yeah nothing looks better. It's not an elegant shot but very comanding.

He is prone to being cought at cover on slower pitches so he's not the best cover drive in the world but on his day which he has plenty of it's an awsome shot.

 

[Linda]

Ooh I forgot Marvan Attapatu for the cover drive, he's very good. I dont know if someones mentioned him or not.

 

[Hoggy31]

Front foot: i have to go for Marvan Attapatu, his cover drive is just textbook perfect to me.

Back Foot: Martyn, i love his technique for this shot

 

[KennyD]

Martyn doesn't play cover drives he plays slightly angled bat foward defense for four. All class.

Brian Lara is the same except they go squarer and dont look as good.

For style, Mark Waugh, Sachin, G Chappell, Vaughan

Not so stylish but technically perfect or very close to it, Kallis, Watson, Attapattu, Dravid

Ha! I couldn't leave Watto out.

geez, you Shane Watson's brother or something lol?

 

[honestbharani]

Martyn doesn't play cover drives he plays slightly angled bat foward defense for four. All class.

Brian Lara is the same except they go squarer and dont look as good.

For style, Mark Waugh, Sachin, G Chappell, Vaughan

Not so stylish but technically perfect or very close to it, Kallis, Watson, Attapattu, Dravid

Ha! I couldn't leave Watto out.

Dude, have you never seen Lara play his world renowned and patented backfoot cover drive?

 

[honestbharani]

sorry about the double post, but this thread brought to mind a comment by Dean Jones during the Nagpur test:


"Show me a batsman with a great cover drive and I will show you a guy who averages less than 40 in tests."

 

[Waughney]

Ooh I forgot Marvan Attapatu for the cover drive, he's very good. I dont know if someones mentioned him or not.

Yep, his cover drive is amazing.

Here is a picture I took up in Cairns. This was the cover drive which brought up his century.

 

[KennyD]

niiiice shot....!

I mean that in the shot of the batsmen AND the camerman btw

 

[ethos]

I saw a bit of South Australia v Victoria today and Matthew Elliot pulled off a couple of great front foot cover drives. They were all through different gaps aswell.

 

[Waughney]

niiiice shot....!

I mean that in the shot of the batsmen AND the camerman btw

Haha, it was all me

 

[KennyD]

hehe good stuff!

 

[PAKMAN]

ponting,ganguly and dont forget yousaf youhana