Darren Ganga

[vic_orthdox]

Nah, Blewett had a glaring technical flaw, that gap between bat and pad anyone...

Yes I remember the one. Always came to the fore when he was roughly, oh, 99??

 

[Richard]

Seriously, I find it hard to conceive that Blewett would score such a mountain of runs as he has in Australian and English domestic cricket if he had such a basic flaw?
Something I've never noticed in the relatively limited watching of him.

 

[Richard]

I don't think Ganga is any worse than the Wavell Hinds and Devon Smiths of the world.

Hinds is certainly better as far as Test-cricket and ODI-cricket are concerned.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Seriously, I find it hard to conceive that Blewett would score such a mountain of runs as he has in Australian and English domestic cricket if he had such a basic flaw?
Something I've never noticed in the relatively limited watching of him.

I guess it's sort of that "such a strength its a weakness" sort of thing, where because he is so good at driving through cover and square of cover, he does it to balls that probably aren't there for the shot. Most of the time he'll get away with it, and we'll see a trademark Blewett cover drive with that massive step forward...but occassionally it does bring about his dismissal.

 

[Mister Wright]

I guess it's sort of that "such a strength its a weakness" sort of thing, where because he is so good at driving through cover and square of cover, he does it to balls that probably aren't there for the shot. Most of the time he'll get away with it, and we'll see a trademark Blewett cover drive with that massive step forward...but occassionally it does bring about his dismissal.

He also tends to nick a lot off the back foot, trying to drive. And sometimes he drives in the air with his on drive (due to that big front foot step). Stuart Law always used to put in a silly mid-on for him, and Blewett couldn't help himself, got him there plenty of times.

 

[roseboy64]

Ganga's a wonder. He scores runs at FC level and has a woonderful technique but can't make the grade in Tests. Then you have someone like Gayle who doesn't have the best technique yet does his thing.

 

[Mister Wright]

Ganga's a wonder. He scores runs at FC level and has a woonderful technique but can't make the grade in Tests. Then you have someone like Gayle who doesn't have the best technique yet does his thing.

That's why I think having a good eye can overcome most technical problems. If you look at Bradman, his technique wasn't the greatest, but his eye was amazing - due to his early training.

 

[Richard]

Simply, Gayle's got a much better temperament than Ganga, and while Gayle is yet to prove himself much of a player on less flat pitches he's still undoubtedly a better Test player than Ganga.

 

[Richard]

I guess it's sort of that "such a strength its a weakness" sort of thing, where because he is so good at driving through cover and square of cover, he does it to balls that probably aren't there for the shot. Most of the time he'll get away with it, and we'll see a trademark Blewett cover drive with that massive step forward...but occassionally it does bring about his dismissal.

If something gets you 3 centuries and 1 single-figure score... it's a strength. Almost every single batsman who ever lived has got out because of a propensity to play his best stroke a bit too much... exactly the same as people who for some reason found it neccessary to criticise Lara and Lehmann for getting bowled around their legs occasionally... WHO CARES???? If it's got them the stacks of runs it has, it doesn't matter!!!!!

 

[vic_orthdox]

Much agree, especially with the Lehmann/Lara thing. Point I'm making is that no-one ever would have really noticed it all that much, except that he went out twice in exactly the same manner on exactly the same score. Funnily enough, that score was 99, and so everyone remembers it well.

 

[Jono]

If something gets you 3 centuries and 1 single-figure score... it's a strength. Almost every single batsman who ever lived has got out because of a propensity to play his best stroke a bit too much... exactly the same as people who for some reason found it neccessary to criticise Lara and Lehmann for getting bowled around their legs occasionally... WHO CARES???? If it's got them the stacks of runs it has, it doesn't matter!!!!!

I actually think thats one of the better posts you've made. Very very good point, and I totally concur.

 

[Pratters]

Daren Ganga is one of those West Indian batsmen who was exposed too early.

Sadly they are doing the same with most promising youngsters for the future at the moment.

 

[Craig]

Marshall should have stayed at home and been allowed to play FC cricket. It really wasn't rocket science, but the selectors missed even that trick. They then persisted to play him when he was woefully out of form and depth. He's bounced back well with this opening knock on the A tour, but a lesser players would have had his confidence shot by such mishandling.

The thing that i have been thinking about lately is that after all the mistakes that have been made in the last 10-15 years, nothing seems to be learnt. Are they really that daft?

 

[Richard]

Cricket administrators tend to make being daft a fairly regular passtime.

 

[Richard]

Sadly they are doing the same with most promising youngsters for the future at the moment.

This time they can't take all the blame, at least.

 

[Richard]

Point I'm making is that no-one ever would have really noticed it all that much, except that he went out twice in exactly the same manner on exactly the same score. Funnily enough, that score was 99, and so everyone remembers it well.

Oh, right, I understand - didn't realise the same thing had got him out for the same (notorious) score twice.
Quite obviously that's going to be memorable.