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Unsung Heroes

Barney Rubble

International Coach
As someone who watches a decent amount of domestic cricket, certainly in England, I often find that there are a lot of players who get nowhere near the credit they deserve for their efforts. These aren't always the most talented players - most of them never reach international level - but they're always there to do whatever job is necessary, whenever their team needs it. This is a chance for fans of domestic (or international) teams around the world to give a "shout out" of sorts to a player who doesn't get the praise they should do. It doesn't even have to be a player the rest of us have heard of - most unsung heroes never get recognition outside their own country or even county/state side.

I'm going to start by nominating Somerset's Keith Parsons. "The original KP" as we like to call him, he's your bog-standard batting all-rounder in his mid-thirties, and is always good for a rapid 20-30 at the end of a one-day innings from no6, or for rescuing the side from a dire situation with his experience and know-how. I've watched him orchestrate many a run-chase at Taunton, and I've also seen him save us from 40-odd for 4 with a brilliant 90. He's good for a few overs with the ball, too, and has a knack of coming up with wickets just when his team needs them most. He's a good fielder, and can always be relied upon to be a committed team player and help out his captain, even though he has rarely been entrusted with the reins himself, due to his quiet and unassuming nature. If international sides were picked solely on grounds of commitment, he'd be in the England squad in a flash. He's a big part of the reason Somerset's young players are now beginning to flourish.
 

Anna

International Vice-Captain
Good call! I'd say Jamie Cox. Can't be bothered to go through my reasons because I'm hungry & off to scrape something together for dinner :D
 

Chubb

International Regular
Ray Price

The guy's a legend. He was born two months prematurely, in a country which was not really equipped to handle that kind of thing; he caught meningitis when he was less than a year old, was given a one in five chance of survival. Although he survived, he was left totally deaf, which wasn't realised until he was at nursery school. He then had an operation to correct his hearing, which left his balance and coordination totally mucked up. He had to learn to walk again, and had to spend hours practicising catching and things in the garden. Consequently, he was well behind his peers at school.

Yet he became, in my biased opinion, the best spinner in the world. It isn't just his skill, which is undoubted; he bowls a tight line, turns it and flights it aggresively. It was his bad luck. he had the misfortune to play for Zimbabwe, when he could have demanded a place in most international sides. He never had any luck on the pitch, as far as I could see; dropped catches, bad decisions, unplayable deliveries that just missed the edge, it all seemed to happen to him.

Ray's ultimate piece of bad luck came against West Indies in 2003. He had bowled brilliantly all match, taking 6-77 and 4-88, reducing WI to nine down with half an hour left, only to be denied by Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards as bad light stopped play. Had it not rained, even more, had a ball not been rolled into the pitch in a freak accident, then Zimbabwe would have won like they deserved to. John Ward, the veteran Zimbok cricket writer, said that Zimbabwe "were left to reflect on the cruel injustice of living in a country where nothing ever seems to go right.", which sums it up really. Of course, the player rebellion soon ended that little Zimbabwean renaissance, which is another piece of absolutely terrible luck.

I wish after that he had signed for Essex, or even Somerset, but alas Worcestershire got him first. He's the obvious solution to England's spin problem, and the fact is the selectors probably don't realise it. He'll be qualified in two years. I for one would like to see R.W. Price down to bat 11 against Australia in 2009. I find him an inspirational figure.
 
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chooka_nick

International 12th Man
Chubb said:
Ray Price

The guy's a legend. He was born two months prematurely, in a country which was not really equipped to handle that kind of thing; he caught meningitis when he was less than a year old, was given a one in five chance of survival. Although he survived, he was left totally deaf, which wasn't realised until he was at nursery school. He then had an operation to correct his hearing, which left his balance and coordination totally mucked up. He had to learn to walk again, and had to spend hours practicising catching and things in the garden. Consequently, he was well behind his peers at school.

Yet he became, in my biased opinion, the best spinner in the world. It isn't just his skill, which is undoubted; he bowls a tight line, turns it and flights it aggresively. It was his bad luck. he had the misfortune to play for Zimbabwe, when he could have demanded a place in most international sides. He never had any luck on the pitch, as far as I could see; dropped catches, bad decisions, unplayable deliveries that just missed the edge, it all seemed to happen to him.

Ray's ultimate piece of bad luck came against West Indies in 2003. He had bowled brilliantly all match, taking 6-77 and 4-88, reducing WI to nine down with half an hour left, only to be denied by Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards as bad light stopped play. Had it not rained, even more, had a ball not been rolled into the pitch in a freak accident, then Zimbabwe would have won like they deserved to. John Ward, the veteran Zimbok cricket writer, said that Zimbabwe "were left to reflect on the cruel injustice of living in a country where nothing ever seems to go right.", which sums it up really. Of course, the player rebellion soon ended that little Zimbabwean renaissance, which is another piece of absolutely terrible luck.

I wish after that he had signed for Essex, or even Somerset, but alas Worcestershire got him first. He's the obvious solution to England's spin problem, and the fact is the selectors probably don't realise it. He'll be qualified in two years. I for one would like to see R.W. Price down to bat 11 against Australia in 2009. I find him an inspirational figure.
Meh, I would have said that anyway. Heath Steak, Sean Ervine, the Flowers are right up there.
But I'll say Ian Harvey and Matty Maynard, although it's early and I'm hung-over so I'll finish it later.
 

Tim

Cricketer Of The Year
Gary Stead for Canterbury always seems to be the man for a crisis when they were in trouble..as they currently are now.
Not as talented as Steve Waugh, but I think he's on par when it comes to the pain threshold and nerves of steel.
 

chooka_nick

International 12th Man
steds said:
This is the unsung heroes thread, not the unsung Yorkshire representing anti-christ thread.
You give several domestic teams ten years of good service, play for Australia and do this and I might call you a hero.
Ian Harvey is, to someone who's met him, a hero.
 

age_master

Hall of Fame Member
Matt Nicholson of late, played tests years ago (back in the laste 90's even maybe) and got dropped, has been bowling beutifully for NSW the last season and a half.
 

chooka_nick

International 12th Man
steds said:
Would that be before or after I drown myself?
Because it happened against Lancs?
age_master said:
Matt Nicholson of late, played tests years ago (back in the laste 90's even maybe) and got dropped, has been bowling beutifully for NSW the last season and a half.
He got dropped after one test and the loss certainly wasn't his fault. Same with Stuart Law, really; handy debut but no more games.
I love Mick Lewis, really, but Nicholson probably should have gone to New Zealand.
 

Boofra

Cricket Spectator
Chubb said:
Ray Price

The guy's a legend. He was born two months prematurely, in a country which was not really equipped to handle that kind of thing; he caught meningitis when he was less than a year old, was given a one in five chance of survival. Although he survived, he was left totally deaf, which wasn't realised until he was at nursery school. He then had an operation to correct his hearing, which left his balance and coordination totally mucked up. He had to learn to walk again, and had to spend hours practicising catching and things in the garden. Consequently, he was well behind his peers at school.

Yet he became, in my biased opinion, the best spinner in the world. It isn't just his skill, which is undoubted; he bowls a tight line, turns it and flights it aggresively. It was his bad luck. he had the misfortune to play for Zimbabwe, when he could have demanded a place in most international sides. He never had any luck on the pitch, as far as I could see; dropped catches, bad decisions, unplayable deliveries that just missed the edge, it all seemed to happen to him.

Ray's ultimate piece of bad luck came against West Indies in 2003. He had bowled brilliantly all match, taking 6-77 and 4-88, reducing WI to nine down with half an hour left, only to be denied by Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards as bad light stopped play. Had it not rained, even more, had a ball not been rolled into the pitch in a freak accident, then Zimbabwe would have won like they deserved to. John Ward, the veteran Zimbok cricket writer, said that Zimbabwe "were left to reflect on the cruel injustice of living in a country where nothing ever seems to go right.", which sums it up really. Of course, the player rebellion soon ended that little Zimbabwean renaissance, which is another piece of absolutely terrible luck.

I wish after that he had signed for Essex, or even Somerset, but alas Worcestershire got him first. He's the obvious solution to England's spin problem, and the fact is the selectors probably don't realise it. He'll be qualified in two years. I for one would like to see R.W. Price down to bat 11 against Australia in 2009. I find him an inspirational figure.
Great post. How old is Price?

I remember seeing him come down under on Zimbabwe's 2003 tour. The crowd really took to him and if i remember correctly he took a 6-wicket haul in the Sydney test. He was a good bowler.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Chubb said:
Ray Price

The guy's a legend. He was born two months prematurely, in a country which was not really equipped to handle that kind of thing; he caught meningitis when he was less than a year old, was given a one in five chance of survival. Although he survived, he was left totally deaf, which wasn't realised until he was at nursery school. He then had an operation to correct his hearing, which left his balance and coordination totally mucked up. He had to learn to walk again, and had to spend hours practicising catching and things in the garden. Consequently, he was well behind his peers at school.

Yet he became, in my biased opinion, the best spinner in the world. It isn't just his skill, which is undoubted; he bowls a tight line, turns it and flights it aggresively. It was his bad luck. he had the misfortune to play for Zimbabwe, when he could have demanded a place in most international sides. He never had any luck on the pitch, as far as I could see; dropped catches, bad decisions, unplayable deliveries that just missed the edge, it all seemed to happen to him.

Ray's ultimate piece of bad luck came against West Indies in 2003. He had bowled brilliantly all match, taking 6-77 and 4-88, reducing WI to nine down with half an hour left, only to be denied by Ridley Jacobs and Fidel Edwards as bad light stopped play. Had it not rained, even more, had a ball not been rolled into the pitch in a freak accident, then Zimbabwe would have won like they deserved to. John Ward, the veteran Zimbok cricket writer, said that Zimbabwe "were left to reflect on the cruel injustice of living in a country where nothing ever seems to go right.", which sums it up really. Of course, the player rebellion soon ended that little Zimbabwean renaissance, which is another piece of absolutely terrible luck.

I wish after that he had signed for Essex, or even Somerset, but alas Worcestershire got him first. He's the obvious solution to England's spin problem, and the fact is the selectors probably don't realise it. He'll be qualified in two years. I for one would like to see R.W. Price down to bat 11 against Australia in 2009. I find him an inspirational figure.
This may be just a case of me adding 2 + 2 & getting 5, but I thought of what you said when I read an interview with Duncan Fletcher in The Observer Sport Monthly (an interesting read if you have a spare 15 mins or so)

http://observer.guardian.co.uk/osm/story/0,6903,1654394,00.html

Flecther said it is the fear of injury to Giles that concerns him the most (the interview predates the third test).

'If any of the other players gets injured, we have guys that fill in for them in the short term. But if Gilo gets injured... well, he has simply got to stay fit for the next two or three years until we have found someone else.'

As a fellow Zimbabwean I think it's probably fair to say Big Dunc will be aware of Price's abilities & the time scale fits....

Well, maybe not, but it's a thought anyway! :D
 

Chubb

International Regular
I think he'd do a very good job if he got the chance. At 29, he'll be 32 when he's eligible, which I think will be in the summer of 2008.
 

jack_sparrow

U19 Debutant
I miss jadeja from india, pat symcox from southafrica, basit ali from pakistan, lewis from the 92 cup from england, and ofcourse roshan mahnama. low key guys that were instrumental.
 

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