Will Jerome Taylor solve the West Indies Fast Bowling crisis?

[Richard]

What and when was Adams' injury, BTW... have actually never heard about that one before...

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

What and when was Adams' injury, BTW... have actually never heard about that one before...

He got hit in the head in England in the 90s. Shattered part of his skull IIRC. Had to get a metal plate put in. He was never the same.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

He got hit in the head in England in the 90s. Shattered part of his skull IIRC. Had to get a metal plate put in. He was never the same.

Cheekbone, actually.

From CricInfo:

In the mid-'90s, however, he suffered a crisis of confidence, a problem that may have stemmed from an unfortunate incident on the 1995 tour of England. Batting in fading light, Adams ducked into a bouncer from Somerset's Andre van Troost, shattering his cheekbone.

 

[Richard]

Nasty.

Had never heard of that one before.

What a crying shame.

 

[Craig]

Cheekbone, actually.

From CricInfo:

In the mid-'90s, however, he suffered a crisis of confidence, a problem that may have stemmed from an unfortunate incident on the 1995 tour of England. Batting in fading light, Adams ducked into a bouncer from Somerset's Andre van Troost, shattering his cheekbone.

Not that I'm being callous or anything, but he had sort of set himself up for that eventually while wearing a grille-less helmet. Unless it has a grille what was the point in wearing a helmet then?

And is Jason Bennett still down the pecking order of Bajan fast bowlers?

 

[FaaipDeOiad]

Taylor's a little overhyped, but he's certainly the most impressive Windies seamer in some time. Has plenty of potential to improve as well.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Not that I'm being callous or anything, but he had sort of set himself up for that eventually while wearing a grille-less helmet. Unless it has a grille what was the point in wearing a helmet then?

The grille isn't actually the most important part of the helmet as far as I'm concerned, as it's not the part that protects the skull and effectively the brain. And AFAIK, that's the main reason the helmet was brought it.

That said, yes, there's merit to suggesting that it was a fault of his, but some batsmen (especially back then - Richardson, Hooper) had the preference of batting with less structured head gear.

And is Jason Bennett still down the pecking order of Bajan fast bowlers?

He hasn't played a first-class game in two years, seeing as Collins, Collymore, Best and Edwards have been about at any given time, not to mention Bradshaw. He's a better bowler than Best at the very least though. 80 wickets in 19 matches with 6 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-for and he can't get a game in 2 years. Disgusting really. He should play for the Windwards or Leewards instead.

He did, however, play a OD game this season, but got belted in it and went wicketless. Only bowled a couple of overs, mind.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Taylor's a little overhyped, but he's certainly the most impressive Windies seamer in some time. Has plenty of potential to improve as well.

Definitely overhyped if people think he's the solution to the woes of the West Indies. But if it's just a question of when last we had a genuinely fast bowler who adapted so quickly to international cricket, the hype is adequate. Think of the fast bowlers of recent years and how they failed to swim for the most part. Aside from Reon King, no one truly looked good enough from the outset.

Jerome Taylor is just 22 years old and the main reason for the hype is that the West Indies need him so badly to carry on with his good start. He already possesses a fair degree of accuracy - much better than other fast bowlers of his class - pace, and he moves the ball both ways. He's also an intelligent cricketer. So in the sense that he's a rare species in West Indies cricket, the hype is understandable. In the sense that he's arrived and "the answer", the hype is WAY overblown.

 

[Richard]

The grille isn't actually the most important part of the helmet as far as I'm concerned, as it's not the part that protects the skull and effectively the brain. And AFAIK, that's the main reason the helmet was brought it.

That said, yes, there's merit to suggesting that it was a fault of his, but some batsmen (especially back then - Richardson, Hooper) had the preference of batting with less structured head gear.

Campbell, Horne...

IIRR most early helmets (though not the initial prototype first used by Dennis Amiss) were grille-less, I've seen countless players who batted in the 1980s using said gear. I think grilles only became commonplace in the 1990s.

 

[Craig]

Campbell, Horne...

IIRR most early helmets (though not the initial prototype first used by Dennis Amiss) were grille-less, I've seen countless players who batted in the 1980s using said gear. I think grilles only became commonplace in the 1990s.

Matthew Elliott was/is another.

 

[Craig]

The grille isn't actually the most important part of the helmet as far as I'm concerned, as it's not the part that protects the skull and effectively the brain. And AFAIK, that's the main reason the helmet was brought it.

That said, yes, there's merit to suggesting that it was a fault of his, but some batsmen (especially back then - Richardson, Hooper) had the preference of batting with less structured head gear.

He hasn't played a first-class game in two years, seeing as Collins, Collymore, Best and Edwards have been about at any given time, not to mention Bradshaw. He's a better bowler than Best at the very least though. 80 wickets in 19 matches with 6 five-wicket hauls and 1 ten-for and he can't get a game in 2 years. Disgusting really. He should play for the Windwards or Leewards instead.

He did, however, play a OD game this season, but got belted in it and went wicketless. Only bowled a couple of overs, mind.

Pardom my ignorance but why is it that Best get's favoured more often? And if Bennett were to play for the Windward or Leewards Islands what sort of qualification woukd he need to go through?

 

[Richard]

Matthew Elliott was/is another.

Haha, was he, I don't remember him batting sans-grille.

 

[Craig]

Haha, was he, I don't remember him batting sans-grille.

Well I suffered a head-knock yeasterday, but here you go:

source

Also you can look around and see other photos if that one is a little hard on the eyes.

 

[Richard]

Nah, I see clearly.

Wasn't doubting you, BTW, just saying I saw Elliott bat and didn't note the lack of a grille.

 

[Arrow]

One thing Ive noticed about the current and recent west indies fast bowlers in contrast to the 70-90s, is their stature. Throughtout that period pretty much ALL of their fast bowlers looked like big mean basketball players. Very tall and or big and mean. Garner, Ambrose, Walsh, Patterson, holding, Bishop just to name a few, but basically all of them were big boys.
Since the retirement of Walsh and Ambrose, and pretty much since the start of the 90s their fast bowlers have resembled a bunch of kids, with the exception of bowlers who emerged in the 80s, like Bishop, Ambrose, Walsh.
All puny and short, its like someones slipped something in the water over there.

Jerome Taylor is their best prospect but he looks like a kid, as do the rest of them. Will we ever see the big mean giants like the old days? Where the hell have they all gone?

 

[Richard]

Marshall and Davis were huge, weren't they?

Not sure about Clarke, either... and I don't think Wayne Daniel was massive.

Cameron Cuffy and Marlon Black certainly weren't short, either, nor I don't think were Nixon McLean and Franklyn Rose. And none of them were exactly successful, though Cuffy could be said to be a little unfortunate.

 

[Nishant]

Taylor not too bad, TBH! But he doesnt have the comsistency of Walsh and Ambrose!

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Pardom my ignorance but why is it that Best get's favoured more often? And if Bennett were to play for the Windward or Leewards Islands what sort of qualification woukd he need to go through?

AFAIK, he wouldn't need to qualify. I think the WICB was encouraging players to move between countries a season ago, in order to get more game time. But Omari Banks and Ricardo Powell are the only teams I can think of right now who have actually done so. Powell has a Trinidadian wife though.

The reason Best is favoured is because he's quick and when he's bowling well, which he hasn't actually done since the 2003-04 season, he can be extremely potent. He's far short of Test standard right now - obviously - and Jason Bennett is a much better, if not as quick, bowler.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Taylor not too bad, TBH! But he doesnt have the comsistency of Walsh and Ambrose!

Surely you jest.

 

[Smudge]

Good old Jeremy "Mantis" Coney. http://www.sporting-heroes.net/files_cricket/CONEY_Jeremy_19830609_GH_L.jpg

Just trying to find a picture of John Wright with the all-plastic grille.