I wish we had Ricky Ponting playing for us......

[PhoenixFire]

..... Is the common phrase said by many a people (including myself) in our 1st XI. The question is often debated, how many runs would someone like Ricky Ponting score if they played in the Aire Wharfe Valley C division? I say they would hit every ball (barring 1 or 2) for 6. Thoughts?

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Would literally never get out, if his heart was in it. That is, if he was captaining Australia in your league. I doubt he would care to ton up if he played for a regular league side though.

 

[GIMH]

Nah. Even a world-class batsman mistimes the odd ball that they really shouldn't. Look at the amount of batsmen who get out to long-hops; they can hit the ball literally anywhere and get themselves out through poor selection.

That being said he'd probably score like, millions of runs

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

Ricky Ponting doesn't usually get out to long hops though. Average balls at times, yes, but long hops, unlikely.

 

[PhoenixFire]

You have to remember the bats they use and the stupidly short boundaries (compared to international level). He could literally get it on the last mm of the bat and still send it for a big 6.

 

[GIMH]

Okay, but long hops was just an example. I'm sure he'd face balls better than some that he's got out to in his first class/list a career

 

[GIMH]

You have to remember the bats they use and the stupidly short boundaries (compared to international level). He could literally get it on the last mm of the bat and still send it for a big 6.

Yeah, hadn't thought of that admittedly.

 

[Goughy]

Cronje was named 'Audi' in his first year in the Birmingham League after getting 4 ducks in a row.

Ponting would score a pile of runs but strange things could also happen.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Would score more hundreds than fail... he could easily end with an average in four figures if he put his mind to it. Looking at the overseas players playing in our local leagues - and these aren't first-class players - they rarely fail. One Queenslander, who's just been given a full state contract, ran up four consecutive tons in April and May.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

It really all depends on where Jerome Taylor is playing his cricket.

 

[Richard]

Ponting being Ponting, someone who likes to score runs and score more runs completely regardless of the situation and team, I'd back him to do better than most would.

On odd freakish occasions he might have a bad spell, but it wouldn't last very long.

Whether he'd never get out is doubtful - even if he did put his mind unerringly to it - but he could very easily do extraordinary things which no run-of-the-mill club batsman could comprehend.

 

[PhoenixFire]

I could see him getting something like 500 runs in a 50 over match TBH.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

I could see him getting something like 500 runs in a 50 over match TBH.

Facing around 150 balls... averaging around 3.5 runs a ball...could be done, Napier did it the other day. Possibility that he skies one though. If he batted fairly conservatively - i.e. not smashing across the line, even if he was going to six-hit a lot - then he'd be 250* at the end of a 50 over innings. If he bowled his offspin properly as well he'd be pretty useful, especially towards the end of the season when he'd practiced a bit more.

 

[Richard]

Facing around 150 balls...

Any batsman that far above the field should easily be able to face at least 220-230 deliveries in a 50-over match. Then there's the possibility of no-balls too.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Any batsman that far above the field should easily be able to face at least 220-230 deliveries in a 50-over match. Then there's the possibility of no-balls too.

True. So 400 looks reasonable. Of course, the chances of him getting out also go up.

Wouldn't have thought anyone would have the interest in batting for so long and so pointlessly though...

 

[Richard]

Why not? It'd be something for the team-mates, spectators etc. to tell the grandkids.

Any good player should always aspire to do the best they can IMO, and Ponting is one of those who strikes me as having said hunger. If you can create remarkable records like that, as I say, you'll give those present something they'll never, ever forget.

 

[GIMH]

I'll never forget the 303* from 60 Hussey scored for me in a T20 on BLIC

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Why not? It'd be something for the team-mates, spectators etc. to tell the grandkids.

Any good player should always aspire to do the best they can IMO, and Ponting is one of those who strikes me as having said hunger. If you can create remarkable records like that, as I say, you'll give those present something they'll never, ever forget.

Nah... it would completely undermine the whole idea of sport in general. It would be even more of a mismatch than the New Zealand v Ireland game from the other day. No-one would applaud each six, Ponting wouldn't take any satisfaction out of it, the other team would give up... there would be no contest. Professional sportsmen should aspire to be the best they can be... and playing local league cricket is not the best they can be. Wrecking 21 other individuals' Saturday afternoons would be the main outcome.

 

[Blamire]

I'm not sure whether or not you're aware that many English amatuer leagues sign 'professionals' for the UK season, many are Aussies who still want to play cricket during their winter season.

My local club, Netherfield has signed Herschelle Gibbs and Jacques Kallis earlier in their careers, and recent porfessionals have been Pieter Strydom (Borders, I think) Pierre de Bruyn and Dale Benkenstein (who is now playing for Durham)

Ramesh Powar recently played for a side in Netherfield's league and at one stage Netherfield signed Charl Langeveldt last season, although I think he ended up going to Leicestershire.

Granted, these players aren't quite Ricky Ponting's calibre but they haven't had it as easy as you'd think. They regularly recieve ducks and often get outscored by an amatuer batsmen in the same side.

Food for thought.

 

[Mr Mxyzptlk]

I think it's important to understand how large the gap is between Ponting's quality and that of the players you've named.