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And i saw bradman play....

JBMAC

State Captain
Further to my post above stump, I last saw Bradman play in 1954 in a Testimonial Match for Bill Brown or Lindsay Hassett(memory eludes me which). He scored 18 in the first innings and 80 odd in the second. Tilly's old man (Ken Archer) played in that game and his old man has one of the original programmes from that game
 

JBMAC

State Captain
I'm turning green here mate...
There is no need to feel that way mate. I was fortunate to grow up in an era of NO television. Only had the wireless to listen to Allan Mcgilvray call the cricket if we were not there. I count myself fortunate to have played in a time when most of the Aussie players also had to work because there was not enough money to be earned from the game. Hence, my first coach was Wally Grout. I have played Grade with the likes of Ken Mackay, Your namesake, and still count among my friends Jeff Thompson and Wesley Hall who I played both with and against at Grade level. I have played on the SCG and the Gabba in a "second" QLD 11 but was never good enough to go beyond that. Gave the game away at 42 because after an early heart attack found that off drives had become late cuts and the guys were bowling too fast. Played a bit of "Warehouse" after that and coached the NT side to the finals of NT Country Cricket week. I have seen some great players and never missed a Test at The Gabba until Rheumatoid reared it ugly head and even then 2 of my boys organised me to go to the First Test of the last Ashes series but now I am relegated to "armchair umpire" and I am told I am a very severe critic. I suppose that comes with the age.:unsure: I was present at all the days play of the Tied Test between the Aussies and the West Indies. That was probably my most memorable days of the Cricket. That, and I realise it only now was "watching Bradman play"
 

robelinda

International Vice-Captain
I read somewhere a long time ago that Keith Miller and Jack Irkin had an altercation a few years later over the bump ball incident?
 

Jono

Virat Kohli (c)
JBMAC, can I ask... who are the players of the last 15-20 years that stand out for you, when compared to players in previous eras you've watched.

Who are the batsman in your opinion that can be compared to Viv, Chappell, Sobers etc. Who are the bowlers that have the right to be put alongside Lillee, Marshall, Hadlee?

Guess I'm asking, we've had a lot of good players in the last few years, but who are the cream in your opinion, when comparing them to the cream you watched in previous years.
 
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JBMAC

State Captain
JCMAC, can I ask... who are the players of the last 15-20 years that stand out for you, when compared to players in previous eras you've watched.

Who are the batsman in your opinion that can be compared to Viv, Chappell, Sobers etc.[Who are the bowlers that have the right to be put alongside Lillee, Marshall, Hadlee?

Guess I'm asking, we've had a lot of good players in the last few years, but who are the cream in your opinion, when comparing them to the cream you watched in previous years.
Batsmen: Tendulkar,Ponting,Jayasuria,Kallis,Cook(though he has never reached his potential)Laxman and Sehwag

Bowlers: McGrath, Warne.Imran,Akram,Shoab Malik,Broad(another Englishman yet to reach his potential)Steyn,Donald
 

bagapath

International Captain
There is no need to feel that way mate. I was fortunate to grow up in an era of NO television. Only had the wireless to listen to Allan Mcgilvray call the cricket if we were not there. I count myself fortunate to have played in a time when most of the Aussie players also had to work because there was not enough money to be earned from the game. Hence, my first coach was Wally Grout. I have played Grade with the likes of Ken Mackay, Your namesake, and still count among my friends Jeff Thompson and Wesley Hall who I played both with and against at Grade level. I have played on the SCG and the Gabba in a "second" QLD 11 but was never good enough to go beyond that. Gave the game away at 42 because after an early heart attack found that off drives had become late cuts and the guys were bowling too fast. Played a bit of "Warehouse" after that and coached the NT side to the finals of NT Country Cricket week. I have seen some great players and never missed a Test at The Gabba until Rheumatoid reared it ugly head and even then 2 of my boys organised me to go to the First Test of the last Ashes series but now I am relegated to "armchair umpire" and I am told I am a very severe critic. I suppose that comes with the age.:unsure: I was present at all the days play of the Tied Test between the Aussies and the West Indies. That was probably my most memorable days of the Cricket. That, and I realise it only now was "watching Bradman play"
Can't even imagine anyone else coming up with anecdotes that could evoke as much warmth as your post above does.

One of my favorite stories from a biography on Bradman was Bill O Reilly and Bradman playing against each other for the first time. Don scores 232 over the whole day and remains not out destroying in the process Tiger's self confidence. Tiger spends a whole week contemplating a life away from cricket. Match continues the next Saturday and O Reilly bowls Bradman with the first ball. And according to Bill O Reilly the sky cleared up, birds chirped and life was good again.

Did you ever see Tiger bowl at Bradman?
 
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G.I.Joe

International Coach
Batsmen: Tendulkar,Ponting,Jayasuria,Kallis,Cook(though he has never reached his potential)Laxman and Sehwag

Bowlers: McGrath, Warne.Imran,Akram,Shoab Malik,Broad(another Englishman yet to reach his potential)Steyn,Donald
:unsure:
 

JBMAC

State Captain
Yeh guys forgive an old fellas mind wandering...It was meant to be Ahktar not bloody Malik
 

Ikki

Hall of Fame Member
Just read this somewhat sad account of Hammond coming back for an FC match to raise some crowds when he was well past it.

Rewind to 1951: Wally Hammond's disastrous comeback | Regulars | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

It goes to depict how incredibly out of it Hammond was. Of course, the year was 1951 and he was 48 years old IIRC. It reminded me of the Jeff Thomson story where he found Bradman in the nets:

Jeff Thomson said:
"On a rest day during the Indian tour in 1977-78, Don Bradman was around in the nets. I was bowling only legspin to him, but he had a couple of young blokes trying to get him out. With no pads, no nothing ... for a 68-year-old, he belted the hell out of them on a turf wicket. And he hadn't batted for 20 years. I went back in and said, 'Why isn't this bastard playing with us tomorrow?' That's how good I thought he was."
Maybe it shouldn't be given such weight...but, perhaps, that story goes to illustrate just how awesome he was - even compared to giants like Hammond.
 

Burgey

Request Your Custom Title Now!
Just reading this thread back, JB's comments about Cook and Broad have proven prescient indeed.
 

fredfertang

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Somewhere I've got a video with a clip of a bloke called Hutton wielding a bat in his back garden when he was 70 odd - decent technique for a septuagenarian
 

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