HeathDavisSpeed
Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
Number 11= Darren Maddy
Highest Ranking 5
Total Points 12
Number of Votes Received 2/13
Ah, another wonderful English journeyman. Yet another one, some might say. Darren Maddy's still going strong in County Cricket today at the age of 37 and with 18 years at the first class level. In fact, he has a pretty reasonable first class record. But doesn't that really say it all. A 'reasonable' first class record isn't necessarily going to mean a 'reasonable' Test match career will follow. In fact, more often than not it will guarantee mediocrity.
His dibbly-dobbly medium pacers have picked him up nearly 250 first class wickets, and he's scored over 13,000 first class runs. However, who can recall the last medium pacer who was a rip-roaring success at Test level and the last batsman averaging around 30 with the bat who carved out a successful niche at the top table. To me, it really says something that Cricinfo summarises Maddy's international career thusly:
Heavy rain had made batting conditions at the Oval unusually tough for the batsmen. The Kiwis had batted proficiently to make 236; thanks in a large part to Fleming and good old Daniel Vettori batting at number 10. Mike Atherton came out to bat with Maddy - his 13th opening partner for England, and an unlucky number it proved to be. Maddy was undone by a decent piece of bowling by Vettori - but one which an international class batsman would have expected to deal with somewhat better. Vettori pitched successive balls on the same spot for totally different results and left Maddy playing no shot at a ball which clipped off stump. Maddy trudged off looking somewhat bemused for a 48 ball 14. His 2nd innings performance was no better, edging Dion Nash to the slips.
England collapsed from 123 - 2 to 162 all out and the England team were booed from the field. The bowlers must have been furious with the batsmen that day.
His last Test was similarly notorious. It was the final test at Centurion against Hansie Cronje's South Africans where Cronje forfeited an innings to help guarantee a result in exchange for a leather jacket. Needing quick runs for the win, Maddy was run out for 3 off 6 balls attempting a quick second. Maddy had only come in as a last minute injury replacement for Flintoff and for a 2nd time he found himself in the midst of an unusual result for the English.
And that was his test career over. No wickets, and only 46 runs at an average of 11.50.
Much like Chris Schofield, his international career had the defibrillator pads applied to it thanks to 20:20. In 2007, the fledgling England 20:20 team had a fascination with players who could contribute with both bat and ball, and often ended up selecting players who would contribute neither. To be fair to Maddy, he did a fair job for England in the South African 20:20 World Cup - scoring runs at a good strike rate and taking a couple of wickets to boot. His last hit in international cricket holing a stock delivery from Irfan Pathan to Gautam Gambhir at mid-on.
And still, he perseveres.
Career Highlight
vs. New Zealand at the Oval. Being part of one of the most infamous England Test line-ups of all time, and certainly the most infamous of modern times. Being booed by the partizan home ground on your Test debut must be an incredible low.
What they said about him
Highest Ranking 5
Total Points 12
Number of Votes Received 2/13
Ah, another wonderful English journeyman. Yet another one, some might say. Darren Maddy's still going strong in County Cricket today at the age of 37 and with 18 years at the first class level. In fact, he has a pretty reasonable first class record. But doesn't that really say it all. A 'reasonable' first class record isn't necessarily going to mean a 'reasonable' Test match career will follow. In fact, more often than not it will guarantee mediocrity.
His dibbly-dobbly medium pacers have picked him up nearly 250 first class wickets, and he's scored over 13,000 first class runs. However, who can recall the last medium pacer who was a rip-roaring success at Test level and the last batsman averaging around 30 with the bat who carved out a successful niche at the top table. To me, it really says something that Cricinfo summarises Maddy's international career thusly:
So, onto his remarkable international career. He debuted in *that* Test against New Zealand at the Oval where two England batting capitulations saw England lose a home series two-one to the Kiwis and send them to the bottom of the Test rankings. Maddy made his own personal contribution to this capitulation.Cricinfo said:
Heavy rain had made batting conditions at the Oval unusually tough for the batsmen. The Kiwis had batted proficiently to make 236; thanks in a large part to Fleming and good old Daniel Vettori batting at number 10. Mike Atherton came out to bat with Maddy - his 13th opening partner for England, and an unlucky number it proved to be. Maddy was undone by a decent piece of bowling by Vettori - but one which an international class batsman would have expected to deal with somewhat better. Vettori pitched successive balls on the same spot for totally different results and left Maddy playing no shot at a ball which clipped off stump. Maddy trudged off looking somewhat bemused for a 48 ball 14. His 2nd innings performance was no better, edging Dion Nash to the slips.
England collapsed from 123 - 2 to 162 all out and the England team were booed from the field. The bowlers must have been furious with the batsmen that day.
His last Test was similarly notorious. It was the final test at Centurion against Hansie Cronje's South Africans where Cronje forfeited an innings to help guarantee a result in exchange for a leather jacket. Needing quick runs for the win, Maddy was run out for 3 off 6 balls attempting a quick second. Maddy had only come in as a last minute injury replacement for Flintoff and for a 2nd time he found himself in the midst of an unusual result for the English.
And that was his test career over. No wickets, and only 46 runs at an average of 11.50.
Much like Chris Schofield, his international career had the defibrillator pads applied to it thanks to 20:20. In 2007, the fledgling England 20:20 team had a fascination with players who could contribute with both bat and ball, and often ended up selecting players who would contribute neither. To be fair to Maddy, he did a fair job for England in the South African 20:20 World Cup - scoring runs at a good strike rate and taking a couple of wickets to boot. His last hit in international cricket holing a stock delivery from Irfan Pathan to Gautam Gambhir at mid-on.
And still, he perseveres.
Career Highlight
vs. New Zealand at the Oval. Being part of one of the most infamous England Test line-ups of all time, and certainly the most infamous of modern times. Being booed by the partizan home ground on your Test debut must be an incredible low.
What they said about him
When asked to define what makes up a 'proper player'
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