Over-rated things in cricket

[Hurricane]

Sidenote- It's pretty much impossible to overachieve as a test batsman over 30 tests.

Hmmm...I thought we agreed 80 innings was the number you needed before all the fluctuations were ironed out in another thread. Be interested to know Hussey's average after 30 tests.

I really feel that he scored an additional 10 runs each inning through sheer running between the wicket skills. He was a machine between the wickets. He would also score lots of help yourself runs by running the ball down to a vacant third man area for 2 or 3 and sometimes 4.

Peter Taylor was a better spinner than him and should have had his spot in the test team. Mathews did not bowl darts as he tried to flight it - but he had no loop, he did get drift but not a great deal of spin and he had no guile or cunning. He was a poor bowler and was kept in the team because of his batting.

I am judging him on his primary function which was to be a spin bowler.

 

[watson]

The Sweep Shot which is one of the ugliest things in cricket - unless it's the 'Compton-Cowdrey Sweep Shot' which is fine.

 

[Hurricane]

27 James Hopes

 

[uvelocity]

i loved matthews and rated him so highly when i was a kid. so disappointed when i went back and checked his stats. still wont hear anything bad about him.

 

[the big bambino]

You poor kid.

 

[Maximas]

Massive risk of a leading edge if you do that before you're set IMO. Flick your wrists slightly early and it's straight back to the bowler.

It takes discipline and practice in the nets to get the timing down pat, but once you do you can pull it off pretty much at will if the ball is full enough

 

[watson]

i loved matthews and rated him so highly when i was a kid. so disappointed when i went back and checked his stats. still wont hear anything bad about him.

My main memories of Matthews involve him scoring plenty of runs against everyone except the Windies who dismantled his technique. Averaged 15 over 6 Tests.

However, he should be remembered for his pivotal role in the tied Test against India in 1986. Under enormous pressure he kept his cool, bagged a 10fer, and got the last Indian wicket.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63438.html

 

[ajdude]

Foam

ftfy

 

[Dan]

Suggesting that you should work balls square of the wicket off the stumps early in your innings is probably the worst advice I have ever heard in cricket. Wow.

AWTA. If you start whipping across the line early on, you're a prime LBW candidate, could randomly nick one into the slips, or give short cover/mid off catching practice off the leading edge. It just isn't a good idea when you're yet to get your timing right. So much less that can go wrong if you try and punch a middle stump half volley down the ground, rather than work it to midwicket.

 

[Maximas]

If you try to whip it across the line then yes

 

[Dan]

Nah it's not about profitability at all, it's about shot selection and the fact that a straight drive or a straight bat option isn't always the best option and is often more likely to get you out.

Early in a batsman's innings, I've never seen a scenario in which it would be best to play a relatively full ball with an angled bat or cross bat rather than a straight one.

 

[artvandalay]

Cloud cover/ floodlights helping the ball swing. Has that ever been proven?

 

[BoyBrumby]

28. Body Mass Index

Nice to see chunky lads like Ballance and Philander bucking the current gym-obsessed trend.

Give me a player who prefers to hone his technique rather than his abs.

 

[Cabinet96]

Who overrates over rates?

People watching an innings Alastair Cook is captaining.

 

[Prince EWS]

People watching an innings Alastair Cook is captaining.

Commentators in general really. Sky NZ seem to be particularly silly about it.

 

[Daemon]

Commentators in general really. Sky NZ seem to be particularly silly about it.

Even Gavaskar has joined in this time.

 

[Prince EWS]

Even Gavaskar has joined in this time.

I thought Gavaskar actually spoke some sense about the topic during New Zealand's first innings in Wellington, although that was probably just a coincidence as defending India and speaking sense were for once the same thing during that discussion.

 

[hendrix]

Early in a batsman's innings, I've never seen a scenario in which it would be best to play a relatively full ball with an angled bat or cross bat rather than a straight one.

not disagreeing with this.

if it's a full ball playing straight is the best option. commentators and lay-people should just stop assuming that a straight shot is better than any other shot, because shot selection is determined by where the ball is, not which direction you choose to play it.

 

[the big bambino]

ABC commentary team. They aren't that good you'd turn down the tv and listen to the radio.

 

[Dan]

ABC commentary team. They aren't that good you'd turn down the tv and listen to the radio.

No, but the Channel 9 guys are so bad that you'd turn down the TV irrespective of other options.