• Welcome to the Cricket Web forums, one of the biggest forums in the world dedicated to cricket.

    You are currently viewing our boards as a guest which gives you limited access to view most discussions and access our other features. By joining our free community you will have access to post topics, respond to polls, upload content and access many other special features. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join the Cricket Web community today!

    If you have any problems with the registration process or your account login, please contact us.

Most Famous Cricketer You've Played With/Against?

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
twctopcat said:
So you didn't actually bowl against him? It doesn't count if you didn't.
I bowled 3 balls against him - he stroked them all back to me. He wasn't wearing pads or gloves.
 

cbuts

International Debutant
my old man played with the bracewell brothers. doug being on of the fastest bowlers ever in nz, and john our best ever spinner and current coach. i played with ross taylor and jessie ryder, both first class players and nza reps. i also played against jake oram, craig spearman, micheal mason, and most of the other central districts players - this was when i was playing for wairarapa and they were playing for their respective provinces. this is in the hawke cup, the grade below first class in nz, excluding auckand christchurch wellington and dunedin.
 

deeps

International 12th Man
faced dilhara fernando (off a 3 step run up) and brad hogg

Played on the same team as shoaib akhtar and paul wilson... I go tO UWA, and sometimes the cricketers are around.. Akthar and fernando actuall played a game for us against other teams (not the same game) they were both bowling off shortened run ups and fernando was heaps quicker than akhtar it seemed...although akhtar generates alot of his speed through his action

hoggy i've faced in the nets a lil bit coz he lives near me...
 

twctopcat

International Regular
luckyeddie said:
I bowled 3 balls against him - he stroked them all back to me. He wasn't wearing pads or gloves.
Awesome, i doubt i would have been able to bowl straight in that situation, would have prob done an andre adams!
 

deeps

International 12th Man
nah, as far as i know they didn't monitor it whilst they played... they just happened to b there and dcided to have a bit of abowl i guess... i rememer, akhtar made about 91 off 50 or 60 balls in that match..fernando made a duck
 

Kenny

U19 Debutant
Jack Birkenshaw when he was in his forties in my local grade cricket......the association hired him for a year as a coach and he used to play for each side in turn.
Never bowled to him, unfortunately, but I did face him - even at that age he still made the ball audibly 'fizz' through the air.
Mind you, I'll bet only Eddie is old enough to remember Birkenshaw. (No offence Eddie)
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
twctopcat said:
Awesome, i doubt i would have been able to bowl straight in that situation, would have prob done an andre adams!
In those days he just had a couple of world records, but hadn't transcended cricket at the time (in fact, I can't remember if it was before or after the 6 sixes).
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Kenny said:
Jack Birkenshaw when he was in his forties in my local grade cricket......the association hired him for a year as a coach and he used to play for each side in turn.
Never bowled to him, unfortunately, but I did face him - even at that age he still made the ball audibly 'fizz' through the air.
Mind you, I'll bet only Eddie is old enough to remember Birkenshaw. (No offence Eddie)
and none taken.

Yes, I remember Jack Birkenshaw. It always amazed me how offies of the 60's and 70's could do that - make the ball 'fizz' with so many rotations - when even the leggies in village cricket couldn't get more than a dozen on.

I faced Edwin Smith on many occasions in the nets - and you could hear his fingers 'click' together when he released the ball.
 

Kenny

U19 Debutant
The first ball I faced I wondered initially what the bloody sound was!!!!
I think he played a couple of tests, didn't he?
 

luckyeddie

Cricket Web Staff Member
Kenny said:
The first ball I faced I wondered initially what the bloody sound was!!!!
I think he played a couple of tests, didn't he?
I seem to recall he went to the West Indies
 

PommieMacGill

State Regular
Kenny said:
Jack Birkenshaw when he was in his forties in my local grade cricket......the association hired him for a year as a coach and he used to play for each side in turn.
Never bowled to him, unfortunately, but I did face him - even at that age he still made the ball audibly 'fizz' through the air.
Mind you, I'll bet only Eddie is old enough to remember Birkenshaw. (No offence Eddie)
Hehe, yeah i've faced Jack Birkenshaw and he didnt spin it at all. He just, as you say, fizzed it and he actually made the ball swing, skid and skip loads. I think i played and missed rather a lot when facing him, he just took me by surprise. What a great cricketer he was. He also coached me a fair bit in his latter days as Leicestershire First Team Coach and as far as i'm concerned he is the best coach i have worked with. He taught me loads about Wrist Spin and many different variations and techniques. Great bloke as well, shame really, i would have loved him to still be Leicestershire's Coach or at least involved with the club in some shape or form.

Oh, and yeah Birkenshaw did play for England over in the West Indies. Made some gritty run's as well if i'm right.
 
Last edited:

NikhilN

International Regular
chicane said:
Sachin Tendulkar :p
I see him atleast one time when I got to India if he is not on a tour or in a current series because him and my cous are close friends
 

Top