Simon Cook

[TheJediBrah]

well I mean, North Sydney, there's that

 

[_Ed_]

Remember some bloke called Inness repeatedly destroying my NZ batting line-up in ICC back in the day.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Matty Inness would have been a handy left-arm Test pacer for most countries 20 years ago

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Matty Inness would have been a handy left-arm Test pacer for most countries 20 years ago

Absolutely. Bloke could certainly bowl, always liked his whippy energetic action. Remember when he had had a real good season for WA after not playing much over the preceding couple of seasons, only to retire pretty much directly afterwards.

 

[Dan]

Yeah alongside a fit Nicholson, Inness is my biggest 'what if' of the late 90s/early 00s imo.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

This just kinda reinforces a point I have made a few times, your average Shield bowler of 15-20 years ago is much better than his modern day equivalent.

 

[Dan]

Yeah but I wonder if we'll be thinking the same about Tremain in 15 years - "remember when he took 130 poles at 21 across three seasons and still couldn't break in? How good was the depth!"

I think part of it as well is that, with the rise of T20 and heavier JAMODI rotation, at any given point there's about 60 guys in Aus domestic cricket who have international caps to their names. If cricket worked the same way back then, Inness probably gets a JAMODI series or post-BBL T20i caps and, if he pops out with the Tremain international record, well **** there goes the mystique of the what could have been discussions.

 

[trundler]

This just kinda reinforces a point I have made a few times, your average Shield bowler of 15-20 years ago is much better than his modern day equivalent.

Are you sure? Australia have insane fast bowling depth atm and if I'm not wrong they had more depth in batting than bowling ban then. Certainly could do with Law or Love.

 

[Dan]

Bowling depth was hardly terrible in those days - Dawes, Dale, Bichel, Kasprowicz in QLD would have made a reasonable international quartet.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Yeah but I wonder if we'll be thinking the same about Tremain in 15 years - "remember when he took 130 poles at 21 across three seasons and still couldn't break in? How good was the depth!"

Yeah will be interesting to see in hindsight. Personally I have watched a lot of Tremain, and I really don't get the same sort of vibe that a lot of blokes from yesteryear have about them, but in time that may well change

 

[morgieb]

The Golden Generation did have good bowling depth but this generation seems to have a much better top end. I'm not sure someone like Brad Williams would get much of a look-in now (barring random JAMODI's)

 

[morgieb]

Yeah but I wonder if we'll be thinking the same about Tremain in 15 years - "remember when he took 130 poles at 21 across three seasons and still couldn't break in? How good was the depth!"

I think part of it as well is that, with the rise of T20 and heavier JAMODI rotation, at any given point there's about 60 guys in Aus domestic cricket who have international caps to their names. If cricket worked the same way back then, Inness probably gets a JAMODI series or post-BBL T20i caps and, if he pops out with the Tremain international record, well **** there goes the mystique of the what could have been discussions.

Inness was pretty turd with the white ball IIRC, doubt he gets much of a crack at ODI/T20i level. Could be wrong though.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Inness was pretty turd with the white ball IIRC, doubt he gets much of a crack at ODI/T20i level. Could be wrong though.

spot on, Inness rarely even got a gig for Victoria with the white ball. He was a Shield best though for a while.

Though with the way Aus selectors seem to work these days that means he would have probably been picked for ODIs but not Tests

 

[Dan]

Inness was pretty turd with the white ball IIRC, doubt he gets much of a crack at ODI/T20i level. Could be wrong though.

Yeah was thinking a Mennie-esque gig where it's basically using-JAMODIs-as-Test-trial stuff.

 

[morgieb]

Yeah was thinking a Mennie-esque gig where it's basically using-JAMODIs-as-Test-trial stuff.

Yeah that's true. See also Daniel Worrell, even Tremain to some degree.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yeah that's true. See also Daniel Worrell, even Tremain to some degree.

lol pretty sure those 3 all debuted in the same series against SA, as the entirety of Australia's fast bowling attack

 

[quincywagstaff]

I remember Craig McMillan debuted in that game too, brought up his fifty by hitting Warne for six. That was the Rixon era and I think the Australians were surprised by the level of sledging coming their way.

McMillan debuted in the first Test of that series in Brisbane, Cook debuted in the following Perth Test.

Re: NZ sledging, I recall Doull gave Ponting a big send off after dismissing him in Brisbane, but otherwise the series was played in fairly good spirit.

 

[quincywagstaff]

Matthew Nicholson did pretty well in his only Test; had an expensive opening over but settled down after that with some nice 'hoop with his front on action.

But he lost his way with his action after that and while he recovered a couple of years later, with Gillespie & Lee backing McGrath he was never in the frame.

 

[GoodAreasShane]

Yeah indeed his action was very front on, didn't look especially rhythmical. These days I tend to think Mickey Edwards has a bit of Nicholson about him, except for the hair of course

 

[social]

Cook had talent but was injury prone

Pretty sure he broke his leg while simply running into bowl

Played against Nicholson a bit and he was definitely a notch below what you´d think of as a test quick

Anthony Stuart was a poor man´s Jhye Richardson