Bradmanesque

[Burgey]

Didn't have helmets, decent protective gear, bigger bats, bowling green outfields either. These things cut both ways, yet everyone else's averages remain in the same ball park.

 

[honestbharani]

Was not so for a good 6 year period before he retired. It was a good day if he could touch 80 mph. And he still carried that attack away from home and won them games even at home.

 

[Burgey]

Good that someone is telling it openly, the videos are clear evidence of the level of cricket played at that time.

The videos are clear evidence of the standard of coverage at the time. There's precious little love footage, unfortunately.

Much of the stuff done up close for news footage back then was staged for the cameras. By that I mean the close in camera stuff.

I think you're tasting hard here today because St Sachin just wasn't as good.

 

[Kirkut]

Feel you're robbing Vaas about 10kms there, I'd say he was more a 125-135km bowler, at least at Test level.

It may sound unreal to you but Vaas was actually in 115-125 kph range. What made him so good was the use of cutters and reverse swing which he got plenty on abrasive home wickets,

 

[karan316]

Kindly provide evidence otherwise you are making **** up yourself.

Yes, they will give you proof, they will pick some or the other anecdote by a Bradman admirer and post it and we are suppose to believe it.

 

[Shri]

It may sound unreal to you but Vaas was actually in 115-125 kph range. What made him so good was the use of cutters and reverse swing which he got plenty on abrasive home wickets,

What? No. Maybe close to retirement.

 

[karan316]

The videos are clear evidence of the standard of coverage at the time. There's precious little love footage, unfortunately.

Much of the stuff done up close for news footage back then was staged for the cameras. By that I mean the close in camera stuff.

I think you're tasting hard here today because St Sachin just wasn't as good.

And AGAAAAIN. Twisting my words to make a point, I never said Sachin is the best, my point is, you can't compare batsmen from different eras. In fact, its very difficult to even compare players who belong to the same era. There are too many variables to consider that are not covered by stats.

 

[TheJediBrah]

The videos are clear evidence of the standard of coverage at the time. There's precious little love footage, unfortunately.

Much of the stuff done up close for news footage back then was staged for the cameras. By that I mean the close in camera stuff.

I think you're tasting hard here today because St Sachin just wasn't as good.

well it was a more reserved time back then

 

[TheJediBrah]

It may sound unreal to you but Vaas was actually in 115-125 kph range. What made him so good was the use of cutters and reverse swing which he got plenty on abrasive home wickets,

Vaas was well over 130s early in his career. Later on though you're right, especially when he largely bowled fast off-breaks half the time.

 

[karan316]

If you can provide scientific evidence that Larwood was bowling at 150kph then do so. Otherwise this is just folklore nonsense like the guy who could lift a grown bull over his head. Yeah, nah.

Otherwise a nice article. I particularly liked this part:

Larwood would drink beer during lunch, and even during drinks breaks in matches, believing it helped him to bowl better, a view also held by his Notts captain, Arthur Carr.

It only further strengthens my point of how different the modern game is

Drinking beer during lunch and drinks breaks? People took the game so seriously back then.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Yes, they will give you proof, they will pick some or the other anecdote by a Bradman admirer and post it and we are suppose to believe it.

So their "proof" are unambiguous first-hand reports from the most respected players and journalists of the time.

Your "proof" is . . . what exactly?

 

[karan316]

OMG! Are you serious?! Larwood would have struggled to crack 130. The amount of effort, fitness, strength training, agility etc, required to bowl at 150kph and continue to do so without breaking down is phenomenal. Do you remember how they used to speak about Jeff Thompson bowling continuously over 160 and reaching speeds of 170? Well when they finally scientifically tested the guy, along with other fast bowlers of his time, he averaged in the low 140s.

You guys all suffer from the "fish that got away" and "it was harder back in the old days" syndrome. With time the fish that got away just grows and grows and grows. But in reality it wasn't that big to start off with.

I think Larwood must be bowling at 120kph at best. Looking at the batsmen(and their flawed) in the videos of that time, he would cleaned up everyone by simply bowling a stump to stump line if he indeed bowled 150 kph. He would have also killed a few people in the process, because of "lack of proper protective gear".

 

[karan316]

So their "proof" are unambiguous first-hand reports from the most respected players and journalists of the time.

Your "proof" is . . . what exactly?

So do you agree that unambiguous first-hand reports from the most respected players and journalists count? If yes, I will give you plenty of examples of "respected players and journalists" saying that X or Y batsmen can't be compared to Bradman because that was a different era or was better than him, would you agree then??? Not expecting you to reply on this one.

 

[Kirkut]

What? No. Maybe close to retirement.

In ODIs he did get to 85 mph on occasions but in tests he rarely touched 130 kph, saved his energy and bowled long spells.

 

[jonbrooks]

Just quoted for posterity and in case you make a sneaky edit or something. Because this is quite possibly the most absurd cricket opinion I've read on here!

Let's be sure we're clear here, you're saying that a FC cricket from the 20s and 30s who took almost 1500 FC wickets at an average of 17, and a SR of 40, wouldn't play modern club cricket?

Would Bradman make a modern club side? Would Sobers or Fred Trueman? Where is the magical cut off date when FC and test cricketers of the earlier eras would be good enough to play modern club cricket!!!???

The Larwood bowling in the 1930s would not be able to make club sides. If a Larwood born in this day and age learnt to play cricket as it is played now, who knows. Likewise for Bradman. The point is that we cannot compare eras. Stop twisting what I am writing with selective quoting. You should be ashamed of yourself.

The absurd posts being made here are by people like you who know very little about cricket and just take some some moral high-ground when your people question your beliefs.

 

[jonbrooks]

I think Larwood must be bowling at 120kph at best. Looking at the batsmen(and their flawed) in the videos of that time, he would cleaned up everyone by simply bowling a stump to stump line if he indeed bowled 150 kph. He would have also killed a few people in the process, because of "lack of proper protective gear".

Agreed! And this is why this is total nonsense of him bowling 150kph while working in a ****ing mine or something. Absolute garbage.

I mean FFS have you seen how much effort it takes to bowl at 150kph? The fittest young players, with the best conditioning, diets, coaching etc, struggle to sustain these type of speeds and you're telling me some ****ing beer swilling hick from the turn of the century could bowl at 150kph. **** OFF!

 

[jonbrooks]

Yes, they will give you proof, they will pick some or the other anecdote by a Bradman admirer and post it and we are suppose to believe it.

Exactly! That is all they ****ing do. Has anyone even watched Bradman play? His technique was pretty ordinary. His off side strokes were generally good but man his legside play was POOR. All he could do was play agricultural swipes or closed eyed pull shots. That is a FACT. Go watch the videos of him batting.

 

[jonbrooks]

And England wicket keeper George Duckworth used to put slabs of beef in his gloves to protect his hands whilst keeping to Larwood..........but yeah the bloke was sending down gentle medium pace.

Absolutely gotta be the dumbest argument I've ever seen on here.

OMG! Another piece of mythology that has grown and grown and grown. Just like one that got away.

 

[jonbrooks]

Didn't have helmets, decent protective gear, bigger bats, bowling green outfields either. These things cut both ways, yet everyone else's averages remain in the same ball park.

Didn't need protective gear when the majority of bowlers barely got it over 100kph.

 

[jonbrooks]

As you should........your argument is nonsense.

Come back with some points buddy otherwise you're just another bandwagoner.