Huge talents who have missed the boat

[_Ed_]

Peter Fulton.

There aren't many players in NZ history with FC triple-centuries, and most of those who scored one went on to have successful international careers. Maybe not for two metre Peter?

 

[Bahnz]

Franklyn Stephenson, frighteningly quick, a strong bat and the inventor of the off-break slower ball, a skill he would pass on to Chris Cairns. Quite possibly the best fast bowler never to play test cricket.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Trying to think of an Englishman from the last twenty years or so who fits the bill. With our revolving-door selection policy pretty much everyone gets a go at some point tho. I guess there's an argument that Jack Russell should've played more than he did, Alec Stewart's extra runs being preferred for several years, but if memory serves Jack still managed 50 test caps.

 

[completeNZer]

Franklyn Stephenson, frighteningly quick, a strong bat and the inventor of the off-break slower ball, a skill he would pass on to Chris Cairns. Quite possibly the best fast bowler never to play test cricket.

Never heard of him, well illustrates your point

 

[Smudge]

Franklyn Stephenson, frighteningly quick, a strong bat and the inventor of the off-break slower ball, a skill he would pass on to Chris Cairns. Quite possibly the best fast bowler never to play test cricket.

I remember going along as a 10-year-old to one of the Hadlee testimonial matches (the one in Hamilton) in 1989 (I think) and I got Stephenson's signature - problem was I'd never heard of him! But upon further reading, he was quite the talent.

 

[inbox24]

Michael Bevan
Andy Bichel
Stuart MacGill
David Hussey

 

[Lillian Thomson]

Franklyn Stephenson, frighteningly quick, a strong bat and the inventor of the off-break slower ball, a skill he would pass on to Chris Cairns. Quite possibly the best fast bowler never to play test cricket.

Garth Le Roux.

 

[Richard]

Franklyn Stephenson, frighteningly quick, a strong bat and the inventor of the off-break slower ball, a skill he would pass on to Chris Cairns. Quite possibly the best fast bowler never to play test cricket.

Not sure he invented the Off-Break slower delivery, any more than Saqlain or Harbhajan invented the Doosra. What Stephenson specialised in was the slower-ball Yorker, and particularly the looping slower-ball Yorker. The former can be bowled by anyone with a decent aim, but getting loop on a delivery at 75mph or so takes quite something.

The fairness of such a delivery is just a little moot, as deliberately attempting to make a batsman think you've Beamer-ed him then seeing him lbw or bowled shying out of the way is, well, dubious sportsmanship. Still, it takes incredible skill and it's not like it's impossible to keep out.

 

[Richard]

Oh, and Narenda Hirwani is another one.

Not really. Hirwani had 4 sensationally good Tests to start his career but did nothing else thereafter.

Kumble was patently the better bowler. Whether Hirwani would've made a useful home second spinner is open to question, but the likes of Sunil Joshi etc. did a decent enough job to make it pretty academic.

 

[Arjun]

Not really. Hirwani had 4 sensationally good Tests to start his career but did nothing else thereafter.

Kumble was patently the better bowler. Whether Hirwani would've made a useful home second spinner is open to question, but the likes of Sunil Joshi etc. did a decent enough job to make it pretty academic.

Hirwani was just, for a long time, out of time. He couldn't adapt too well to a changing cricket scene.

 

[zaremba]

What about all the west indian fast bowlers in the 80s. Poor Blokes would love to be around now.

Tony Gray and Sylvester Clarke spring to mind - many others probably too

 

[Slifer]

Ian Bishop????

 

[Richard]

Tony Gray and Sylvester Clarke spring to mind - many others probably too

Gray and Clarke; Daniel has already been mentioned; Stephenson too; Colin Croft had only a short career; to an extent there was Winston Davis, though he wasn't as good as any of the aforementioned.

Ian Bishop probably only missed half the boat. He played enough for everyone to know how good he was; not long enough to have one of the best careers any seam-bowler has ever had, which I don't doubt he could have had injury not afflicted him so badly.

 

[fredfertang]

Ezra Moseley - without the back injury and the ban might have done great things

 

[Richard]

Knew I'd forget someone.

 

[Langeveldt]

Brett Schultz - Frighteningly good fast bowler
Stuart Law, Michael di Venuto, Jamie Cox - the list of Aussie batsmen who could have walked into any other test team is endless

 

[Richard]

Law and di Venuto had their chances in ODIs at least.

 

[morgieb]

Diva only played 9 ODI's IIRC.
And Law scored 56* in the only test that he played. Great work to drop him and never recall him.

 

[morgieb]

Not really. Hirwani had 4 sensationally good Tests to start his career but did nothing else thereafter.

Kumble was patently the better bowler. Whether Hirwani would've made a useful home second spinner is open to question, but the likes of Sunil Joshi etc. did a decent enough job to make it pretty academic.

I think he was worth a go as a second spinner in India.

 

[Richard]

And Law scored 56* in the only test that he played. Great work to drop him and never recall him.

He wasn't dropped, he only played that Test at all because Stephen Waugh was injured. Had Waugh played that game, Law would've been the same as Cox - a no-Test wonder.

In any case, with Greg Blewetts, Justin Langers, Darren Lehmanns, Ricky Pontings, etc. around, there were always going to be some people who didn't get the chance.