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Should cricketers be able to....?

simmy

International Regular
OK...

Should cricketers be able to throw to the wickets with both hands?

If you think that footballers and rugby kickers can distribute the ball of their boot with both feet, why cant a fielder learn to throw of both hands?....

Are there any fielders that can knock the stumps down with either hands? (maybe Michael Clark?)



Cricketers spend more time in the field (generally) than with a ball or bat in your hand.
The hundreds of times I've seen tight calls with run outs that could have gone the fielding sides way if the fielder gains an extra second by not transferring the ball and their balance to their weaker side!
Admittedly I am talking about fielders inside the circle going for runouts not necessarily boundary fielders as well.

Any thoughts? Can any professionals do it?
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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You lose more time by attempting the throw a ball with two hands. You don't get anywhere near the desired force into the throw and you sacrifice a great deal of accuracy. It's really not a very sensible suggestion.
 

Kiwi

State Vice-Captain
They do train with that. Well I know the Black Caps do. Chris harris can throw the stumps down from anywhere with both hands. He decided after his shoulder injury that it would be a good thing to learn incase the other never recovered
 

Jamee999

Hall of Fame Member
Mr Mxyzptlk said:
You lose more time by attempting the throw a ball with two hands. You don't get anywhere near the desired force into the throw and you sacrifice a great deal of accuracy. It's really not a very sensible suggestion.
Not two hands, you numpty, both hands, like throwing left handed, and also being able to throw right handed.
 

simmy

International Regular
Jamee999 said:
Not two hands, you numpty, both hands, like throwing left handed, and also being able to throw right handed.
HAHA brilliant!

How funny would it be if they were all trying two handed throws! :p
 

Barney Rubble

International Coach
To be honest I don't think it'll be too long before some bright spark in a youth team somewhere starts teaching his kids to throw both-handed, and then watches as they notch up ten run-outs in an innings before the opposition realises they're all crack fielders. Eventually people'll cotton on - this is the one major department into which the modern game has yet to expand. There are very few technical directions in which the arts of bowling or batting could branch off, but the art of fielding could branch off into any number of directions. I can see a time 50 years in the future when international teams' worst fielders are as good as Collingwood is now - and I consider him the world's best fielder, having seen him field up close and do things that don't even look possible.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Jamee999 said:
Not two hands, you numpty, both hands, like throwing left handed, and also being able to throw right handed.
Yes, Jamee. I was being serious. Yes, Jamee. I was being serious.
 

Barney Rubble

International Coach
simmy said:
But can Collingwood do it? Could Jonty?
Collingwood can't do it, as far as I'm aware. But although Jonty never did it in matches, I've heard that he could do it in practice fairly well. Similar to the concept of bowling the doosra - most of the best finger-spinners can bowl it (Vettori can), but none well enough to bother doing it in games.
 

BoyBrumby

Englishman
Isn't Ian Harvey supposed to be able to bowl v nearly as quick & accurate with his left arm as his right? Think it's a nets-only phenomenon tho, but I'd love to see him do it in a match. He may already have done it, but I haven't heard about it if so.

Totally diff sport, but didn't Ronnie O'Sullivan once beat Tony Drago (IIRC) playing left-handed? I don't think Drago (if it was him) was too happy & said it didn't pay him the proper respect. I think The Rocket was actually just taking the Mickey Bliss! :D
 

Scaly piscine

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I can sort of throw right and left handed, I've a very strong throw with my right arm and so I could throw 20 or so yards reasonably accurately without bouncing left handed to start with (but it feels pretty unnatural throwing with the wrong hand). I've not really played cricket that much tho, so I'm still no better than when I started really, but I'm pretty sure I could get quite good with my left hand throws and stop throwing like a girl after a few months of fielding practise.
 

Mr Mxyzptlk

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Barney Rubble said:
But although Jonty never did it in matches, I've heard that he could do it in practice fairly well..
He did it well enough in a fielding exhibition for Sky a few years back, when he was at Gloucs.
 

Matteh

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
BoyBrumby said:
Totally diff sport, but didn't Ronnie O'Sullivan once beat Tony Drago (IIRC) playing left-handed? I don't think Drago (if it was him) was too happy & said it didn't pay him the proper respect. I think The Rocket was actually just taking the Mickey Bliss! :D

He can certainly play the odd shot well left handed so he doesn't need a rest - not sure about an entire match...
 

andyc

Cricket Web: All-Time Legend
I've thought about this a bit in the past myself and it is interesting. In the outfield there's no real point in doing it but fielding in close it'd obviously be a big advantage. I think it will happen sooner or later
 

Burpey

Cricketer Of The Year
You guys should check out this book I'm reading at the moment, Best Of The Best by Charles Davis.

Amogst other stuff, he analyses how which arm you throw with affects your batting etc. Fascinating stuff
 

Neil Pickup

Cricket Web Moderator
Barney Rubble said:
To be honest I don't think it'll be too long before some bright spark in a youth team somewhere starts teaching his kids to throw both-handed, and then watches as they notch up ten run-outs in an innings before the opposition realises they're all crack fielders. Eventually people'll cotton on - this is the one major department into which the modern game has yet to expand. There are very few technical directions in which the arts of bowling or batting could branch off, but the art of fielding could branch off into any number of directions. I can see a time 50 years in the future when international teams' worst fielders are as good as Collingwood is now - and I consider him the world's best fielder, having seen him field up close and do things that don't even look possible.
We have enough trouble getting them to throw with one hand.
 

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