He deserves a proper post one day. All I can say is that he will be spoken of for the next hundred years. We're blessed to have watched him bowl.
For now:
Against South Africa. Featuring him shouting some choice words at Daryll Cullinan following another amazing flipper. As Benaud has it, candy from kids. And a ridiculous ball at 02.48.
Against England. Aforementioned Cullinan flipper was preceded by a long hop to make him feel comfortable on the back foot. The one to Stewart at 01.15 was the same. I remember Stewart whacking him for four, listening on the radio and thinking, 'he's setting you up, he's setting you up....oh tits.'
Against the Windies. (Feat another amazing flipper first up).
Against England again. Fucking hell, I remember this one. The pain.
So how do you play him? Well the key thing is not to edge it, obviously. To that end there are really two approaches.
The Adam Hollioake approach.
Or:
The Hugh Jackman approach.
For now:
Against South Africa. Featuring him shouting some choice words at Daryll Cullinan following another amazing flipper. As Benaud has it, candy from kids. And a ridiculous ball at 02.48.
Against England. Aforementioned Cullinan flipper was preceded by a long hop to make him feel comfortable on the back foot. The one to Stewart at 01.15 was the same. I remember Stewart whacking him for four, listening on the radio and thinking, 'he's setting you up, he's setting you up....oh tits.'
Against the Windies. (Feat another amazing flipper first up).
Against England again. Fucking hell, I remember this one. The pain.
So how do you play him? Well the key thing is not to edge it, obviously. To that end there are really two approaches.
The Adam Hollioake approach.
Or:
The Hugh Jackman approach.
The Jackman approach: "Aw look mate, you don't have to worry about the spin if you come and slap it over his head on the full?"
ReplyDeleteAlso, note Nicholas' barbed aside: "We thought you were just a Leg-Side Harry till you hit that one with the spin through cover." One suspects that in the pecking order at Nicholas' school Leg-Side Harries came slightly below scholarship boys with elastoplast holding their specs together -- i.e. not even toastrack material.
My school coach played with him at Hants for years. Apparently he was the biggest flat track bully you've ever seen in your life. Slow pitch and medium pacers? Pristine drives all over the shop. Fast bowling on an uneven wicket? Backing away to square leg and cowering in fear at anything vaguely short of a length. Brian Close he was not....
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