Worst International "Batter" currently????

[Goughy]

Fidel Edwards would be a candidate.

Pommie Mbangwa would challenge for the worst of modern times. Never made double figures in a Test and has an average below Martin and averaged a boundary every 5 games

 

[Richard]

Thought Martin had never hit a boundary against a Test-class team?

 

[Goughy]

Thought Martin had never hit a boundary against a Test-class team?

He did it on debut against South Africa and has repeated it since.

 

[Natman20]

O'Brien is not that bad really. That second innings of the second test was good I thought. He defended well and lasted something like 38 deliveries which helped get NZ over the 200 mark even though he never scored anything. Definately not the worst, commentators on telly were having a dig at him because they looked straight at his average not his highest score in first class cricket (a whopping 44).

 

[Manee]

Personally quite surprised that there has not been more batsmen of Martin's inability at international level, but I suppose that people pick it up if they recieve much practice against high quality bowling in the nets and such.

 

[Richard]

Yeah I guess I'd expect a few more as well really. There've been precious few who've played regularly the last 20 years or so though.

McGrath at the start of his career; Devon Malcolm; Philip Tufnell... there's probably the odd one more but tea's nearly ready and I CBA looking now.

 

[krkode]

Personally quite surprised that there has not been more batsmen of Martin's inability at international level, but I suppose that people pick it up if they recieve much practice against high quality bowling in the nets and such.

Yeah, I imagine after about 50-odd FC games that most test players have, and God knows how long in the nets, you sort of pick up some basic level of batting. At least some ability to defend if not to score runs. Even McGrath finally conquered his batting demons! I remember at one point McGrath had more wickets than he had test runs. Same with Murali, I believe.

Hopefully one day Martin can get out of that rut. At least he probably won't be chasing 500-700 runs.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Haven't really seen much of O'Brien but even though his bowling has gotten massively better in his last few games his batting is still 100% O'Diren. MSP obviously isn't many great shakes but occasionally has played the odd half-decent short innings.

Just can't give a guy credit even after he's proved you wrong. You have to caveat your acceptance with another go at him.

 

[Richard]

FFS. Your ability to read stuff into my posts, even without wanting to, is becoming second to few. I was quite obviously referring to O'Brien's batting with the diren comment.

You might wish to search through a few posts of mine about O'Brien's bowling. You'll see quite clearly that I've fully credited him with the vast improvement in his bowling in recent Tests compared to his first few. Whether you've ignored this or simply refused to read it because you'd prefer it if I'd not said it so as you can keep having a go at me for having the temerity to call his bowling in his first few Tests the utter pie-crap it was I don't know, but it's bloody annoying.

 

[fredfertang]

Only Martin of that lot passes the acid test of more career wickets than runs - he's a throwback to a bygone age of clueless number 11's

 

[BoyBrumby]

As a kind of related aside, is there another sporting equivalent of tail-end batsmen? I personally can't think of any other top level sport where we get to see the participants performing a skill they are so utterly unsuited to doing so.

I mean, prop forwards aren't required to kick penalities in union nor do we see wingers being made to go into goal for the last five minutes of a football match. Tailenders give us a rare glimpse of what it would be like for the average joe to face up to top-level sportsmen.

& Chris Martin, obv. Although his batting is still better than his singing.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

FFS. Your ability to read stuff into my posts, even without wanting to, is becoming second to few. I was quite obviously referring to O'Brien's batting with the diren comment.

I acknowledge the fact that you now recognise that he can bowl.

However, you are still unfairly using that abysmal pun in relation to the poor sod despite the fact that he played an exceptional rear-guard duck and managed to hold out for nearly an hour (a good deal longer than most of New Zealand's batting order) against in particular, a Brett Lee who would have wanted to knock his block off.

I had read your post, but your insistance at still finding something to criticise about the one Kiwi player who showed an amount of ticker well in excess of his ability is still incredibly poor form. Even ignoring my bias, he was a contender for Kiwi player of the series, and part of that is due to him showing some application with the bat that some of his more vaunted collegues should have shown.

Just bin that awful puntastic nickname and I think we can let the matter rest. Otherwise, I promise to always refer to Mike Atherton as "Mike Awfulton" or "Mike... Ton? Not ****ing likely"

 

[krkode]

As a kind of related aside, is there another sporting equivalent of tail-end batsmen? I personally can't think of any other top level sport where we get to see the participants performing a skill they are so utterly unsuited to doing so.

I mean, prop forwards aren't required to kick penalities in union nor do we see wingers being made to go into goal for the last five minutes of a football match. Tailenders give us a rare glimpse of what it would be like for the average joe to face up to top-level sportsmen.

& Chris Martin, obv. Although his batting is still better than his singing.

Yeah, baseball pitchers aren't required to bat, either. Interesting point you bring up...

 

[Magrat Garlick]

As a kind of related aside, is there another sporting equivalent of tail-end batsmen? I personally can't think of any other top level sport where we get to see the participants performing a skill they are so utterly unsuited to doing so.

I mean, prop forwards aren't required to kick penalities in union nor do we see wingers being made to go into goal for the last five minutes of a football match. Tailenders give us a rare glimpse of what it would be like for the average joe to face up to top-level sportsmen.

& Chris Martin, obv. Although his batting is still better than his singing.

Decathletes running the 1500 metres spring to mind.

 

[Goughy]

Decathletes running the 1500 metres spring to mind.

As does Geoff Thomas trying to chip the ball.

 

[silentstriker]

Yeah, baseball pitchers aren't required to bat, either. Interesting point you bring up...

They are in in the real league.

 

[krkode]

They are in in the real league.

Do you mean MLB or some other league? Still, shows how much I know about baseball... Unfortunately, I've never been able to branch out my love and enthusiasm for cricket into other American sports...

 

[zaremba]

Yeah, baseball pitchers aren't required to bat, either. Interesting point you bring up...

In the National League pitchers are required to bat, but in the American League they aren't (a designated hitter bats in their place).

Babe Ruth started out as pitcher.

And that brings to a conclusion my knowledge of baseball. Thank you and good night.

 

[silentstriker]

Yup, hate the DH rule.

 

[Richard]

I acknowledge the fact that you now recognise that he can bowl.

However, you are still unfairly using that abysmal pun in relation to the poor sod despite the fact that he played an exceptional rear-guard duck and managed to hold out for nearly an hour (a good deal longer than most of New Zealand's batting order) against in particular, a Brett Lee who would have wanted to knock his block off.

I had read your post, but your insistance at still finding something to criticise about the one Kiwi player who showed an amount of ticker well in excess of his ability is still incredibly poor form. Even ignoring my bias, he was a contender for Kiwi player of the series, and part of that is due to him showing some application with the bat that some of his more vaunted collegues should have shown.

Just bin that awful puntastic nickname and I think we can let the matter rest. Otherwise, I promise to always refer to Mike Atherton as "Mike Awfulton" or "Mike... Ton? Not ****ing likely"

Also annoys me that you blame me as if I'd invented the damn thing (ie, the abysmal pun). Obviously, I did nothing of the sort.

And TBH, I didn't watch so much as one single ball of that O'Diren not-so-dire batting in the second-innings. Had I done so, I might quite possibly have not criticised his batting to any great degree.

Anyway, you won't get far with me by punning names of players.