Let's talk cover drives

[JBMAC]

If I could go back in time it would be to watch Hammond

But from the ones I had the pleasure to watch Kim Hughes was the best, down on one knee through the covers, if you can find a video of him, it would be well worth watching

I think you could safely add David Gower, Norm O,neill and Ian Craig to that list Archie..All majestic cover drivers IMPO

 

[Shri]

Really? I'm not much of a fan, partly on the basis that it's so often a premeditated shot and I hate any form of premeditation - like to see the ball played on merit. Disrespectful to the bowler to premeditate in my book, though clearly the batsman's principal job is to score runs and if disrespecting the bowler is neccessary to do that then he must do so.

Of sweeps I much prefer the firm slap through square-leg than the fine paddle.

What can I say? Been lovin' it since I saw Sachin play it.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Hard to argue with the usual suspects (would possibly edge toward Mick Vaughan if I had to name a favourite master of the shot), but one chap not yet mentioned who possesses an exquisite cover drive is the enigma wrapped in a puzzle that is Mark Ramprakash.

 

[Goughy]

Ive never been one to go over board on the artistic side of cricket. I always liked Gooch's front foot thump though the covers.

 

[Uppercut]

Hard to argue with the usual suspects (would possibly edge toward Mick Vaughan if I had to name a favourite master of the shot), but one chap not yet mentioned who possesses an exquisite cover drive is the enigma wrapped in a puzzle that is Mark Ramprakash.

Seriously pushing it calling Vaughan a master. Pretty when he got it right, though.

 

[Jarquis]

Kallis or Sangakarra for my money.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Yeah, Sangakkara or Vaughan, from what I can remember.

 

[BoyBrumby]

Seriously pushing it calling Vaughan a master. Pretty when he got it right, though.

You think? Even his harshest crictic would say his cover drive was absolutely text book IMHO.

 

[zaremba]

The batsman I've always wished above all that behind-the-bowler filming techniques had been invented earlier for.

His cover-drive is the stuff of legend but the only angles on it (that I've ever found anyway) are old-fashioned side-on ones. So it's not possible to offer a true comparison to the masters of the TV age of the 1960s and onwards.

It's a shame that rivera213 no longer seems to be with us, because when he was a lad he used to watch old BBC footage at his grandpa's house including clips of Wally Hammond. Somehow CW just doesn't seem the same now he's not here to dismiss all of our opinions on the strength of his having had that unique experience

 

[Top_Cat]

It's a shame that rivera213 no longer seems to be with us, because when he was a lad he used to watch old BBC footage at his grandpa's house including clips of Wally Hammond. Somehow CW just doesn't seem the same now he's not here to dismiss all of our opinions on the strength of his having had that unique experience

Would love to raid the BBC archives, tbh.

 

[zaremba]

Me too. As someone pointed out, it's a bit of a disgrace that although they are publicly-owned, no-one has access to them and yet they are never broadcast.

I wonder how one would go about finding what they have in their archives?

 

[JBMAC]

Me too. As someone pointed out, it's a bit of a disgrace that although they are publicly-owned, no-one has access to them and yet they are never broadcast.

I wonder how one would go about finding what they have in their archives?

Have a look here.Must admit did not follow through but will later when i have time

BBC SPORT | Cricket | Archive

 

[Jarquis]

Not sure aesthetics is overrated TBH - everyone recognises that it plays no part in how good a batsman is. How good a batsman is to watch and how good he is at scoring runs are entirely different things, and deserve separate appreciation.

Can somebody forward this to the ECB re: Ian Bell?

 

[Prince EWS]

Cut and cover-drive being the two shots whose aesthetic attraction is so vastly different. The best cover-drives are caressed without even appearing to hit the ball; the best cuts are those that are just smashed with the batsman giving the withering appearance of "wasn't a good idea bowling there at me was it?"

Robin Smith did that about as well as I think it's possible to do.

Sinclair tbh.

 

[archie mac]

I think you could safely add David Gower, Norm O,neill and Ian Craig to that list Archie..All majestic cover drivers IMPO

Tbh I only had the pleasure of watching Gower out of those three listed, but happy to take your word on that

 

[JBMAC]

It's a shame that rivera213 no longer seems to be with us, because when he was a lad he used to watch old BBC footage at his grandpa's house including clips of Wally Hammond. Somehow CW just doesn't seem the same now he's not here to dismiss all of our opinions on the strength of his having had that unique experience

Me too. As someone pointed out, it's a bit of a disgrace that although they are publicly-owned, no-one has access to them and yet they are never broadcast.

I wonder how one would go about finding what they have in their archives?

For those of you wishing to see Hammond in action showing classic cover driving, have a dekko at this

YouTube - The gems of English cricket - Part 1

 

[bagapath]

hey bagapath can u pls post a link to this hammand fellow's cover drive pls?

check this out mate. he comes at around the 1 min mark....


YouTube - The gems of English cricket - Part 1

 

[JBMAC]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ At exactly the same time

 

[bagapath]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ At exactly the same time

I guess great men think alike!

 

[Uppercut]

You think? Even his harshest crictic would say his cover drive was absolutely text book IMHO.

Oh hell yeah, text book is the perfect word to describe it. It's just that a lot of the time the ball cannoned into off-stump halfway through his beautiful routine.

Particularly as he got older.