Battle of Cricketers - CW's Favorite Cricketer

[honestbharani]

Bravo!!! Coz he was cool and talked to me when they were in Chennai...

 

[Pothas]

If I could, I'd vote Barry Richards, who I didn't select in the previous round, over those four candidates - will have to show my New Zealand bias and go O'Brien instead.

Think I would go with any of the last four over these but Bravo

 

[Prince EWS]

O'Brien. Was laughing myself silly at him when the Kiwis were in South Africa. I think I called him the worst Test bowler I'd ever seen.

But then he became awesome and I wubbed him.

Haha yep, this exactly.

O'Brien.

 

[Shri]

Bravo.

 

[wfdu_ben91]

Bravo

 

[zaremba]

wardle, 'cos he be english and that.

Nah, one of those players (like kenny barrington and even herb sutcliffe to a lesser extent) who doesn't quite seem to have the rep his career suggests is his due.

+1

 

[The Sean]

Wardle, 'cos he be English and that.

Nah, one of those players (like Kenny Barrington and even Herb Sutcliffe to a lesser extent) who doesn't quite seem to have the rep his career suggests is his due.

His career makes interesting reading - a fantastic economy rate, even by the standards of his era, meant that his average was often good even when he was taking only a couple of wickets per Test. He had his most successful series - 26 wickets at 13.8 - in South Africa in 56/57 but then was dropped for good after one relatively poor Test against WI at home in '57.

I suppose England's spin stocks were so healthy at the time that they could pick and choose like that but it seems more than a little harsh on the man. On the other hand, statistically it may have done him a favour as his average was never given the chance to increase by what might have been late-career decline.

 

[Goughy]

His career makes interesting reading - a fantastic economy rate, even by the standards of his era, meant that his average was often good even when he was taking only a couple of wickets per Test. He had his most successful series - 26 wickets at 13.8 - in South Africa in 56/57 but then was dropped for good after one relatively poor Test against WI at home in '57.

I suppose England's spin stocks were so healthy at the time that they could pick and choose like that but it seems more than a little harsh on the man. On the other hand, statistically it may have done him a favour as his average was never given the chance to increase by what might have been late-career decline.

He was dropped for a series of ghosted articles. He lost his county contract and his invitation to tour Australia was withdrawn and that was career over. Too early his carer was killed.

No doubt people were looking for an excuse but it wasnt cricket related. He had a prickly personality illustated by the fact liked to bowl his chinamen even though captains at all levels didnt want him to.

 

[The Sean]

He was dropped for a series of ghosted articles. He lost his county contract and his invitation to tour Australia was withdrawn and that was career over. Too early his carer was killed.

No doubt people were looking for an excuse but it wasnt cricket related. He had a prickly personality illustated by the fact liked to bowl his chinamen even though captains at all levels didnt want him to.

I had been under the impression that the articles came after he was dropped - was this not the case?

 

[Goughy]

I had been under the impression that the articles came after he was dropped - was this not the case?

He had been picked for the 58/59 Ashes tour (though Lock was most likely 1st choice). However Yorkshire sacked him and the invitation withdrawn and his career was over.

 

[The Sean]

He had been picked for the 58/59 Ashes tour (though Lock was most likely 1st choice). However Yorkshire sacked him and the invitation withdrawn and his career was over.

I'd not looked into it before, but there are some interesting parallels there with Sid Barnes in Australia a decade or so earlier - both "difficult" personalities on the wrong side of the authorities and forced out of a match/series that he had in fact been selected for on grounds other than cricket before being prematurely expelled from the game after a too-short but statistically outstanding career.

On the back of this, and particularly given that Bravo is pretty safe here anyway, I'd like to change my vote to Wardle.

 

[marc71178]

Wardle

 

[fredfertang]

Within four hours of Wardle's sacking being announced representatives of a Lancashire League club fronted up on his door step and offered him £1100 for the 1959 season - not since Ray Lindwall seven years previously had a pro been paid so much - in fact on reflection Wardle was so embarassed at the size of the contract that the following year he initiated discussions that saw it reduced to £900 - hardly a typical Yorkie in that respect but its not surprising he was never tempted back into the six days a week grind of County cricket which might have led to further Test caps

 

[King Pietersen]

Tough choice between Wardle and Bravo. I'll have to go with Bravo I think.

 

[Cevno]

Going For Shikhar Dhawan ,Here

Always been a fan of his since his under 19 world cup superb performance in Bangladesh. Don't know why but have really wanted him to get into the Indian team since then and do well.
Have followed his career very closely too.

 

[Jungle Jumbo]

Dhawan.

Six years ago, I spent most of the early hours of the morning throwing up with a stomach bug. Luckily India were playing Scotland in the Under 19 World Cup. Dhawan smashed 150-odd, Uthappa just failed to get a ton and then Raina hammered a fifty. So Dhawan gets it for making being ill a bit better...

 

[Goughy]

Within four hours of Wardle's sacking being announced representatives of a Lancashire League club fronted up on his door step and offered him £1100 for the 1959 season - not since Ray Lindwall seven years previously had a pro been paid so much - in fact on reflection Wardle was so embarassed at the size of the contract that the following year he initiated discussions that saw it reduced to £900 - hardly a typical Yorkie in that respect but its not surprising he was never tempted back into the six days a week grind of County cricket which might have led to further Test caps

Im not clear on the details but I seem to recall he was going to sign (or possibly actually did sign) with another county but Yorkshire refused to release his registration. Such as things were then, even though he had been sacked he was not able to move to a different county without the say so of Yorkshire. Which they refused.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Iain O'Brien

All these people saying Bravo is the epitome of cool obviously haven't seen enough of Go Brien! He defended the ball with his crotch - all in the name and honour of New Zealand. He's a top guy. I own the last shirt he wore for Wellington. He played for the cricket club which is within about 500 yards of where I live and he's a top, top guy. Looks like he's making an early exit to Dwayne Bravo. That's sad. One of the only characters to play international cricket in recent times.

 

[Simon]

Needs more Aussies, abstain.

 

[zaremba]

Needs more Aussies, abstain.

Nah, O'Brien's a New Zealander which means he's basically an Aussie only without the criminal record and with odder vowels