Things you used to get in old-time cricket ...

[stumpski]

... and don't anymore.

I'd better specify what I mean by that: I'm not talking about curved bats, underarm bowling, gentlemen playing in three-cornered hats, or members of the gentry putting 100 guineas on their team to win. I meant more stuff which (some of) you might remember from 20-30 years ago, to whit:

Unhelmeted close-in fielders
Umpires in big coats
Domestic competitions sponsored by cigarette companies
Counties playing at six or seven different venues in a season
Limited-overs games played in whites (and ODIs referred to as 'one day Tests' by commentators)

Please feel free to add your own.

 

[Shri]

Well we had ODIs in whites in the late 90s/early 00s. Guess it isn't that old.

 

[Spikey]

Good batting techniques


#OldTimerWhinge

 

[Prince EWS]

Runners

 

[stumpski]

Well we had ODIs in whites in the late 90s/early 00s. Guess it isn't that old.

True - not over 55/60 overs though. The 50 overs limit was so obvious, it makes you wonder why it took so long to be universally adopted.

 

[Prince EWS]

True - not over 55/60 overs though. The 50 overs limit was so obvious, it makes you wonder why it took so long to be universally adopted.

Can fully imagine someone saying that about 20 over matches in CW circa 2032.

 

[sledger]

Batsmen that were better than Tendulkar.

 

[Spikey]

 

[Spikey]

(Clean skin bats that is. I assume pink grips were not used back in the old days. Burgey to confirm/deny)

 

[fredfertang]

Yorkshire winning the Championship most years
Test players playing in domestic First Class matches
Plenty of players more than 40 years of age
Plenty of players with 40 inch waist measurements
Captains enforcing the follow on
Appeals that were polite enquiries

 

[stumpski]

Overseas players staying for several seasons, rather than two weeks
Universities fielding some decent (i.e. future England) players
Declaration bowling on the third (and final) day (I didn't say it was all good)
BBC2 showing an entire John Player League game on Sunday afternoon
Touring teams playing against counties

 

[Howe_zat]

Open racism

 

[G.I.Joe]

Muted celebrations.

 

[unam]

Good batting techniques


#OldTimerWhinge

Disagree

 

[unam]

Tight Kits

 

[Prince EWS]

Yorkshire winning the Championship most years
Test players playing in domestic First Class matches
Plenty of players more than 40 years of age
Plenty of players with 40 inch waist measurements
Captains enforcing the follow on

I was sooo born in the wrong era.

 

[stumpski]

Open racism

Not saying it wasn't so, but can you give an example? (apart from being mildly patronising, as I suspect Wisden and 'the authorities' were to the early West Indies and Indian sides)

Always thought English cricket in the 50s and 60s was more class-conscious, if anything.

 

[Biryani Pillow]

Heavy bowling boots that would take several games to 'break in'. Until they did it was like running on upturned nails.

Batting pads with leather straps that cut into the leg.

Every County with at least one fielder that had to be 'hidden' - and very few good cover fielders (not many even decent by today's standards(.

Every ball shown on a camera from one end of the ground only. The far end camera was only used for replays, and run outs or stumpings often weren't shown from side on

Commentators on TV who followed the maxim "If you can't add to the picture, don't try" in place of the unrelenting chatter (which I know they are forced to do) nowdays. I can recall, back in the 70s, whole overs going by with not a word spoken.

County players often having to play a three day match starting on a Saturday, travel across country to play a Sunday League match, then back to finish the three day game. Then, the day after that finishes, either playing another 3 day game starting the next day or a big one day match, quite possibly involving another long journey.

 

[fredfertang]

Not saying it wasn't so, but can you give an example? (apart from being mildly patronising, as I suspect Wisden and 'the authorities' were to the early West Indies and Indian sides)

Always thought English cricket in the 50s and 60s was more class-conscious, if anything.

Fred Trueman used to call all Indian batsmen Gunga Din didn't he?

 

[stumpski]

Fred Trueman used to call all Indian batsmen Gunga Din didn't he?

The story I heard, it was a waiter, and it was on tour - but I can accept that some players, in some parts of the country, weren't very 'PC.'