Top 10 'Reverse All-Rounders'

[Dazinho]

England had a knack of picking these in the 1990s, guys such as Irani, Reeve, White who were stuck in the middle order at 6/7 and also asked to operate as an additional bowler.

Turned out they fell just short of test level in both disciplines (or well short in some cases) and you're effectively a man down.

When he started poorly in Test Cricket, I was convinced like many that Fred would become another, but that's a thread of its own.

So - who are Test cricket's best/worst 'reverse all-rounders' who were selected to be good at both disciplines, but excelled at neither?

 

[flibbertyjibber]

Mark Ealham and Cameron White spring to mind.

Bit harsh on Craig White, became a more than capable test cricketer at the end of his career.

 

[Dazinho]

Mark Ealham and Cameron White spring to mind.

Bit harsh on Craig White, became a more than capable test cricketer at the end of his career.

Fair comment on Craig White, who did much better when picked essentially as a bowler who could bat a little.

We really excelled in this field didn't we? Probably the desparate search for a new Botham gone bad...

 

[zaremba]

England have an embarassment of riches here of course.

Off the top of my head:

Darren Maddy
John Stephenson
Chris Cowdrey (c)
Adam Hollioake
Ronnie Irani
Ian Greig
Geraint Jones (w)
Gavin Hamilton
Chris Schofield
Chris Lewis
Derek Pringle

Honourable mentions to:

David Capel
Ashley Giles
Ben Hollioake
Dermot Reeve
Dougie Brown
Richard Blakey (w)
Phil Newport
Matthew Fleming
Ian Austin

Ealham and Craig White weren't that bad in fact

 

[zaremba]

This thread is making me feel sick already.

 

[Dazinho]

England have an embarassment of riches here of course.

Off the top of my head:

Darren Maddy
John Stephenson
Chris Cowdrey (c)
Adam Hollioake
Ronnie Irani
Ian Greig
Geraint Jones (w)
Gavin Hamilton
Chris Schofield
Chris Lewis
Derek Pringle

Honourable mentions to:

David Capel
Ashley Giles
Ben Hollioake
Dermot Reeve
Dougie Brown
Richard Blakey (w)
Phil Newport
Matthew Fleming
Ian Austin

Ealham and Craig White weren't that bad in fact

Nice work!!

Poor Chris Cowdrey couldn't help who his dad was - I know the 'specialist captain' thing had worked with Mike Brearley, but he had good players at the time.

Cowdrey had a disorganised mess around him, half a new team every Test match and players organising rebel tours at lunch!!

White was dreadful when picked as a bona fida all-rounder, but much better as a specialist bowler and 8-9 bat.

Ealham's stats aren't too bad, but he tended to get most of his wickets against tailenders which inflates things more than slightly.

Some absolute gold on that list though - Adam Holioake's leave to Warne would have to be the highlight of any on there IMO.

 

[Agent Nationaux]

I really liked Adam Hollyoake. Used to support Surrey in those days because of Butcher, Stewart, Hollyoake brothers and Saqlain all in the same team.

 

[watson]

I really liked Adam Hollyoake. Used to support Surrey in those days because of Butcher, Stewart, Hollyoake brothers and Saqlain all in the same team.

Yes, can't blame for the selectors giving the Hollyoake brothers a go because of their obvious natural talent. Here's Ben's debut against McGrath and the Aussies;

Ben Hollioake 63 on debut vs Australia 1997 Lord's *1600th upload* - YouTube

A great cameo!

Derek Pringle on-the-other-hand; a waste of time whichever way you look at it.

 

[BoyBrumby]

TBF to Pringle, for a very brief while in the early 90s he did a passable impression of a test seamer, in English conditions anyway.

In tests at least, I'd say the archetypal "non-rounder" is CZ Harris. Whilst a doughty and stout hearted ODI performer, test averages of 20.44 for batting and 73.12 for bowling from 23 tests tell their own story.

 

[BackFootPunch]

TBF to Pringle, for a very brief while in the early 90s he did a passable impression of a test seamer, in English conditions anyway.

In tests at least, I'd say the archetypal "non-rounder" is CZ Harris. Whilst a doughty and stout hearted ODI performer, test averages of 20.44 for batting and 73.12 for bowling from 23 tests tell their own story.

Chris Harris averaged 39 with the bat and 23 with the ball against England. A genuine all-rounder if ever there was one.

But seriously, the guy is a personal hero of mine, it's heartbreaking to know that his Test numbers lump him in with some of these blokes.

Oh well, we'll always have his one day exploits.

 

[smash84]

This thread is making me feel sick already.

 

[fredfertang]

TBF to Pringle, for a very brief while in the early 90s he did a passable impression of a test seamer, in English conditions anyway.

Agreed - Pring was definitely maligned unfairly - had he been built like an athlete, rather than a podgy version of Lurch from the Addams Family, then I'm sure he'd be remembered rather differently

 

[watson]

Lurch with ear-stud was never going to work.

 

[Expressway76]

Steven Smith

 

[grecian]

Agreed - Pring was definitely maligned unfairly - had he been built like an athlete, rather than a podgy version of Lurch from the Addams Family, then I'm sure he'd be remembered rather differently

Nonsense, and dangerous nonsense, at that. The bloke was a ****ing disgrace on all but the most ploughed field of pitches. His batting was just stodgy rubbish, the cove was the archetype of this thread.

BTW, I was always in the mid-90s, when in my cups, an advocate for Dermot Reeve captaining England.

Speaking of which is it too early to start drinking, I've got Rice beer, surely that's a bit like Rice Krispies?

 

[G.I.Joe]

Ajit 'Bombay Duck' Agarkar
Irfan 'IOU Bangladesh' Pathan

 

[Flametree]

Tino Best for the West Indies?

David Capel takes the prize in my mind for least useful in either discipline, with 15 tests and nothing to show for it. Gavin Hamilton perhaps had the worst test career of anyone, but he had a great world cup for Scotland and I think he would have done better than Capel if given the same number of tests. Schoffield probably wouldn't have done any better with the ball but I think would have scored more runs...

 

[Hurricane]

Steven Smith

He doesn't belong in this thread. Discussion on him is limited to threads entitled Steven Smith. He is his own category and it is debatable as to whether it belongs in cricket chat.

Yes his bowling is good and promising - just the rest of it.

 

[Noble One]

Khaled Mahmud.

A true all-rounder in that his output with the ball was on par with his output from the bat.

 

[Red]

Brad Haddin at times.