Facing up to real quick bowling

[Jono]

That would explain my ability to play horizontal bat strokes.

also explains #neverwrong

 

[benchmark00]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5b8iXYAs0S0&desktop_uri=/watch?v=5b8iXYAs0S0

 

[harsh.ag]

We should have had at least one match where a fully fit trio of Shane Bond, Shoaib Akhtar and Brett Lee were bowling for one side. Early noughties...

 

[benchmark00]

Lol, Shane Bond being fit.

 

[Son Of Coco]

Got bowled by this bloke who played for NSW. Only realised where it was the split second before it hit middle stump (not mine, thankfully).

 

[Hurricane]

I faced Heath Davis in the nets reasonably often, and played once or twice against him when were both at school. One of my top edges off his bowling at school once flew for six, and then over the gym and into the netball courts. He was pretty terrifying, even if he always acted as if he was just mucking about and didn't really care. He also over-stepped constantly, so it felt like I was often facing him from 20 yards rather than 22. I was pretty rubbish though, so I don't recall him ever bouncing me (except after the six, and then the ball was so short I didn't even have to duck) and he wasn't the guy who terrified me most. That was a guy who played against us on a pitch with huge amounts of pace and bounce and who didn't bowl a ball at me that was not aimed at my ribs or head. That was the one time I was truly worried for my safety. I remember after one ball whistled past my nose and I ended up on my backside that I found myself saying aloud "Jesus Christ, its not a f**king test match". That comment seemed to just make things worse. I have never been so relieved to get out in my life (caught at slip, fending a ball away from my face).

I've heard that the real Heef was quite mean spirited in club cricket and would aim to maim and destroy hapless ill equipped batsman he came up against.

My story is not about the fastest bowler I faced as the guy was only medium pace. But they played against us with a compo ball on an artificial. I was 14 years old and he would have been 30 as I played in men's grade from a young age. 5 out of 6 balls were bouncers and the 6th was a yorker. I faced 8 overs of his bowling and saw him off without a helmet as they weren't fashionable to wear in that day and age. I was fearless too and just swayed out of the way each time.
****ing coward looking back on it thinking he was a "he man" for getting it up there with a compo.

 

[Burgey]

There are four blokes who've stood out to me.

Holdsworth when I was at school. Thought he was kidding himself when I saw where the keeper was standing the first time I faced him. He wasn't.

Neil Jones who played one or two shield games for nsw in the early 90s. Had him with a two piece ball on a wet astro deck when I was about 20. That was horrible. I too edged a pull shot into my lid and he walked down the pitch and caught it standing next to me. Was probably the only time I've felt physically scared by a bowler.

Dougeh who was young and fast but erratic. Plus I was older so it wasn't as scary.

And that McLaughlin bloke who used to play for Saints - went to WA and Blizzard hit him for that massive six at the waca. Played him in a winter cricket match and he was sharp enough.

A fifth bloke was a fella who was about 5'6" and started his run up at mid on to a right hander, appeared behind the ump, went wide of the crease and angled the ball constantly across me (I'm left handed). Fmd he was quick this bloke. Just a horrible, awkward angle for a leftie to face too. You'd get balls on middle and leg which you played at but which went across you outside off. Wicked. He never went anywhere with it but I reckon he was as fast as anyone I've faced. Was a mean little bastard too - four every over went past your chest or head. Was a **** of a bloke on the field actually.

 

[NickDB]

Faced Allan Donald once playing in a game of beach cricket. He went easy on us but is still to this day the fastest deliveries I never saw. I was too star struck to do anything useful with the bat other than swish wildly and not be good enough to hit it, now that I think about it that had nothing to do with being star stuck, but am sticking to that as my defense.

 

[OverratedSanity]

I don't know how the **** I forgot. Faced Javagal Srinath once in the nets .... I was just a teen so his runup was a joke... Still quicker than any other bowler I'd faced till that point

 

[Goughy]

It is an interesting thread. I have never faced guys speed like Tait etc but i have faced plently of FC bowlers listed as FM or MF. For the longest time I refused to wear a lid though I do now in the nets and would in a game if someone was rapid. I'm not primarily a batsman and what I always struggled with was the test of my technique, test of courage and desire to counter attack. I'm not ashamed to admit that I was often apprehensive facing someone quick enough to hurt me.

The strange thing was that the ball never came as quick as you thought. It was all playable. I was undone by limited technique and, frankly, being a little scared. It isn't a surprise to me that quality players with sound technique and temperament can play quicks well and blunt the pace.

These players don't have better hand eye coordination or reflexes than average guys like me. They are just packaged within a more robust and capable framework of technical and mental strength.

 

[Binkley]

I've heard that the real Heef was quite mean spirited in club cricket and would aim to maim and destroy hapless ill equipped batsman he came up against.

My story is not about the fastest bowler I faced as the guy was only medium pace. But they played against us with a compo ball on an artificial. I was 14 years old and he would have been 30 as I played in men's grade from a young age. 5 out of 6 balls were bouncers and the 6th was a yorker. I faced 8 overs of his bowling and saw him off without a helmet as they weren't fashionable to wear in that day and age. I was fearless too and just swayed out of the way each time.
****ing coward looking back on it thinking he was a "he man" for getting it up there with a compo.

I really wish helmets were socially accepted in club cricket when I was younger. I think I would have been far more comfortable batting.

Heath was a hell of a moody fella (probably still is). I can imagine him torturing batsman with limited technique if he was in one of his bad moods. But he never did so with me. Having said that, I do remember one time when he was in an obviously foul mood and the coach told him to go and do some catching practice when he saw me wander into the nets. I always figured the coach wanted to protect me that day. I was pretty poos with bat in hand.

Slight change in topic. Has anyone else had that feeling when you suddenly realise, mid-innings, that you have beaten the fear? I remember a club match where this one guy had put the ****s up me with his pace and bounce. And then he over-pitched one and I smashed it through the covers. And then next ball he bounced me and I leaned back and smashed that one for four too. That was maybe the best feeling I have had with bat in hand. Sadly, the adrenaline got to me and a few overs later I ran myself out going for a suicidal single trying to bring up my 50 (and that 49 was to remain my highest ever club innings).

 

[Shri]

Its awesome. Especially when you late cut a half tracker after the quickie has punctured your rib area with bouncers all morning when you have skipped breakfast to rush to open the batting. ****, that was a surprise that day. Went in expecting to face the Aquaman and the ****s sent in the Hulk. I was 5"4, barely 100 pounds at the time and the guy was 6"2, 200 pounds. Edged another 4 off his bowling but was ****ing scared after facing him for over an hour. Spinner came on and went down the track first ball in relief and was stumped. Scored 37 after what seemed like a million hours.

 

[Dan]

In a similar vein to Shri's story, in my first year of men's cricket (so I would have been 15 at the time), I faced an opening bowler who was probably about 35 years old and stood 6'2ish. If I faced him now, his pace wouldn't have been a problem, but back then he probably qualified as a bit sharp. The pitch we were playing on was astroturf at a local school, and it was notorious for having a crack in the concrete on a good length. Sure enough, he gets one to hit the crack and it gets big on me, thuds into my ribs and I'm in quite some pain (being, y'know, 15 and bearing remarkable resemblance to a rake).

I was winded but batted on for another two hours or so, grafting my way to 29 somehow, only for him to come back on and hit the crack again. Thuds straight into the grill of my helmet. I think I got bowled a couple of balls later, having got to the point where I just cbf batting any more.

 

[Hurricane]

I really wish helmets were socially accepted in club cricket when I was younger. I think I would have been far more comfortable batting.

Heath was a hell of a moody fella (probably still is). I can imagine him torturing batsman with limited technique if he was in one of his bad moods. But he never did so with me. Having said that, I do remember one time when he was in an obviously foul mood and the coach told him to go and do some catching practice when he saw me wander into the nets. I always figured the coach wanted to protect me that day. I was pretty poos with bat in hand.

Slight change in topic. Has anyone else had that feeling when you suddenly realise, mid-innings, that you have beaten the fear? I remember a club match where this one guy had put the ****s up me with his pace and bounce. And then he over-pitched one and I smashed it through the covers. And then next ball he bounced me and I leaned back and smashed that one for four too. That was maybe the best feeling I have had with bat in hand. Sadly, the adrenaline got to me and a few overs later I ran myself out going for a suicidal single trying to bring up my 50 (and that 49 was to remain my highest ever club innings).

I only start to get fearful at 130km plus which simply doesn't happen in my league.
I do remember being afraid as a 14 year old playing 16 and 17 years olds - and after I got to twenty I started square cutting bouncers away from my face and conquered my fear that day. I think what helped me the most overcome fear against normal medium pace (because I used to back away to leg against the older kids) was my coach patiently chucking softballs at my body for an hour and I was cured at the end of it.

 

[Riggins]

I wish it was socially acceptable now to just wear a hat while batting. So much more comfortable and enjoyable but it makes you look like an arrogant tosser unless there's 2 spinners on.

 

[Spikey]

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=5b8iXYAs0S0&desktop_uri=/watch?v=5b8iXYAs0S0

just goes to show why you shouldn't use a G&M bat imo

 

[Flem274*]

Fastest bowler I ever faced was said to be 130kph. I don't think he was since he clocked me in the head sans helmet and not only am I still alive, I batted (I use that term loosely) on. I was like 13 and he was 16-17 and is easily the quickest I've faced. Was really weird since I could see the ball but just couldn't get my act together in time to do anything except block.

 

[Migara]

I was particularly good against pace before keratokonus got better of me. By 14 years, I was hooking and pulling anything short that was delivered at me. This involved once hooking and pulling a 26 yr old Division 2 bowler, who was regarded very sharp, at practices in to submission. But I was **** against anything pitched up or moved off the wicket. Later when my technique developed , I was better with front foot, but just lost my ability to pick up the line. Even medium pacers kept bouncing me. I was OK with leaving them, but never regained the potential to hook or pull like in my younger days. Finally my batting became so ****, I became a rabbit and a leg spin bowler who played for my bowling prowess.