What would your stats be if you actually played international cricket?

[flibbertyjibber]

I averaged around 40 with the bat in about 10 years of A grade cricket and seriously doubt that I would average more than 10 at test level and that is being generous

From playing against or alongside a very ordinary first class cricketer and a couple of minor county players it is frightening how good they are against club cricketers and when you factor in they are nowhere near good enough it shows you how good the players who make it to test level actually are. I think you only appreciate it when you play with someone who isn't that good in the grander scheme of things yet is light years ahead of yourself and does it so easily.

Like when you play a round of golf with a professional. Different gravy and makes you feel very small.

 

[Top_Cat]

Have always harboured this little fantasy that I'm in England watching cricket and the Australians are touring and somehow on the morning of a test a virus effects everyone in the touring party besides ten of the starting XI and it also effects every other Australian there who is a better cricketer than me so by natural attrition I am the best option available for a test match and I am awarded baggy green #444.

Steve Smith says to me where do you think you should bat? and I say probably about number 8 because even though Mitch Johnson is a better batsman than me he will shoulder more of a bowling workload. I make 4 in one innings (edged through the cordon) and 0* in the second innings as Johnson and Starc smash a few around. On the fifth day, as the game heads toward a definite draw, I bowl three overs, two are maidens, and I jag the wicket of Ian Bell in the last over, caught at mid on from my deceptive slower ball (off cutter). Umpire Dharamesena reviews my front foot, but all good. That night Peter Siddle, Nathan Lyon and I all piss on the pitch for no reason other than drunkenness.

#isitsadthati'm36andthisisstillavividfantasy?

I don't want to sidetrack the thread too much but the hashtag speaks to me as I've had the exact same thing. I also get this cricket imagery in my head depending on how I'm travelling on a particular day or if things are going well/badly in general. For example, when I have a dilemma or am in the midst of solving a problem, a first-person video of defending a ball full-face of the bat somes to mind. If I have a win, perfect on-drive. The Germans have a word for this sort of thing, Kopfkino. When (usually of the more intellectual persuasion) people bag sport as useless or ultimately pointless, I really can't get behind that at all. In some ways playing sport develops you more emotionally like few things can because your sense of both success and failure are fleshed out. You, as a person, are laid bare with a bunch of blokes cheering around you and depending on whether you've succeeded or failed, that can be with you having taken a wicket, scored the winning run or with your stumps spread wide and the guys screaming are cheering your ultimate failure. Shapes you emotionally as an adult so I don't find it surprising at all that associated images come back often later in life.

Anyway, as far as the thread goes, at the lower levels what separates the best from the rest tends to be physical. Bats can't handle anyone bowling 130Km/h+ and bowlers aren't quick enough to trouble the good bats. Once you get to 2nd grade, though, the differences become mental. There are guys playing 1st and 2nd grade who have the physcal and technical games to play Tests but they're missing other things, whether it be planning, strategy, quick adjustment to the circumstances or just holding your nerve against someone who's also a good operator. So I tend to fall on the side of guys like Social when he says even if you've played some 1st grade, you're going to get your arse kicked at Test level and it's not for physical reasons.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

In my head. It was always Waqar Younis who tried to bounce me, so I leant back and wham! Six runs.

Had the exact same dream and I remember it. Waqar bounced me and bam for Six! Lol don't know why this Waqar guy keeps bouncing everyone in their dream.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Had the exact same dream and I remember it. Waqar bounced me and bam for Six! Lol don't know why this Waqar guy keeps bouncing everyone in their dream.

Especially when he was famed for his toe crushing inswinging yorkers. Shame that no one's dreaming of hitting those for six.

 

[Migara]

you played alongside Kumar? badass dude, badass.

Early 1999, when Kumar just got in to the University. By end of 1999, he was gone for good, as he was selected for SL A.

 

[Migara]

I had the fortune of playing Murali in a net session. This was in 1992, he was a school boy cricketer, and had a scheduled match against my school. I was not even in second XI. However Murali wanted few batsmen to practice (or sacrificial goats for that matter). I used to hit the ball extremely hard (with a short back lift) and was excellent coming down the track and sweeping, (eventually my eye sight took care of my batting few years later), so I was asked to hit him to oblivion and shatter him a bit. But boy, he bowled me an over, four ball I was down the track, two I was on the back foot, all six I was beaten in the flight at least by one and half feet. Never mind on slogging, I was rushing to cover the line of the ball with my bat or pads. And that was when Murali was 19. Can't imagine how difficult facing him ten years later would have been.

 

[Migara]

Yeah there are plenty of grade and club cricketers who could match or out-bowl say, Aravinda de Silva IMO and he went for under 5

Haha, Aravinda was a bloody impressive off break bowler. Even has a 7-fer in FCC. Aravida bowling to grade cricketers will make him to look like Murali.

 

[Hurricane]

I had the fortune of playing Murali in a net session. This was in 1992, he was a school boy cricketer, and had a scheduled match against my school. I was not even in second XI. However Murali wanted few batsmen to practice (or sacrificial goats for that matter). I used to hit the ball extremely hard (with a short back lift) and was excellent coming down the track and sweeping, (eventually my eye sight took care of my batting few years later), so I was asked to hit him to oblivion and shatter him a bit. But boy, he bowled me an over, four ball I was down the track, two I was on the back foot, all six I was beaten in the flight at least by one and half feet. Never mind on slogging, I was rushing to cover the line of the ball with my bat or pads. And that was when Murali was 19. Can't imagine how difficult facing him ten years later would have been.

Good story. You must have an extra year of school compared to some countries.

 

[mr_mister]

I had the fortune of playing Murali in a net session. This was in 1992, he was a school boy cricketer, and had a scheduled match against my school. I was not even in second XI. However Murali wanted few batsmen to practice (or sacrificial goats for that matter). I used to hit the ball extremely hard (with a short back lift) and was excellent coming down the track and sweeping, (eventually my eye sight took care of my batting few years later), so I was asked to hit him to oblivion and shatter him a bit. But boy, he bowled me an over, four ball I was down the track, two I was on the back foot, all six I was beaten in the flight at least by one and half feet. Never mind on slogging, I was rushing to cover the line of the ball with my bat or pads. And that was when Murali was 19. Can't imagine how difficult facing him ten years later would have been.

were their issues raised about his action back then on the SL scene? Or did people only say anything once he reached the International stage

 

[Migara]

Good story. You must have an extra year of school compared to some countries.

The cutoff age for school cricket is 20 in SL. Murali played his first test as a school boy cricketer. I was 15 by then, but was as big as and definitely Muscular than the great man. This happened few months before his debut IIRC. He had a massive regard in school cricket.

My school gave St. Anthony's a green mamba to negate Murali in the inter school match, but still he picked up 12 odd wickets not for many. Our fast men demolished their batting lineup of course.

 

[Migara]

were their issues raised about his action back then on the SL scene? Or did people only say anything once he reached the International stage

There was few murmurs, but no one expected him to be the bowler he became post 2000. Most of them thought, "Oh, another off spinner who can turn it a bit". Nimesh Perera, who was two years younger to him was the real deal back then (Spin bowling all rounder). But he never made it in to serious cricket.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Haha, Aravinda was a bloody impressive off break bowler. Even has a 7-fer in FCC. Aravida bowling to grade cricketers will make him to look like Murali.

lol nah, going off from what I saw in the 2003 world cup (maybe he was better earlier), most first grade spinners (probably about a quarter of whom would have also played FC cricket as specialist bowlers) would be easily as good or better.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Especially when he was famed for his toe crushing inswinging yorkers. Shame that no one's dreaming of hitting those for six.

I think Waqar can reverse swing the dream too

 

[OverratedSanity]

The only Indian bowler I faced in the nets was Javagal Srinath in 1999. He bowled nowhere near full steam as the coach didn't want us to die, but boy, he was still ridiculously quick. Was a terrifying sight watching his relatively massive frame running up to bowl.

One of the best experiences I've had though, was watching Kiran More and Nayan Mongia keep to us. They planted a single stump on the ground and told us to basically run up and bowl as quickly as possible while aiming for the stump. Obviously we sprayed it all over the place, but nothing got past them. The agility and quick feet needed for an international keeper only truly dawned on me when I watched them in person.

 

[the big bambino]

were their issues raised about his action back then on the SL scene? Or did people only say anything once he reached the International stage

There was few murmurs,

Any murmurs from you?

 

[social]

I don't want to sidetrack the thread too much but the hashtag speaks to me as I've had the exact same thing. I also get this cricket imagery in my head depending on how I'm travelling on a particular day or if things are going well/badly in general. For example, when I have a dilemma or am in the midst of solving a problem, a first-person video of defending a ball full-face of the bat somes to mind. If I have a win, perfect on-drive. The Germans have a word for this sort of thing, Kopfkino. When (usually of the more intellectual persuasion) people bag sport as useless or ultimately pointless, I really can't get behind that at all. In some ways playing sport develops you more emotionally like few things can because your sense of both success and failure are fleshed out. You, as a person, are laid bare with a bunch of blokes cheering around you and depending on whether you've succeeded or failed, that can be with you having taken a wicket, scored the winning run or with your stumps spread wide and the guys screaming are cheering your ultimate failure. Shapes you emotionally as an adult so I don't find it surprising at all that associated images come back often later in life.

Anyway, as far as the thread goes, at the lower levels what separates the best from the rest tends to be physical. Bats can't handle anyone bowling 130Km/h+ and bowlers aren't quick enough to trouble the good bats. Once you get to 2nd grade, though, the differences become mental. There are guys playing 1st and 2nd grade who have the physcal and technical games to play Tests but they're missing other things, whether it be planning, strategy, quick adjustment to the circumstances or just holding your nerve against someone who's also a good operator. So I tend to fall on the side of guys like Social when he says even if you've played some 1st grade, you're going to get your arse kicked at Test level and it's not for physical reasons.

In my time (years ago btw), there was a massive difference between 1st and 2nd grade and a similar jump between FC & test

I have no doubt that I could have scored "some" runs at fc level but seriously doubt that I could have transferred that form to test level - different standard altogether

Maybe that was me just being realistic or I was kidding myself but I can guarantee that anybody who says that they might have whacked Warne around for a few is in the latter category

 

[RossTaylorsBox]

I think Waqar can reverse swing the dream too

Dream tampering. Inception.

 

[mr_mister]

In my time (years ago btw), there was a massive difference between 1st and 2nd grade and a similar jump between FC & test

I have no doubt that I could have scored "some" runs at fc level but seriously doubt that I could have transferred that form to test level - different standard altogether

Maybe that was me just being realistic or I was kidding myself but I can guarantee that anybody who says that they might have whacked Warne around for a few is in the latter category

if that's referring to me, you missed my point entirely

 

[TheJediBrah]

Any murmurs from you?

and here we go . . .

 

[social]

if that's referring to me, you missed my point entirely

Nope

You might have seen it but would've missed it all the same

Only difference would've been less bruises