Best ever English spinner?

[stumpski]

Penny for anyone's thoughts of Wardle, who has one of the best averages of any post-Great War bowler. This is mainly due to his economy-rate, however.

One very good tour of South Africa, when both Lock and Laker were not quite at their best, but otherwise unfortunate to be a contemporary of the Surrey pair. Switching between orthodox left-arm spin and 'chinamen' also gave the impression that he didn't take his bowling sufficiently seriously.

I note that Freeman is the only leggie on the list, but didn't others like Wright and Hollies have superior Test records?

 

[zaremba]

Switching between orthodox left-arm spin and 'chinamen' also gave the impression that he didn't take his bowling sufficiently seriously.

Is this fair? Sobers gets praised for this, should Wardle be scorned for it?

 

[stumpski]

That's a good point actually, but I have heard that Yorkshire discouraged him from bowling the 'funny stuff.' And Sobers of course didn't depend on his bowling for his place in the side.

 

[fredfertang]

They didn't like wrist spinners in Yorkshire in those days and he seldom bowled it for them but he took a lot of wickets with it in S Africa in 56/57

He was difficult to manage by all accounts but he and Lock were in and out of the England side throughout the 50's so I dont think that held him back

Mind you for all his Yorkshire cussidness he was renowned for his sense of humour - he would be tickled pink to be compared with Sobers I am sure

 

[zaremba]

I was talking about his batting

 

[fredfertang]

Well you might have said so!

 

[zaremba]

You're awfully crabby today Fertang. You're not still sore that your team (Berkshire? Lancashire? I forget) got bowled out for 32 yesterday are you?

 

[fredfertang]

There's no need to exaggerate Mr Z - as you well know it was 84

 

[zaremba]

And their chances in the Pro17.2 competition are still good, as I understand it...

 

[fredfertang]

Well I suppose I should be pleased to see you are taking an interest in the affairs of the Mighty Red Rose and have managed to correctly memorise at least one part of the scorecard .............................................

but I'm feeling crabby so I'm not

 

[archie mac]

Wardle when seemingly at the top of his Test career wrote (or ghosted) an article which seem him thrown out of Test cricket

Gubby the Aussie was to blame for the crap pitches in 56 (excepting Lords)

 

[Days of Grace]

Wardle when seemingly at the top of his Test career wrote (or ghosted) an article which seem him thrown out of Test cricket

:

Interesting. Do you have any details?

 

[fredfertang]

Interesting. Do you have any details?

A series of (for 1958) sensational articles appeared under his name in the Daily Mail - he had a go at a number of aspects of the way Yorkshire cricket was run but his main crime was to lambast the county for appointing Ron Burnet, who had never played first class cricket, as captain for the season - Wardle lost the sympathy of the Yorkshire public, was sacked by the county, which led to his invitation to tour Australia in 58/59 being withdrawn and to rub salt in his wounds Burnet, after bringing Yorkshire their worst ever finish in his first year (when Wardle was in the dressing room) went on to bring back the glory days in his second and final season (without Wardle) by bringing Surrey's 7 year reign as champions to an end

 

[archie mac]

Interesting. Do you have any details?

A series of (for 1958) sensational articles appeared under his name in the Daily Mail - he had a go at a number of aspects of the way Yorkshire cricket was run but his main crime was to lambast the county for appointing Ron Burnet, who had never played first class cricket, as captain for the season - Wardle lost the sympathy of the Yorkshire public, was sacked by the county, which led to his invitation to tour Australia in 58/59 being withdrawn and to rub salt in his wounds Burnet, after bringing Yorkshire their worst ever finish in his first year (when Wardle was in the dressing room) went on to bring back the glory days in his second and final season (without Wardle) by bringing Surrey's 7 year reign as champions to an end

Thanks for saving me the trouble FF

I remember reading in a book (a tribute to Hutton I think) and some of the support staff at yorkshire were no fans of Wardle, very rude and uncouth it seems

 

[Richard]

About all I've ever read of Wardle besides that excerpt posted by Martin is a few bits in Dicke Bird's book. And even just from that, it's clear why he could be thought of as a difficult character. A shame, as he was clearly a magnificent bowler and I've always thought it's good when exceptions can be made for exceptional players. Similar to the case of SF Barnes.

What's interesting is that had he not been from Yorkshire, or indeed had he been born 30 years later than he was, he could conceivably have been a pretty damn decent wristspinner. But in his day, and at his county, there was simply no need for wristspin when fingerspin when bowled well in those days could do just as good as at worst and much better at best a job.

 

[fredfertang]

Excerpt!!!!!!!

That's all my own work guv!

 

[The Masterplan]

Wardle when seemingly at the top of his Test career wrote (or ghosted) an article which seem him thrown out of Test cricket

Gubby the Aussie was to blame for the crap pitches in 56 (excepting Lords)

It's quite clearly Ashley Giles, with the amount of turn he got it comes as no surprise he took more test wickets than this Wardle chap...

 

[pasag]

Pls Click, Lets Promote:
http://cricket2012games.com/index.html

Stop spamming the forums - official warning.

 

[SJS]

What no Douglas Wright ??

 

[fatbury]

where is John Emburey??

where is Monty??