CW votes on the battle of the individual cricket shots

[Burgey]

I tend to rate highly the shots I struggle to play well myself. In other words, most of them but especially the sweep, which has been ruled out for me for about 15 years because of my knees, and the on drive, which I don't often get away very well. Whether that's because I'm a lefty and the angle works against me, or I'm just ****, I dunno.

 

[Zinzan]

Rightio, let's start this thing.

I thought we keep the posting of you-tube footage of the shots as an optional thing if people want to make a case for a player, but it's too hard and messy to make it compulsory.

So Battle 1.


Best exponent of the FRONT-FOOT STRAIGHT DRIVE along the ground

I'd like to nominate;

Sachin Tendulkar
Stephen Fleming
Rahul Dravid

 

[Burgey]

Nominate Matthew Hayden

 

[Zinzan]

Nominate Matthew Hayden

Good call, I second Hayden. I remember that big bat coming down and cannoning the ball straight back past the bowler

 

[TestMatch]

,

I nominate whatever this hopping shot is called:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szjg0Imfj4s

 

[vcs]

Tendulkar

 

[OverratedSanity]

Back foot punch through the offside isn't on the list?

 

[Daemon]

It is

 

[vcs]

Oh... I thought we were voting.

I'll nominate Ponting.

 

[Zinzan]

No, just looking at nominees for best front-foot straight drive at this stage.,


In thinking about it, might just flag the idea of a nominee needed to be seconded and just let the votes take care of themselves


So for the vote off so far we have

Tendulkar
Ponting
Hayden
Fleming
Dravid

And I'll add

M Waugh
Crowe
Vaughan

 

[Burgey]

Border

 

[jimmy101]

No, just looking at nominees for best front-foot straight drive at this stage.,


In thinking about it, might just flag the idea of a nominee needed to be seconded and just let the votes take care of themselves


So for the vote off so far we have

Tendulkar
Ponting
Hayden
Fleming
Dravid

And I'll add

M Waugh
Crowe
Vaughan

I'd like to nominate Peter May, on behalf of Tom Graveney, who rated May's straight drive the best shot he'd ever known.

An excerpt from his "Top 10 cricket book" -

"The straight drive of Peter May. This is a majestic shot and Peter used to execute it with power and precision. He could hammer half volleys to the boundary off the front or back foot and his follow through was copybook stuff."

From what I've seen and read, May was able to play a straight bat comfortably against the fastest bowlers of his day.

 

[jimmy101]

Tom Graveney's top 10 cricket shots:

1. Peter May (straight drive)
2. Wally Hammond (cover drive)
3. Everton Weekes (hook shot)
4. Denis Compton (sweep)
5. Viv Richards (square cut)
6. Len Hutton (forward defensive shot)
7. Graeme Pollock (backward defensive shot)
8. Ken Barrington (pull shot)
9. Neil Harvey (leg glance)
10. Clyde Walcott (back foot drive)

 

[mr_mister]

yeah, Punter was first to come to mind. like the way he leans into the shot

 

[mr_mister]

and ill also give Hick a nomination. Scored a ridic amount of FC runs playing mainly that shot. Nicked off a lot in tests doing it but it always looked good when it came off

 

[OverratedSanity]

Straight drive's gotta be Sachin, surely

 

[Daemon]

Loved the way his huge MRF used to hammer down on that poor overpitched delivery

Came a little when he sent one screaming down the ground in that Lord's Bicentenary match

 

[OverratedSanity]

The one off Damien Fleming at 5:36 is brutal. Really friendly half volley, but boy he just murders it.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Virat Kohli - mainly because it reminds me a lot of Tendulkar's in how minimal it seems.
Jacques Kallis

 

[micz]

Virat Kohli - mainly because it reminds me a lot of Tendulkar's in how minimal it seems.
Jacques Kallis

Yes Kallis' straight driving was superb