Michael Clarke - all hype, no performance

[Mister Wright]

I probably shouldn't admit this (only because Mr Wright will want to pay all of his life savings for this ) but I own the official video highlights of Queensland's first Sheffield Shield win in 1994-95. In it, you see Marty Love, about 21, playing I think was his his second or third match for QLD. He smacked the daylights out of the SA (yes, it was South Australia in the final, leave me alone) attack for about 150-odd and was so crisp off the back-foot. After watching that knock live at the time and later on again when I got the video, it beggars belief that it took 10000+ FC runs for him to be considered for a Test spot.

Another unrelated note; it was Jason Gillespie's 4th (?) FC match and I can promise you, he was a vastly different bowler. He was barely touching 130km/h at the time and his action was just weird.

You can pretty much bank on Love scoring a century in a FC final. He did it this year after having a diabolical season with the bat.

 

[Mister Wright]

I completely disagree about those balls. It wasn't as though he was the only bloke to go out to Vaas like that on the first day - balls that were swinging away and cutting a little bit further. He did cop two pretty good knackers IMO, moreso the first than the second.

Simply put, it's like what happened with Bevan under Ponting. S. Waugh became Captain, was never really a fan, and coupled with a poor series against the best opening bowlers in the world at that stage, screwed his chances of playing for Aus.

They weren't particularly vicous deliveries. Regulation balls from a top class bowler, he should have handled them better.

 

[Richard]

that was a pity really, from what i saw off him he looked like a player of real class, and now it appears that he may never get another chance at the international level again.

Blimey, if tec is it must big a big sadness!

 

[Top_Cat]

You can pretty much bank on Love scoring a century in a FC final. He did it this year after having a diabolical season with the bat.

Yet another reason why it was unfortunate he didn't get picked earlier; he's definitely a big-match player.

 

[Mister Wright]

Yet another reason why it was unfortunate he didn't get picked earlier; he's definitely a big-match player.

Yeah, 'aint that the truth. I think for too long in his career he was pidgeon holed as a number 3 only. I mean, if you can bat three, you can bat middle order. I guess the only thing against playing as a number 3, is you don't have to wait as long as a number 6. That is where Elliot was shown up not to be a three. He couldn't handle the waiting.

 

[Richard]

How many times exactly did Elliott bat three in a Test?

 

[King_Ponting]

twice i think, and one of them he got 0

 

[Richard]

I can't recall any other occasion apart from that one-off comeback either.

 

[Mister Wright]

I can't recall any other occasion apart from that one-off comeback either.

He batted at 3 for an entire South African series and the test against Sri Lanka.

 

[vic_orthdox]

He batted at 3 for an entire South African series and the test against Sri Lanka.

From memory, he didn't have the worst series in SA, though? Probably not the best, either, but still...

 

[Top_Cat]

From memory, he didn't have the worst series in SA, though? Probably not the best, either, but still...

The 85 he scored in the match below was the best knock of that series but indeed, he didn't capitalise. To this day, I remember and hear from other people his hooked 6 off Alan Donald; it sent a message to the Saffies and I don't think they liked what they saw.

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/AUS_IN_RSA/AUS_RSA_T1_28FEB-04MAR1997.html

 

[vic_orthdox]

The 85 he scored in the match below was the best knock of that series but indeed, he didn't capitalise. To this day, I remember and hear from other people his hooked 6 off Alan Donald; it sent a message to the Saffies and I don't think they liked what they saw.

http://www.cricinfo.com/db/ARCHIVE/1996-97/AUS_IN_RSA/AUS_RSA_T1_28FEB-04MAR1997.html

Yeah. Guys from my club talk about a front foot pull off Donald in that series, and they still talk about it being one of the best shots they've ever seen. But I'm sure they're a bit biased Might be the same shot you're referring to.

 

[Top_Cat]

Yeah. Guys from my club talk about a front foot pull off Donald in that series, and they still talk about it being one of the best shots they've ever seen. But I'm sure they're a bit biased

If you'd seen it, that thought wouldn't even enter your mind.

 

[vic_orthdox]

Which part - The biased thought? Best shot they've ever seen? Or the Front Foot part?

 

[Top_Cat]

I meant you wouldn't think they were just biased - it really was an outstanding shot. They may well BE biased but not without reason. Wish I still had footage. You could almost hear Elliott thinking "Geez, smacked that one." and Donald thinking "That's never happened before..........."

 

[SJS]

Clarke is a highly gifted batsman going through a bad patch. To use this to call him over hyped is unfair and worse.

 

[Richard]

I meant you wouldn't think they were just biased - it really was an outstanding shot. They may well BE biased but not without reason. Wish I still had footage. You could almost hear Elliott thinking "Geez, smacked that one." and Donald thinking "That's never happened before..........."

IF it had never happened before it will have happened a few times since.
Even the best bowlers get Hooked for six occasionally.

 

[Top_Cat]

IF it had never happened before it will have happened a few times since.
Even the best bowlers get Hooked for six occasionally.

I'm a bit stuck for words after reading this so I'm going to try some combination of "Duh", "Doi" or maybe "My God, Veronica, ya think??"

Hooked for 6, yes of course. Pulled off the front-foot, the sort of shot that even the very best only try against medium-pacers, forget about a guy who was bowling thunderbolts at 150km/h+ and was in great form, no not quite as often.

 

[Richard]

Not quite as often no - exceptionally un-often in fact.
But think... of all the 150kph thunderbolts that have been bowled, the odd one WILL have had a similar stroke played with similar effects.

 

[howardj]

Damn you to hell, whoever revived this thread. I was hoping it would be forgotten about and die a slow death