Wastemen etc

[jimmy101]

Of course, lest we forget, the lovely suburb of Footscray bestowed Mervyn Gregory Hughes upon the world.

If that's not a claim to fame then I don't know what is!

 

[TheJediBrah]

Merv would have known a fair bit about desserts you would think

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Merv would have known a fair bit about desserts you would think

And even more about VB and hamburgers.

Merv is actually amazing to me. His pain threshold must have been extraordinary. He was typically the #2 seamer, with only the Waugh's bowling a few (in the 90's) and yet kept delivering his overs.

It is no wonder his sledging was so poor. He must have been in agony. But he kept bowling, good spells often too.

 

[Burgey]

Alphabet fail

I think you're confusing it with the acronym for finding women - Anything But English

Urrgghhh - dreadful typo on my part.

ABE will probably be my catch cry for the WC from here on in though.

 

[trundler]

Merv and McDermott have bagged more dismissals together than Thommo and Lillee. The more you know.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Merv and McDermott have bagged more dismissals together than Thommo and Lillee

Billy had lot of talent that the loose balls took away from.

I liked his zinc face.

 

[Burgey]

Of course, lest we forget, the lovely suburb of Footscray bestowed Mervyn Gregory Hughes upon the world.

If that's not a claim to fame then I don't know what is!

Merv was a great hero of mine from the mid-80s, even before he became good. Real cult hero. I remember wagging school and going out to watch him play a Shiled game at the SCG. Got his autograph, and he really played up the surly stuff even to the few spectators, despite us carrying a "Merv The Viking" banner.

Highlight of the day was him walking back onto the field after tea and doing a Bushie's Blow so loud we could hear it from the top deck of the Brewongle.

 

[trundler]

McDermott was very good, but his time came between Lillee and McGrath.

 

[TheJediBrah]

Urrgghhh - dreadful typo on my part.

ABE will probably be my catch cry for the WC from here on in though.

****s did themselves a huge favour by losing to Belgium

 

[trundler]

Merv was a great hero of mine from the mid-80s, even before he became good. Real cult hero. I remember wagging school and going out to watch him play a Shiled game at the SCG. Got his autograph, and he really played up the surly stuff even to the few spectators, despite us carrying a "Merv The Viking" banner.

Highlight of the day was him walking back onto the field after tea and doing a Bushie's Blow so loud we could hear it from the top deck of the Brewongle.

No way were you in school in the 80's.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

McDermott was very good, but his time came between Lillee and McGrath.

Nah - Billy played with McGrath. #Seriously.

 

[Burgey]

He was good, particularly in the early 90s. Even on the failed 91 tour of the Windies he was a constant threat. Always looked the most likely to take wickets. He was ATVG I suppose, rather than ATG. Great stalwart for Australia though. Shame he fell ill on the 93 Ashes tour. If he'd been there then Merv wouldn't have had to bowl himself into retirement like he did.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

He was good, particularly in the early 90s. Even on the failed 91 tour of the Windies he was a constant threat. Always looked the most likely to take wickets. He was ATVG I suppose, rather than ATG. Great stalwart for Australia though. Shame he fell ill on the 93 Ashes tour. If he'd been there then Merv wouldn't have had to bowl himself into retirement like he did.

Wow. Look into the SA away tour in 1994 :P

Leg cutters at 130+ aren't leg breaks if someone wants to behave like that

 

[trundler]

Yeah but McGrath hadn't become a legend until then though he had shown promise in the 95' WI series.

 

[trundler]

Like Billy's bowling action a lot.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Yeah but McGrath hadn't become a legend until then though he had shown promise in the 95' WI series.

Nah - Billy got injured but not retired that series. That was just McGrath stepping up to the plate and announcing himself.

 

[trundler]

Billy played his last test a year later. McGrath was promising in 96', and on his way to becoming a great. Averaging in the high 20s at that point. Just checked. His average kept decreasing after his dreadful first match right till the very end, never rising above 22 again. That's what I call consistency.

 

[Burgey]

Wow. Look into the SA away tour in 1994 :P

Leg cutters at 130+ aren't leg breaks if someone wants to behave like that

Merv basically rooted his knee on the 93 Ashes tour. He was barely fit at all afterwards until he finally retired. He bowled himself into the ground once McDermott went home. He took nearly as many wickets as Warne that series. Was immense in stature and effort. Like a non-vegetarian Peter Siddle, only with ability and an even larger aorta.

 

[Mr Miyagi]

Merv basically rooted his knee on the 93 Ashes tour. He was barely fit at all afterwards until he finally retired. He bowled himself into the ground once McDermott went home. He took nearly as many wickets as Warne that series. Was immense in stature and effort. Like a non-vegetarian Peter Siddle, only with ability and an even larger aorta.

Yeah - that may how you want to remember it. It isn't what went down. Rightly or wrongly.

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/feb/11/joy-of-six-australia-in-south-africa

Two Victorians lost their rag in SA in 1994, only one was dropped to Aus A.

What made it an issue was not because they lost their tempers, but because only 1 of the 2, the non leg-spin wonder - was dropped.

 

[Burgey]

Nah - Billy got injured but not retired that series. That was just McGrath stepping up to the plate and announcing himself.

Yep. idiot went for a morning run and jumped over a wall, rolled his ankle and that was it for the tour.

That was before he went inot the building game and basically persuaded (to use a neutral term) a lot of people to invest in his company, including iirc TOTAB. Money which they never saw again.