What a Difference Some Faith Makes........

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If Blewett was basically playing to a script like you suggest, then he did a bloody good job! He had excellent technique, and since all most of us can see is players' performance in the international arena, it looked like he simply one of those blockers. The only criticism I had of Blewett was that while he could stay at the crease for a long time and look good, he simply couldnt make it pay- I've seen him get out for a low score after playing LOTS of deliveries so often.

I know exactly what you're talking about and as I said, he was actually a naturally attacking player. He was just asked to play a role and did his best to do so. When he was unshackled, he could play some pretty extraordinary innings, as this scorecard shows:

http://www-aus.cricket.org/link_to_...N_AUS/SCORECARDS/ENG_AUS-XI_19-22DEC1998.html

I've watched him destroy bolwing attacks at local and international levels so for him to play the way he did in that period opening with Slats, well it was painful knowing how good he could have been. His 214 in South Africa, two centuries against England in Australia as innings against many other nations showed just how good he was when he could just cut loose. Telling him to play defensively is like asking Murali to not spin the ball too far.

I dont remember when, but one series he often got deliveries faster than McGrath and we had a good laugh about it. That happened as I was watching a match with my friends, and we'd just been talking about how crazy it was to have Srinath labeled "Medium pace" and McGrath "Fast" (and there's a division in between).
In the World cup '99, the medium fast defition for Srinath changed pretty fast to "fast" after the 90 + miles per hour deliveries

Whoever said Srinath was EVER medium-pace deserves headslaps. Sheesh...........

But yeah Blewwy could be pretty quick sometimes. I've seen him clocked at close to 140km/h. Strangely his pace increased as he got older. Mind you, Mark Waugh was of a similar pace when he first started. Steve Waugh was quicker than both when he first played for Australia. No kidding.

I dont think opening is really his position anyway, he would have been a great number 4 had M Waugh not been there.

I agree but maybe Blewwy would have been better opening with a less attacking character like Justin Langer?

 

[aussie_beater]

Steve Waugh was quicker than both when he first played for Australia. No kidding.

Really ?? I always thought Steve Waugh was medium pace...not even what you would call military medium pace, like Manoj Prabhakar...but never saw a speed gun clock him though.


[Edited on 9/18/02 by aussie_beater]

 

[Top_Cat]

Really ?? I always thought Steve Waugh was medium pace...not even what you would call military medium pace, like Manoj Prabhakar...but never saw a speed gun clock him though.

There's a reason he was considered an allrounder when he first played for Australia; occasionally he could be genuinely quick but most of the time he held back. Back problems, hamstring problems and concentration on his batting meant that his pace waned quite a bit after say 1993.

 

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Isn't Waugh credited with being the pioneer of the slow ball in ODIs?
Do you know if that's true?

I believe Waugh played a big role in the '87 WC with the ball. That was before I started watching cricket seriously though

 

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I know exactly what you're talking about and as I said, he was actually a naturally attacking player.

My post:

If Blewett was basically playing to a script like you suggest, then he did a bloody good job! He had excellent technique, and since all most of us can see is players' performance in the international arena, it looked like he simply one of those blockers.

Here I meant that it is very difficult for a player to completely change the tempo of his batting. I am sure you know this far better than I do- in the middle you are reacting to the delivery and your subconcious mind plays a big role. If your natural style of play is to reach out to hit the ball outside offstump through the covers, then curbing that and still playing well is not easy. And staying confident without playing your favourite shots is difficult. Blewett looked very comfortable doing the blocking role in international cricket.

The only criticism I had of Blewett was that while he could stay at the crease for a long time and look good, he simply couldnt make it pay- I've seen him get out for a low score after playing LOTS of deliveries so often.

When a batsman consumes a lot of deliveries, you hope he will make the time spent in the crease count, by making a big score. He has put in the 'hard work', and having survived the initial phase is expected to be middling the ball well.

 

[aussie_beater]

I believe Waugh played a big role in the '87 WC with the ball. That was before I started watching cricket seriously though

Yes he did.I still remember him dismissing Maninder Singh in the last ball of the Indian innings to clinch a one run Aus victory.Also he turned around the final dramatically with the two wickets of Alan Lamb and DeFreitas when they were almost about to take away the match away from Aus.He used to be more a bowler in those days then a batsman specially in ODIs and he could keep his cool to deliver at the death moments.

 

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That worldcup too ? :O India lost by a run in the next worldcup. This one was a very good match only marred by some stupid rain rules.