Is Murali a chucker??

[Podie]

Yep, a chucker. Nice guy, but a chucker.

My old coach would have had a fit if you'd had a bend in your arm... would easily have been 50 press-ups and two laps of the boundary...

[trickywoo]

johnfm said:

I'm not going to argue about who understands the game - I have played high level cricket for a number of years and I can assure you that the chucking issue lies with spinners rather than quicks.

Anyway, SA are 5 down, so I'm off to gloat!!

Why is it then that the fastest bowlers (Lee, Akhtar) have a tendency to chuck? Are they gaining no advantage from doing so? A chuck is a chuck and in an ideal world they would be called no balls.

You must be one of the very few people who don't agree that Lee and Akhtar (amoungst) others chuck.

As for the spinners I think Muralitharan does chuck but if the authorities let him do it why don't we coach kids to do the same?

Its like the All Blacks playing the offside rule in rugby and also throwing the ball forward in the pass. If the ref lets them do it we should coach our teams to do it as well.

Play to the whistle.

[trickywoo]

johnfm said:

I have played high level cricket for a number of years

Would not call Adel high level but there you go.

Can we have some fit birds in Hollyoaks as well?

[johnfm]

trickywoo said:

johnfm said:

I have played high level cricket for a number of years

Would not call Adel high level but there you go.

Can we have some fit birds in Hollyoaks as well?

Oi, stalker!! Adel is where I play in my autumn!! I'm 38 now!!

In my pomp it was WACA pennants in Perth up against Robin Smith, Alec Stewart, Bruce Laird, Graeme Wood, Dennis Lillee etc etc.

That seems like a LONGLONG time ago now though..

Do you still play?

[suthol]

johnfm said:

Oi, stalker!! Adel is where I play in my autumn!! I'm 38 now!!

So you were about 19 when the great DKL retired after playing for Tasmania, he didn't have much steam left in him then.

Anyway you still have heaps of time and maybe another wicket or two left, I've got 20 years on you and have no intention of retiring. ( started in grade 44 yrs ago )

I lost my A1 captain ( another WACA boy ) a couple of years ago also played for Melville.

[unrepentant]

The ICC rules regarding degree of straightening were changed to make Muralis action "legal". Also I listened to a discussion where it was suggested that he bowls more quickly in normal play and therefore straightens more than when he is tested, thus making the tests a joke.

And to whoever said "play to the whistle" I think you will find that umpires are not allowed to call him for throwing but instead are instructed to "report" at the end of the days play.

[johnfm]

suthol said:

johnfm said:

Oi, stalker!! Adel is where I play in my autumn!! I'm 38 now!!

So you were about 19 when the great DKL retired after playing for Tasmania, he didn't have much steam left in him then.

Anyway you still have heaps of time and maybe another wicket or two left, I've got 20 years on you and have no intention of retiring. ( started in grade 44 yrs ago )

I lost my A1 captain ( another WACA boy ) a couple of years ago also played for Melville.

DK was not running out of steam!! I was 18 and opened the batting against Melville at Gosnells - he had plenty of fire in him. As did Devon Malcolm at Freo. It was a great time in my cricketing life - I just regret not taking the chances I was offered!! TOo stuoid at 18 to make sensible decisions!! Matt Maynard was our o/seas player (after ROb Bailey the year before)and he asked me to come to Glamorgan to play 2nds - I doubt I would have got a game in the first eleven as IVA Richards was their o/seas player at the time!! Stupidly, I turned Matt down, choosing to finish my degree before travelling to the UK for cricket! You must remember in those days, there was no money in cricket at all.

[suthol]

johnfm said:

suthol said:

johnfm said:

Oi, stalker!! Adel is where I play in my autumn!! I'm 38 now!!

I lost my A1 captain ( another WACA boy ) a couple of years ago also played for Melville.

It was a great time in my cricketing life - I just regret not taking the chances I was offered!! Too stupid at 18 to make sensible decisions!!

Same sentiments here, but equally no regrets.

But wasn't going to the pub with your mates better than training three nights a week and playing local better traveling for hours only then wasting a day waiting for the pitch to dry after the local drunk took a leak on it on the way home after a big one.

That did it for me ( young dumb and full of c#m )

The ex Melville guy in our club is Stu Kensitt, probably a few years older than you and now living in Sydney, need a knee replacement and at 41 too young.

edited because my speling is carp and my egnlish is wors

Edited by suthol on Friday 27th April 11:19

Edited by suthol on Friday 27th April 11:22

[johnfm]

No regrets - had I gone to GLamorgan I would not have met my wife and had my kids etc etc. My life is bloody great.

Its just when you bump into, say Dermott Reeve 10 years after playing him and he recognizes you with ' me, John how are you. You were the quickest white guy I faced in the '90s' etc, you start to wonder.

Having said that, bowling quick is a mug's game!!! Sore back, dropped slipped catches, streaky edges for four....then the spinners come on and 'buy' wickets..... not that I'm bitter!!

Now concentrate on hitting runs and reminiscing what it was like to walk onto the same field as some of the 'big boys'. I'll never, ever forget facing Dennis Keith Lillee.

[MikeyT]

johnfm said:

I'll never, ever forget facing Dennis Keith Lillee.

Great stuff johnfm, but did you ever hit him for four (or more)?

I'd have happily trod on me wkt had I ever done that ...

[johnfm]

It was a pretty weird game. We were up against it, having lost on the first innings (we played 96 overs per side over two Saturdays.) I remember the second innings they had only about 20 overs to bowl at us, so Dennis had no worries about conceding runs. He had 5 slips & 2 gulleys and one man catching close in each side. He just steamed in bowling 3-4 bouncers an over at me!!! Our home ground was pretty hard and fast, so it was 'interesting'. I didn't ever bat in a helmet, so this seemed to inspire him all the more!! Many of my friends and relatives came to watch and, rather embarassingly, were chanting 'Lillee, Lillee' as he bowled!! I survived for nearly 15 or 16 overs, making very few runs. Dennis continually following through most of the way down the track, spitting, calling me a pussy or a girl etc etc. Finally he got me - caught and bowled one handed diving to his right - the guy was a fighter, even in a 'dead' game.

He was absolutely rock hard on the field - off it, he was the first to buy a young 'rabbit' a beer!

I'll never forget it.

However, my favourite cricket moment is bouncing out Bruce Laird at South Perth with a brutal short one!! Ahh, the good old days....

[MikeyT]

johnfm said:

Some good stuff!

He was the toughest of opponents though wasn't he - unwilling to conceded an inch on the field. As it should be.

I can remember him and Boycott having some real ding-dongs from my youth ... and Derek Randall too.

As you say though, off the field, a good character.

Whata way to go though ...

John FM c&b Lillee A few

Edited by MikeyT on Friday 27th April 15:37

[johnfm]

I'm feeling all nostalgic & melancholy now....

If Lillee was memorable for good reasons, I'll never forgot 'bad' memorable moment.

I bolwed Robin Smith a bit of a snorter - sharp, short chin music style. SHoulder of bat, dropped at gulley for nought!!

He went on to hit 140~odd not out that day...gutted!

[suthol]

In the final Murali gave the greatest exhibition of chucking I have seen outside of the Red Sox.

I sincerely hope we never see another player with such a poor action above U8's ever again.