Wayne Holt

answered

Q: Who played the best innings you've seen in a game you played?

A: Steve Waugh. NSW Combined High Schools vs GPS at the Scots College Sydney. On an underprepared wicket, he smashed the GPS bowlers to all parts, including a number of Bellevue Hill backyards. He and I put on around 60, I got 9, he finished on 170.

answered

Q: If you could make one rule change in any format of the game what would it be?

A: 1. For DRS Referrals, the umpire needs to articulate to the 3rd umpire, why they made their decision, eg: For an LBW, "I gave it not out as the ball is missing the leg stump, or going over the stumps", then if the ball tracker shows that the ball hits the bails or any part of the wicket, then the umpires call is overruled, as their call was ball missing the wickets. If they have accepted the technology, they should not be using the excuse that it may not be 100% accurate, so they say "umpire's call".
2. Get rid of the number of over the shoulder deliveries. The game is so much in favour of batsmen, (short boundaries, bigger bats, 1 bouncer per over) that the bowlers need more weapons. If bowlers are skilled enough to be able to bowl 6 balls at a batsman between their shoulders and the top of their head, then they should be allowed to do it. Umpires, just call wide when they go over the batsmen's head.
3. Remove compulsory retirement scores in junior cricket. If a batter in under 10s or 12s is good enough to bat the whole morning, then let them, don't pull them off when they get to 20 or 30. It inspired me to be a better player seeing players from other clubs score 50s and 100s in under 12s.
4. If players leave the playing area, ie, jump over the rope, they cannot then catch the ball back inside the rope. In theory, the rope has replaced the fence, so if we did not have rope and had actual pickets, would the player be allowed to jump the fence, throw the ball back, and then catch it, no they would not.
5. Force batsmen to be ready when the bowler has reached their bowling mark

answered

Q: My son is 15 and loves cricket. During the off-season last year, he worked really hard on his batting.
He was opening the batting and really enjoyed it and wanted to get a lot better. But after two games and he scored 33 and 41 the coach said he batted too slow and for the rest of the season he was batting down the order and didn’t get many chances.
No, he says what’s the point of training this off season. It’s sad as he really does love batting and the game. What advice could anyone offer?

A: Drew, sounds like your son may need a change of scenery for next season.
It is extremely disappointing to hear that an under 15s coach is measuring success by a player's strike rate, rather than runs on the board and stability from your opening batsman.
From the limited information provided, it appears that your son has all of the attributes to be a successful red ball opening batsman, so maybe you may need to move from junior cricket, to a more competitive long form of cricket.
I don't know what the Newcastle grade cricket ranks are like, but if you can start off in the lower grades as a 15 year old, I am sure your son will develop his skills quicker than the boys in his old team, who will be instructed to go out and bash every ball.
What I have seen in junior cricket is, everyone develops physically at different rates, so the kids that are big now and can hit harder, will more than likely stay at that level. You normally see a couple of kids in each competition bigger and stronger, but they do not always reach the same levels when they get to senior cricket, because skill and attitude come into play.
The bigger problem is the changes that have been made in junior cricket to have limited times and balls faced, to ensure that all players have the same opportunities. Kids have to retire when they get to 30 or 50, and you would hardly ever see any junior cricketer score a century, or someone bat all morning in a local junior match.
I am particularly disappointed with this coach, what he should be doing is building his team around the solid platform your son is providing at the top of the order, rather than seeing your son's success as a detriment to the team. I would be interested to know how the team went after your son was moved down the order, and did the coach get the success he was seeking.
Personally, I would be looking to move to a competition that is played over 80 overs (or more) a day, and sticking to your current batting style of seeing off the new ball, and stabilising the top order. Perhaps the only other advice I could offer is, if you are at the top of the order and you have done all of the hard work to see off the new ball and then get to 30 or 40, you have to turn those scores into big scores.
Dont change for someone else, only change is you want to.
Good Luck

answered

Q: After 5 scores below 10 at the end of the season what advice or strategies could people offer for me to work on during the off season.

I’m 17 and was batting 4 and I really want to be a lot more confident at the start of next season.

A: Nick,
A sequence of low scores is not always a sign of a larger problem. All cricketers of all abilities will go through periods where for reasons unknown, you just happen to get out, it could be a result of some very good bowling, or a great piece of fielding, a lapse in concentration, heaven forbid a suspect decision, or all of the above.
Unless you have some analytics available on your dismissals, it will be pretty difficult to detect areas to work on, but with anything, if you want to improve, you need to put the hard work in.
So my recommendations would be:
- Work on your fitness during winter. The fitter you are, your fatigue levels drop, and concentration levels increase. This does not just mean running kms, doing running between the wicket drills to improve your speed.
- Don't just concentrate on your batting fitness, put time into your fielding fitness as well, as you will be spending as much time in the field as batting
- Try and get some indoor (and outdoor sessions in). If you could have someone video them, that would be a great way to check that all of your movements and positioning are correct.
- There are plenty of batting drills available on the internet, that can assist you once you have detected an issue
- Even look into private coaching with an CA qualified coach
- Don't be afraid to ask players and coaches you know for help, I am sure they would love to assist
- Keep enjoying the game, don't be disheartened, you will experience good times as well

answered

Q: Who is the one player from Sydney Grade Cricket who played between 1980 and 2000 you’d want as the first player selected if you had the opportunity to start your own NSW Premier first grade cricket team?

A: Graeme Beard. 50 wickets a season bowling mediums or off spin and runs in the middle order.

answered

Q: Bob Simpson, who was a major force in the success of Australian cricket in the late 1980s and 1990s, used to say to a young group of players at Western Suburbs many years ago that a second-grade batter is only eight consecutive hundred away from playing Test cricket for Australia.

Simpson created hope by sharing two consecutive hundreds in 2nd grade, which should warrant a promotion to first grade. 3 consecutive first grade hundreds would bring you into calculations for NSW, and if you followed it up with 3 consecutive hundreds in first class cricket, you could be selected to make your debut for Australia in Test cricket.

It’s never been done, but gee, I’d love the theory to be tested. You never know how any player will perform until they are given an opportunity.

Can NSW Selectors ignore the form of Gordon District Cricket Club first grade captain Tym Crawford?

Tym has scored over 6,000 first grade runs and is only 30 years of age and look at his six innings for Gordon in NSW Premier Cricket.

• 101 off 116 balls in Round 7 vs. UTS North Sydney
• 205 off 140 balls in Round 8 vs. Penrith.
• 119 off 92 balls in Round 9 vs. Northern District.
• 48 off 42 balls in Round 10 vs. Sydney
• 164 off 121 balls in Round 11 vs. Sydney University
• 94 off 113 balls in Round 12 vs. Mosman

He’s in form and has created the currency of performances we’ve been assured are most worthy.

A: He definitely warrants selection, but he does not fit the mould of a current CNSW First Class/List A cricketer.
30 years old (too old and out of the pathway programs)
Not currently on a CNSW contract, so why would they pick a player who they are not already paying?
Current Premier Cricket form does not seem to matter when teams are selected, he could score 1000 runs in this competition, but if he does not transfer that into Second XI matches, he is no chance.
Take current players such as Daniel Solway and Josh Clarke as the guide. Both have in excess of 20 first grade premier cricket centuries, and D Solway scored a hundred on first class debut, but did not get an extended run, he is still scoring runs for fun in premier cricket. Josh Clarke had a period of 3 seasons with Hawkesbury where he scored 3500 runs, and because he was not scoring hundreds in second XI matches, he was never afforded an opportunity in first class cricket.
Good luck to Tim he deserves a shot,

answered

Q: NSW Under 19 Cricket team 1983-84

Back Row – Jack Wilson (Manager), Justin Kenny, Jason Horn, Steve Liggins, Richard Stobo, Gavin Robertson, Stephen Funnell, Glenn Tobin, Ted Cotton (Coach)

Front Row – Mark Patterson, Mark Taylor, Steve Waugh, Mark England (Captain), Brad McNamara, David Moore, Mark Waugh

Comment from Brad McNamara

Great memories! Some characters in that outfit.
Has there ever been a better U/19 team in terms of senior representation?
9 of 14 went on to play Sheffield Shield Cricket
4 Captained NSW
4 Played Test cricket for Australia, 3 over 100 Tests - 404 Tests in total (your 4 made all the difference Riddler!)
2 long time Captains of Australia
A West Indies Head Coach!
Notwithstanding countless grade Cricket honours.

Special mention to our old mate Glen Tobin who is no longer with us.

A: This was an extremely difficult team to make, with good reason. Some fabulous players, that turned into world cricket legends.
It was a privilege to play with and against them

answered

Q: I’m a 16 year old opening batter who played their first season of grade last year. I found it tough to get starts and struggled batting in the afternoon of 2 day matches. Something I struggled with was maintaining focus for my innings and losing concentration when I got comfortable. Could I get some advice on how to maintain focus and get a routine to make sure I’m concentrating

A: Campbell,
As we all know cricket has changed in the last 20 years, with T20 and other short forms of the game, but regardless of how many overs the game is, you still need to be totally focused on every ball, not just the ones you are facing. By continually turning the strike over, you not only keep your score ticking along, but you also get to see what is happening all around the field when you are observing from the non-strikers end.
I always found it entertaining, and a good way to remain focused, to have a running commentary going in my head. Ball by ball, what movement if any, good shots by my fellow batsmen, good pieces of fielding (and poor one). This gave me an all round view of the game situation, where the bowling sides strengths and weaknesses were, how the wicket was playing, was the ground fast or slow etc.
It is a monumental task to bat for all six hours, but you can make that task easier by ensuring that you are both physically and mentally fit enough to get through. What a lot of batsmen (not just young ones) fail to realise, is that you can always make up for a steady start later in the day, as the bowlers get tired, and the ball gets older. You should also follow your routine (if you have one) for each ball. Mark your guard, take a couple of steps away towards square leg, tap down the invisible marks on the pitch, talk to your partner between overs, what ever you need to clear your head from the previous ball, and then get focussed for the next one.
Sure, we are all hearing about Bazball, but not everyone has that ability, so you need to focus on your strengths, learn how to pick up lines and lengths, and have the ability to leave balls when necessary, and when presented with a bad ball, make sure you score from it, and it does not always need to be a six or a four.
As an opener, you have the ability to face all 600 balls of an innings (unlikely), but even if you face 300, and you can score at 50 runs per hundred ball, you will be 150 not out at stumps, I would take that every week, and I am sure the selectors at your club would too.

answered

Q: Back to Sunday 31st March and it’s 8.00am and Whooly arrives at Bankstown Oval for what is the last day of the NSW Premier Cricket Season, the Grand Final.

Michael Wholohan had been Penrith’s Club Coach since 2003 and their First Grade team had not won the Belvedere Cup (Premiership) since 1982-83, some 36 years.

The NSW Premier Cricket Grand Final is played over 3 days.

For the first two days, Penrith and Sydney University had played tough cricket. Sydney University had been bowled out for 207 and at the end of day 2, Penrith had just passed their score but had lost 9 wickets.

With 90 overs still to play, the final was still in the balance and the game of cricket has a funny way of playing tricks on players’ minds.

https://www.cricconnect.com/profile/32/paul-ryan/blog/1251/run-whooly-run

A: An absolute legend. Playing second grade at Penrith with Whooly and the boys was the best fun on a cricket field I ever had.

answered

Q: I'd like to ask how Australia could even consider leaving Scott Boland out of the first test of the ashes?

A: 100% agree. Josh Hazelwood has not bowled more than 4 overs in any game for months, and Scott Boland looks like taking a wicket with every ball, and will bowl as many overs as Pat wants or needs. England would be more worried if Scott Boland and not Josh Hazelwood, was in the lineup tonight.

answered

Q: My son is 15 and has been told if he doesn’t get selected in the pathways system, he probably won’t make representative teams in the future. Is this true and how can we help him, he so passionate.

A: Alex,
I agree with Andrew, who ever is making that statement does not understand the changing cricket world.
For what ever reason, cricket administrators see pathways as their primary player identification method, and frankly it is just lazy.
Sure, have processes to identify talent, but that talent should also be made to prove that they are better than players that sit outside of the system, in like for like competitions. Just because you dominate under 15s, does not mean that when they get to 18, they are still "better" than players who were not in the system we they were 15.
To have players given "rookie" contracts based on what happened in under age cricket, with no Premier Cricket performance to back it up, it what is landing the state associations in the situations they face now, and to Andrew's point, leading to outstanding premier cricket performers looking for their opportunity interstate.
That being said, pathways are current and do play a role in making representative under age teams, so with your son being 15, and driven to make these teams, finding a strong premier cricket club to join in Green Shield and lower grade teams would be a great starting point.
If you son was to have good performances over the course of the Green Shield season, back up by good Premier cricket performance, leading to progression through the grades, he will be noticed, if not for U/17s, he could be in a high grade doing well by the time he is eligible for the U/19's. You always have to remember that they only pick 14 players in each age group to compete in the Australian U/17 and U/19 carnivals, and when you think about how many players there are to choose from in NSW, you have to be at an elite level.
Whatever he wants to do in cricket, he has to keep enjoying it, and controlling what is within his control. Being picked in squads or teams is difficult, and the decisions are made by groups that have no connection to your son, and the only thing that he can do is put up performances that cannot be denied, if they are deemed not enough to get in, then continue to strive to reach the highest level possible, starting with Premier First grade, and onwards from there.

answered

Q: I’m 19 and opening the batting. Started the season poorly with 4 scores under 10 and I’m frustrated as I worked hard in the off season and want to get advice on how to approach my next innings and what to focus on?

A: Zac,
Dont get frustrated with getting out, it happens as an opening batsman, just stick to the basics, and stick to your strengths.

What has worked in the past for you, will continue to work for you going forward.

As Greg, Peter and Paul have stated, continue to watch the ball in the bowlers hand, make sure your stance is comfortable and your feet are moving where you want them to go.

Take your time and accumulate your runs, and maybe put away the big shots early in your innings, and once you feel comfortable, expand the shot range. There is nothing better for your confidence than spending time in the middle, rather than time in front of a machine.

Last of all, do not lose faith in your ability, the runs will come.

answered

Q: Who am I?

I made my first-class debut in 1998 for my county in the United Kingdom
• I scored 46 first class hundreds.
• I played first grade premier cricket in Australia.
• I made a century on my Test debut and scored 21 Test centuries.

A: Andrew Strauss

answered

Q: When my sons goes to play a cover drive the ball tends to go to mid off. Is it his feet, hands or is he trying to hit the ball too hard. How can I help him?

A: Tim, it could be all of those things, but ultimately it comes back to aligning his leading shoulder, elbow, knee and foot to the direction that he wants to place the ball. It is also crucial to wait for the contact point to be under his eyeline, which should also be over his from foot, and not reaching out in front, as that normally pushes your bottom hand through, and the bat would be moving back towards the mid off position, thus, not presenting the full face of the bat towards the cover position.
Batting tee drills are excellent to get all of these elements working together, rather than bowling machines or throw downs. Set up one on the driving length, and two in the target area (cover). Make sure that it is about the contact point and keeping your elbow up and moving through the target zone, and that his toes are pointing through the target zone as well. To time cover drives you do not need to have a massive follow through, so strike it and bring your elbow up to eyeline height. Remember, when doing drills you should have your normal equipment on to ensure that the position you achieve in practice , can be replicated in a match.

answered

Q: We have a promising 17-year-old batter at our club and we’ve noticed he’s picking the bat up towards leg slip as the bowler is running into bowl. What’s the best way to help and is there a preference to how he should pick the bat up?

A: I am going to assume that he is a strong offside player, as he would struggle to get his bat around his body to play to the legside.

The important piece is where is he at when the bowler is delivering the ball? If you look at Rory Burns from England, who has a very unconventional backlift, but at the time of delivery, his foot movements allow him to be in a position to play all around the wicket.

At 17, my advice would be to work on adjusting the backlift, to get it to at least straight back towards his own stumps, and this will also require some adjustment of his grip, and rotation of his front shoulder, to have it facing directly up the pitch.

Some easy batting drills using batting tees, rather than throw downs or bowling machines, to have the bat coming through from that straight position, will assist.

answered

Q: In relation to the Mankad issue and its increased regularity especially in T20 cricket.
Bowlers are penalised for going 1mm over the crease for a no ball and it cost the team one run plus a free hit which could mean the penalty is 7 runs if the free hit is hit for 6. Bowlers are also penalised if they’re stray outside the markers and the ball is called a wide and it could also cost their team 7 runs if the additional bowl is hit for 6. That’s all fine because it’s in the rules.
The Mankad is in the rules but it’s not a good look and creates tension amongst the players so with all the technology involved in the game what if a penalty is introduced to the batting team if the batter leaves the crease before the ball is bowled.
The technology and penalty take the pressure off the bowlers and the umpires and like the bowler’s penalties means the batters have to stick to the rules of the game.
Is 2 or 3 runs too much of a penalty, keen to get your thoughts.

A: Great point. I agree with Neil, if this is the only way the bowler can think of dismissing a batsmen, then they need to question why they are playing.
Why not change both rules.
Bowler: Only if the front foot is entirely over the popping crease, is it a No-Ball. To reduce the penalty for a bowler, apply a 3 run penalty, with no free hit. The short forms of the game is already too much in favour of batsmen, allowing for the possibility of a 7 run penalty for being for having your front foot on the line (but not behind it) is too harsh.
Batter: Until the bowler enters their delivery stride, some part of the batter's body or equipment, must be grounded behind the popping crease, as soon as the delivery stride begins, the batter can leave the crease without the possibility of being "runout" by the bowler. If the bowler enters their delivery stride and then attempts to run out the non striker, they should be penalised (maybe 5 runs, same as hitting a helmet behind the wicketkeeper, even though the ICC insist that players protect themselves)

answered

Q: As a batter runs are your currency and it’s great to see Ryan Hackney follow up his maiden first class century for NSW by scoring big runs for his club Parramatta in NSW Premier Cricket.

In the month of March, Ryan has scored.

• 50 and 51 not for Parramatta v Mosman
• 73 for Parramatta v Sutherland
• 99 and 15 for NSW 2nd XI v ACT
• 78 and 102 for NSW v South Australia
• 51 for Parramatta in their quarter final against St George
• 130 for Parramatta in their semi-final against Randwick Petersham
• 193 not for Parramatta in the Grand Final against Sydney University.

On the back of this form, and his ability to occupy the crease and bat long into an innings, one can only assume Ryan will get the opportunity to start next season opening the batting for NSW.

Well played Ryan Hackney.

A: Paul,

I agree wholeheartedly, that is why they need to scale back the "Pathway" route to CNSW Contracts. If the identified players are performing in under age cricket and Premier Cricket, sure push them ahead, but not at the expense of players that are outside the under age system and are outstanding Premier cricket performers (Josh Clarke, Daniel Solway, Scott Rodgie, Devlin Malone etc)

answered

Q: As a batter runs are your currency and it’s great to see Ryan Hackney follow up his maiden first class century for NSW by scoring big runs for his club Parramatta in NSW Premier Cricket.

In the month of March, Ryan has scored.

• 50 and 51 not for Parramatta v Mosman
• 73 for Parramatta v Sutherland
• 99 and 15 for NSW 2nd XI v ACT
• 78 and 102 for NSW v South Australia
• 51 for Parramatta in their quarter final against St George
• 130 for Parramatta in their semi-final against Randwick Petersham
• 193 not for Parramatta in the Grand Final against Sydney University.

On the back of this form, and his ability to occupy the crease and bat long into an innings, one can only assume Ryan will get the opportunity to start next season opening the batting for NSW.

Well played Ryan Hackney.

A: Ryan should have been given his opportunity much earlier based on his domination of the Australian U/17 and U/19 carnivals where he scored 5 hundreds and 1000 plus runs. Somehow, he was not deemed good enough to be included in the Australian U/19 team for the World Cup in New Zealand, but Jack Edwards, who scored no runs apart from 147 in the final against the CA U/17s was included, and then given 4 years of opportunities.
I am so glad that Ryan is now proving those pundits wrong with his consistently heavy scoring.
Agree, he should be the first opener picked, and given an extended run.

answered

Q: I’m opening the batting next game for the first time. I’m not sure but I think I’d like to face the first ball and want to ask if people think there’s a benefit to facing the first ball?

A: I always felt comfortable taking the first ball, as I was a little superstitious and always felt I was going to get runs if I got off the mark from my first ball. In most cases bowlers would not bowl their best ball first ball of the day, so you could take advantage.
Regardless of when you face your first ball, it will always be your first ball.

answered

Q: Is age (young or old) a key criteria in selecting players in a cricket team?

A: Good theory, but again it focuses on age rather than performance.
I know this is going to make me sound old, but when I started in Grade (now known as Premier) cricket in Sydney, in 1980, you had to pay your dues and work through the grades based on performance. It wasn't just one good performance in fourth grade as a 16 year old and then up to seconds or firsts, it was 4 or 5 years of performance in thirds and seconds, before I got to play first grade.
In the 1980's you still had all of the Sheffield Shield and Test players available for grade cricket, so there were a lot more obstacles for younger players, so unless you were scoring 500 runs a season, you were not getting a chance.
There are far more opportunities now to play higher grades faster for young cricketers, and they seem to get opportunities based on 50s or 2fors, rather than 100s and 5fors.
In regards to 28 year olds "blocking" the way, they are probably players that have stayed loyal to that club, and deserve to have a place, rather than younger club hoppers looking to jump the queue by changing clubs continually. Long gone are the days where players would play 200 or 300 games for the same club.

answered

Q: Is age (young or old) a key criteria in selecting players in a cricket team?

A: There has been a massive shift in player selection policy over the past decade, with the primary focus being Pathways providing Cricket Australia with "future" international cricketers. The downside of this policy is the neglect towards outstanding Premier cricketers who perform year in, year out, but cannot secure contracts with state organisations as they are too old for a Rookie contract, or have not been through the system (U/17, U/19 or Second XI).

There is more importance placed on a player that may have one good innings at the U/19 carnival, than someone who has scored more than 20 1st grade centuries.

I agree with Paul and Peter, if you are good enough (and prove you are good enough, not just reputation or perceived potential), then you should be selected, regardless of age (young or old).

answered

Q: Does the captain of a cricket team have to be the best player in the team?

A: In higher levels of cricket, I do not believe the captain needs to be the "best" player, as not all "best" players have the capacity to read the game, manage players and officials, and set the appropriate example to the rest of the team, that a good captain can. They need to be of a sufficient ability to hold their place in the team in their own right, for the specialties they possess (Batting, Bowling, Allrounder and WK), and not just an average player who happens to be a good captain.

Recent Australian cricketers Mark Taylor and Tim Paine, although very good test cricketers, they were not the best players in their respective teams, but they were very good captains and produced very good results.

I do believe in certain cases, such as lower grades in Premier or club cricket, that there is a place for having a more experienced player as the captain and mentor, to assist in the development of younger players as they navigate their way from junior cricket to senior and representative cricket.

Whoever the captain is, they should always set the example of how a team/club plays, and ensure that all players enjoy their cricket experience, while endeavouring to achieve all of their own individual goals.

answered

Q: What's the best cricket shot to learn to play well?

A: Larry, if you can have solid defensive shots, off both the front and back foot, that is an excellent foundation to then move onto learning all of the attacking shots available, if you cannot keep the good balls out, you will not be able to deal with the bad ones. There are 1000s of training videos available on the internet for defensive and attacking shots.

answered

Q: I’d love to get some feedback on the strategies batters have to help them relax between balls and then be ready to focus and concentrate for the next ball?

A: I marked my guard after every ball, then watched the bowler all the way back to their mark, with particular attention paid to the ball and what they were doing with it. Then I would ensure that I was ready and waiting for when they turned to begin their run. Again, on the approach I focussed on the ball all the way to pick up the seam and shiny side placement.

Another quirk: I used to make another mark on the crease approximately 12 inches outside off stump, long enough to see it in front of me. This was a guide as to when I could leave balls outside off stump.

answered

Q: I hear people talk about the spirit of cricket and would say it means different things to different people.
I’d like to ask what in your opinion is the spirit of cricket?

A: The Spirit of Cricket is multi layered and should apply to all facets of the game, not just the one you may be involved in.
It should be a personal behaviour, that comes as second nature. It should be something that has you to thinking at every moment, "is that in the spirit of the game. I believe this comes from how you played the game from your first involvement, and the people that were around you, and provided the example and guidance to ensure you enjoyed the game, and also, that the whole experience for all involved left them with a lifelong love of the game.
It should be a community and club behaviour, and where ever you play or are involved as a parent, coach, manager, administrator or volunteer, you should be creating an environment that allows for enjoyment and development for everyone, regardless of ability, age, sex or cultural background.
A Sydney Premier Cricket club I have 38 year history with presents a Spirit of Cricket Award named after my father in law, for the player who displays these values over the course of the season, not just one act. The award itself is indicative of what spirit of cricket means. My father in law was born in an era of gentlemen, and although not a great player, he played local B Grade for many years, he enjoyed his cricket and team mates immensely. Regardless of what level he was playing he always respected his opponents, the match officials, and any volunteers involved in preparing wickets or providing afternoon teas.
His behavior served in his personal life as much as it did in his sporting life, and he taught me many things about the right way to treat and respect anybody I would meet in my life, and to this day, I use him as an example in my business, personal and sporting life. Ultimately, we have to remember that cricket is just a game, and can be serious for some, but for most it is about the love and enjoyment of playing a great game with their mates. Keep the spirit alive.

answered

Q: What is the most surreal moment you've experienced in cricket?

A: Meeting half the England Cricket team in the Middlesex dressing room at Lords in 1989, during a rain delay in their match with Yorkshire. Names: Mike Gatting, John Emburey, Phil Edmonds, Paul Downton, Norman Cowans, Roland Butcher, Angus Fraser and an up and comer Mark Ramprakash (ended up scoring over 100 1st class 100s, he was only 18 at the time)

About Me

My Activity

Following