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Post by Deleted on Dec 14, 2016 21:23:09 GMT
Fo no particualr reason, I was tonight looking at Trueman's autobiograhy As It Was and came across this passage in which he described taking his first ever Test wicket against the Indians at Headingley in 1952:
""I didn't run up to Umrigar and wave my fist at him. I didn't do a lap of honour. Nor did my team-mates run to me arms aloft expecting a high-five. And I didn't look over to the members' enclosure and place a finger to my pursed lips. I simply nodded in Umrigar's direction and he reciprocated."
Now why did that make me think of Stokes?
I admire him hugely as a cricketer, and think he's England's best all-rounder since Botham and streets ahead of Flintoff in that regard.
But he does irritate me. Not just his mouthy send-offs of batsmen but all that ludicrous head-shaking whenever he's out or gets hit for four, like he doesn't understand how anybody has the audacity to get the better of him.
Now Fred was no shrinking violet. He hated Gubby Allen and the MCC establishment and some of the stuffed shirt amateurs on his own side with a passion. But he sure as hell knew how to respect a worthy opponent.
Ben Stokes would do well to remember that next time he's thinking of giving Virat Kholi a mouhful!
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Post by hhsussex on Dec 15, 2016 9:08:53 GMT
Fo no particualr reason, I was tonight looking at Trueman's autobiograhy As It Was and came across this passage in which he described taking his first ever Test wicket against the Indians at Headingley in 1952: ""I didn't run up to Umrigar and wave my fist at him. I didn't do a lap of honour. Nor did my team-mates run to me arms aloft expecting a high-five. And I didn't look over to the members' enclosure and place a finger to my pursed lips. I simply nodded in Umrigar's direction and he reciprocated." Now why did that make me think of Stokes? I admire him hugely as a cricketer, and think he's England's best all-rounder since Botham and streets ahead of Flintoff in that regard. But he does irritate me. Not just his mouthy send-offs of batsmen but all that ludicrous head-shaking whenever he's out or gets hit for four, like he doesn't understand how anybody has the audacity to get the better of him. Now Fred was no shrinking violet. He hated Gubby Allen and the MCC establishment and some of the stuffed shirt amateurs on his own side with a passion. But he sure as hell knew how to respect a worthy opponent. Ben Stokes would do well to remember that next time he's thinking of giving Virat Kholi a mouhful! He also did a handy line in calculated disrespect when he wanted to create an atmosphere. In John Arlott's Fred, there is the story of 1960 when he became the first bowler to 100 wickets in the season in the match against Warwickshire: "On the first morning he went, as usual, into the visting dressing-room and chatted up his opponents with his latest stories, opinions and humour, which they accepted with the enjoyment of most teams who did not live with him six days a week. At about eleven o'clock he eased himself off the table to go and change with the words 'Oh, yes, and I only want nine wickets to be first to a hundred - so you buggers can start drawing short straws to see which one I don't bloody well have' |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 15, 2016 9:32:15 GMT
Fo no particualr reason, I was tonight looking at Trueman's autobiograhy As It Was and came across this passage in which he described taking his first ever Test wicket against the Indians at Headingley in 1952: ""I didn't run up to Umrigar and wave my fist at him. I didn't do a lap of honour. Nor did my team-mates run to me arms aloft expecting a high-five. And I didn't look over to the members' enclosure and place a finger to my pursed lips. I simply nodded in Umrigar's direction and he reciprocated." Now why did that make me think of Stokes? I admire him hugely as a cricketer, and think he's England's best all-rounder since Botham and streets ahead of Flintoff in that regard. But he does irritate me. Not just his mouthy send-offs of batsmen but all that ludicrous head-shaking whenever he's out or gets hit for four, like he doesn't understand how anybody has the audacity to get the better of him. Now Fred was no shrinking violet. He hated Gubby Allen and the MCC establishment and some of the stuffed shirt amateurs on his own side with a passion. But he sure as hell knew how to respect a worthy opponent. Ben Stokes would do well to remember that next time he's thinking of giving Virat Kholi a mouhful! He also did a handy line in calculated disrespect when he wanted to create an atmosphere. In John Arlott's Fred, there is the story of 1960 when he became the first bowler to 100 wickets in the season in the match against Warwickshire: "On the first morning he went, as usual, into the visting dressing-room and chatted up his opponents with his latest stories, opinions and humour, which they accepted with the enjoyment of most teams who did not live with him six days a week. At about eleven o'clock he eased himself off the table to go and change with the words 'Oh, yes, and I only want nine wickets to be first to a hundred - so you buggers can start drawing short straws to see which one I don't bloody well have' Yes, it's a gret story, hhs. And sums up the difference between witty off-field dressing room banter and unpleasant on-field snarl. I love good sledging on the pitch if its smart (Warne to Collingwood on his OBE, for example). Nothing wrong with trying to unsettle a batsman at the wicket like that. What I don't like is the snarl , and it is particularly gratuitous in the send-off. The batsman's already out, dumbos, so what do you gain by snarling and swearing at hm as he walks back to the pavilion other than risking being fined half of your match fee? |
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Post by Wicked Cricket on Dec 15, 2016 10:32:15 GMT
I wish there were more people like Ben Stokes. Okay, he can be a puerile prat at times but he wears his heart on his sleeve and is
not your typical automaton sheeple that some England players are. Who would you rather have on your side when the team are
staring into oblivion - Stokes or a Bell?
Imho, cricket needs "characters" like Stokes. They advertise the game. They attract headline banners on the back pages. Cricket should
be as much about personality as team players. Trueman, Botham, Flintoff, Pietersen... such people are engrained in people's
minds because they were different - they spoke out against the establishment. Since KP was sacked who is there left?
Yes, I am still riled by Stoke's final over in the T20 World Cup Final but like Beckham and Argentina followed by his wonder goal against
Greece, Stokes will find redemption just as 'golden balls' did.
Perhaps, Stokes needs to temper his snarl, agreed, but not to the detriment of dumbing him down.
These are two of my favourite stories about Fred from the library of Ted Dexter anecdotes. I have mentioned them before but hey,
it's Christmas.
“He was quite a character. Fred was given a single room whilst on tour as he refused to share with others. Due to team injuries,
I’d been called for during the latter part of the 1958/59 Australian series. I had to share with Fred.” “So, you must have got to
know him well, then?” asked an interviewer. “I did but only when he let me in the room!”
“When I captained England on the 1962/63 Australian tour we sailed there on ‘The Canberra’. I’d heard tales of cricketers after
the war arriving two stone heavier, so I thought some regular fitness sessions would be a good idea. On-board just happened
to be the olympian athlete Gordon Pirie, so I asked him for help and he agreed. The only England player to refuse was Fred. He
told me, “I’ve bowled 1,074 overs - my knees are giving me jip - there’s nowt bloody way I’m prancing around ship’s deck!”
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