He is arguably England's best bat since Barrington and Dexter, who played in the 60s. So I would say he is indeed a champion of the game. His scoring rate sets him apart from the likes of Cook, Gower, Boycott and Cowdrey.
Gooch would have to be up there, surely. I'm not sure how relevant a #4's run rate is compared to openers (which Cook, Boycott, & Gower were.. not sure Cowdrey, wasn't he back in AN's day?)
Kipper Cowdrey came out here as a replacement in 1974/75, walked out to face Thommo...no helmet...introduced himself to Thommo as Good afternoon, Mr Thomson...Thommo's response was probably of the like of 'get back to the f**king crease, c**t', wore a few without flinching. Great slipper.
But he was a gun before TV was in colour, like Dexter, May, Graveney and Barrington. My memories of all 5 in their prime is hazy at the least.
Gower would easily bat 4 in the best English teams I've seen....way better than Gooch. And not a snooty pommy c**t like Gooch, Gatting and Botham can be (even though they're not entitled to think themselves toffs).
BTW HAP referring to Gower as an opener makes you seem ignorant. It's like calling Clarke or Ponting openers.
Difference being Clarke & Ponting played in my lifetime!!
Farmer gooch - remember that series when he was alderman's bunny? mostly lbw iirc
Yes, and he could at least laugh at himself. Apparently the recorded message on his answering machine said something like: "Thanks for your call. Sorry I can't answer it as I am out ...
Farmer gooch - remember that series when he was alderman's bunny? mostly lbw iirc
Yes, and he could at least laugh at himself. Apparently the recorded message on his answering machine said something like: "Thanks for your call. Sorry I can't answer it as I am out ...
probably lbw Alderman."
He also provided some laughs in a test match. They bought him on to bowl at one stage and he mimicked the run ups of everyone else in the game, IIRC he copied Lillee, Willis and a couple of others as well.
Not to get back on the Hasan bandwagon again but why does the flog who hits a few sixes (Lumb) get MotM in a T20 match over the guy who kickstarted his team's innings with a powerful 46 and took a couple of very economical wickets?
Farmer gooch - remember that series when he was alderman's bunny? mostly lbw iirc
Yep 1989. Alderman got a lot of lbw wickets and a lot against Gooch. There's a famous story that due to the political unrest in the Country, someone had painted on a wall on an underpass near the Oval "Thatcher out". By the end of the summer someone had added underneath "lbw Alderman"
Farmer gooch - remember that series when he was alderman's bunny? mostly lbw iirc
Yep 1989. Alderman got a lot of lbw wickets and a lot against Gooch. There's a famous story that due to the political unrest in the Country, someone had painted on a wall on an underpass near the Oval "Thatcher out". By the end of the summer someone had added underneath "lbw Alderman"
Or Graham Gooch's voicemail:
Hi, you've reach Graham Gooch. I'm currently out at the moment...probably LBW Alderman
Normally a huge fan of Boof but not happy with his criticism of the SCG pitch being not fit for a test. Was great to see a green top instead of the normal roads we see
Normally a huge fan of Boof but not happy with his criticism of the SCG pitch being not fit for a test. Was great to see a green top instead of the normal roads we see
It was absolutely fit for a Test.
You could argue the two teams weren't fit for a Test wicket.
Farmer gooch - remember that series when he was alderman's bunny? mostly lbw iirc
Yep 1989. Alderman got a lot of lbw wickets and a lot against Gooch. There's a famous story that due to the political unrest in the Country, someone had painted on a wall on an underpass near the Oval "Thatcher out". By the end of the summer someone had added underneath "lbw Alderman"
Or Graham Gooch's voicemail:
Hi, you've reach Graham Gooch. I'm currently out at the moment...probably LBW Alderman
Normally a huge fan of Boof but not happy with his criticism of the SCG pitch being not fit for a test. Was great to see a green top instead of the normal roads we see
It was absolutely fit for a Test.
You could argue the two teams weren't fit for a Test wicket.
It seemed to be a road on the sessions our bottom order was in, but almost unplayable when our top order, or England's top or bottom order were in. Really odd that it was unplayable in odd little patches like that & then came good.
I'm sure it was down to the pitch, not the players.
Normally a huge fan of Boof but not happy with his criticism of the SCG pitch being not fit for a test. Was great to see a green top instead of the normal roads we see
It was absolutely fit for a Test.
You could argue the two teams weren't fit for a Test wicket.
Yeah I don't think the wicket was awful, it was sporting, there was enough in it for the bowlers if they bowled well. Two guys made centuries and another a half-century in the match, so if you applied yourself and got 'in' you could make runs. The only time I would say that a pitch is not fit for a Test is if player safety is in jeopardy due to inconsistent bounce. On YouTube there is news footage of a Test between the West Indies and England in the Carribean where the match was abandoned after 10 overs, England 3/13 and with a bowler like Curtly Ambrose steaming in, there could've been serious injury. I'd much rather what was on show at the SCG than a flat, lifeless pitch where you end up with 5/600 declared v 5/550, little chance of a result and might as well have a bowling machine rather than a bowler running in.
