Obscure Players That You Remember

[PhatBoy]

Mohammad Zahid

I remember that game. It was back when they used to mix the tests and OdIs, Lara was having a wretched run of it at that stage and could barely get one off the square. I'm pretty sure he survived a plumb lbw shout on 0, went on to make 48 and get a little bit of touch.

He proceeded to go century, 90 not out, century in the OdIs and hit another century in the Perth test. The 90 not out was probably the pick, he and Robert Samuels (marlon's half brother) went from basically needing 9 or 10 an over to winning in a canter. Warne got thrashed around a lot from memory.

 

[ioppolo]

Craig Wishart, Zimbabwe opening batsman, spud. HS of 172* in 2003 world cup against Namibia.

Speaking of Namibia, bowler Rudi Van Vuuren represented Namibia at both the cricket and Rugby Union world cups of 2003.

 

[Zach Package]

Jon Davidson while we're doing 2003 World Cup heroics

 

[Scotland]

Not so much an obscure player but Shaun Tait only played 35 ODIs. Feels like more since Xavier Doherty played 60. Even Adam Voges played 31 and I never remember him playing more than 1 or 2 in a row.

Tait debuted in 07, was our (and tournament) 2nd highest wicket taker at the 07 WC, buggered off for a bit, was our 2nd highest wicket taker at the 11 WC then never played another ODI.

 

[Hellgood]

Not so much an obscure player but Shaun Tait only played 35 ODIs. Feels like more since Xavier Doherty played 60. Even Adam Voges played 31 and I never remember him playing more than 1 or 2 in a row.

Tait debuted in 07, was our (and tournament) 2nd highest wicket taker at the 07 WC, buggered off for a bit, was our 2nd highest wicket taker at the 11 WC then never played another ODI.

Voges has a pretty outstanding ODI record. Unfortunately though fitting both he and Clarke in the middle order was a bit too challenging in the end given the explosion in run rates in that period.

 

[jo172]

Not so much an obscure player but Shaun Tait only played 35 ODIs. Feels like more since Xavier Doherty played 60. Even Adam Voges played 31 and I never remember him playing more than 1 or 2 in a row.

Tait debuted in 07, was our (and tournament) 2nd highest wicket taker at the 07 WC, buggered off for a bit, was our 2nd highest wicket taker at the 11 WC then never played another ODI.

Helps when you play a lion share of your ODIs directly before and during World Cups, pretty much the only time people pay attention to ODIs these days.

 

[Scotland]

Voges has a pretty outstanding ODI record. Unfortunately though fitting both he and Clarke in the middle order was a bit too challenging in the end given the explosion in run rates in that period.

Voges has a very good record all round.

13,000+ runs @ 47 in FC cricket. Nearly 6,000 runs @ 44 in List A. Nearly 4,000 runs @ 30 in T20 striking at 126. His test, ODI and T20I records are all excellent based on small sample sizes. Both his test and ODI averages are inflated due to not outs but the bloke can seriously play.

 

[big_e]

Voges has a very good record all round.

13,000+ runs @ 47 in FC cricket. Nearly 6,000 runs @ 44 in List A. Nearly 4,000 runs @ 30 in T20 striking at 126. His test, ODI and T20I records are all excellent based on small sample sizes. Both his test and ODI averages are inflated due to not outs but the bloke can seriously play.

The "inflated by not outs" thing is true, but not particularly fair, IMO. For a start, assume he was dismissed in every test innings and his average is still 47.9, which most test batsmen would kill for. What makes it not fair is that four of his highest scores were not out - you would be penalising a guy for not getting out. In ODIs, it's his three highest scores.

He'll go down as a statistical curiosity, but he's a guy who made the most of his chances when they were there and that is something to be praised, not damned, as some people want to do.

 

[Scotland]

The not outs thing is horseshit. If you just take an average of runs per innings he's still ahead of most batsmen. Ponting, Lara, Tendulkar etc. all drop below 50 by the same measure.

Voges benefited from making 3 tons against the Windies but he made 130* on debut away from home coming in at 3/61 in an innings where we are all out for 318 and people mark him down for it because he had a poor Ashes series. 201 runs in 8 innings isn't a great return, but it's better than Gilchrist and Martyn in 2005 or Warner and Khawaja (from 6 innings each) in 2013.

If Voges was in his 20s he'd still be in the team. Being 37, having a lean patch then getting injured in the Shield made it easy for the selectors to move him on. Peter Handscomb for example has started like a train (mostly making runs against Pakistan at home) and is 26. If he has a lean series in India and only makes a couple of 50s I doubt he'll be axed straight away. Someone in Voges' position really needs to average 50+ every series to hold their spot.

 

[Damon_3388]

I wouldn't call Ricardo Powell obscure but his average over how many ODIs he played is certainly obscure.

His strike rate and hitting ability for the era he played in was pretty elite, and was probably what kept getting him games as a batsman with a sub-30 average (a la Keiron Pollard).

 

[szhengd]

Peter Anderson. Former Qld keeper in the 80's. Spoken about as a possible Australian keeper during the Zoehrer / Rixon/ Dyer period ( Spoken about by the Courier Mail, just to clarify......). Stood up to the stumps to keep against Ian Botham when he played for Qld. Busted his thumb, and was replaced by the understudy. From memory couldn't get his place back and faded into obscurity. Last heard of managing my local Amart sore.
The understudy proved to be handy, played a couple tests for Australia.....

 

[Zach Package]

Wasn't Anderson QLD's first choice keeper when Healy first got drafted into the test team>

 

[PhatBoy]

Peter Anderson. Former Qld keeper in the 80's. Spoken about as a possible Australian keeper during the Zoehrer / Rixon/ Dyer period ( Spoken about by the Courier Mail, just to clarify......). Stood up to the stumps to keep against Ian Botham when he played for Qld. Busted his thumb, and was replaced by the understudy. From memory couldn't get his place back and faded into obscurity. Last heard of managing my local Amart sore.
The understudy proved to be handy, played a couple tests for Australia.....

Averaged 17 with the bat and got more than 50 first class games. What a time to be alive.

I can remember watching him play Mercantile Mutual Cup matches whenever Healy was on national duty in the early 90s, the golden era when the back up commentary team which then includes Kerry OKeefe used to get a start on 9.

 

[szhengd]

Wasn't Anderson QLD's first choice keeper when Healy first got drafted into the test team>

Anderson was a truly good keeper, better than Healy with the gloves. Healy was probably the better bat, but this was back in the day when a keeper was expected to make a dogged 15, with the odd 50 once a season

 

[big_e]

Wasn't Anderson QLD's first choice keeper when Healy first got drafted into the test team>

I always thought Ray Phillips was still first choice, Anderson was number two but played all year due to injury, then got injured himself, which got Healy in the side. Might be wrong.

 

[Cleavy]

Matthew Anderson, Qld left arm orthodox spinner

 

[The_Reaper]

Matthew Petrie. WA quick who played one shield match.

I remember him because for that one match our entire pace attack (Magoffin, Edmondson and Petrie) were imports from Queensland and the team we played was Queensland

 

[t_94]

Peter Anderson. Former Qld keeper in the 80's. Spoken about as a possible Australian keeper during the Zoehrer / Rixon/ Dyer period ( Spoken about by the Courier Mail, just to clarify......). Stood up to the stumps to keep against Ian Botham when he played for Qld. Busted his thumb, and was replaced by the understudy. From memory couldn't get his place back and faded into obscurity. Last heard of managing my local Amart sore.
The understudy proved to be handy, played a couple tests for Australia.....

Has worked with Afghanistan and Papua New Guinea the last couple of years.

 

[Hellgood]

Nice article on Mohammad Wasim who's a good candidate for this thread.

http://www.thecricketmonthly.com/story/1078677/the-other-wasim

 

[Carl Hooper]

What ever happened to Luke Pomersbach? I remember as a teenager watching him play for WA.. Was one of my fave players, thought he was going to be like a Matty Hayden and have a big career for Australia. I think depression got him? Hope he's doing alright now.

 

[JG22]

What ever happened to Luke Pomersbach? I remember as a teenager watching him play for WA.. Was one of my fave players, thought he was going to be like a Matty Hayden and have a big career for Australia. I think depression got him? Hope he's doing alright now.

I only remember him from BBL2 when he got a hundred in the semi to just sum up the competition.

Play well the whole season doesn't matter if one batter comes off in the final.

 

[chunkylover]

Working at a fishing shop down gosnells way i believe.

 

[Carl Hooper]

Working at a fishing shop down gosnells way i believe.

Damn.. I feel like heading down there and asking if he's keen for a fish or hit in the nets (...maybe not around the Gossy area tho)

 

[JackOutback]

Issues with drink and depression, I believe. Went to Queensland for a fresh start and played some cricket there. Had plenty of talent but it's not always enough.

 

[Damon_3388]

Wasn't there either a drink-driving or drunken assault conviction with Pomersbach as well? I seem to recall WA either suspending him or axing him outright after that.