Worst player you've ever seen?

[PhatBoy]

Lawford's debut was probably worse. It still makes me laugh now, truly atrocious bowling. I think he struggled to bowl a legal delivery that day, which is pretty hard when you're bowling about 110 ks off a short run-up.

Yes! I'm sure there have been worse spinners statistically, but Giles made a career out of bowling outside leg to right-handers. If there was a player who truly embodied the real spirit of England cricket (mediocrity, dullness, and lack of endeavour), it would have to be Giles. The period from 2005 to now is an aberration, of course.

Hmmm, perhaps re Giles but that was just his job. He had two out and out attacking very fast bowlers in Harmison and Flintoff bowling ahead of him, Jones who was a wicket taker and probably the best pure swing bowler of the time in Hoggard, it's just what he was there for. Iirc he was the only bowler to dismiss every member of Australia's top 7 in 2005.

Harris was the same for SA, bowled around the superstar attacking quartet (counting Kallis) so he had one role and he played it well.

Whether either would have been good enough to do anything different is another matter.....

 

[Gough]

Best Ash Giles story.
http://www.cricketcountry.com/criclife/ashley-giles-the-unintentional-monarch-496333

During his testimonial year for Warwickshire, both Ashley Giles and the county had ordered coffee mugs and other memorabilia with the words KING OF SPIN to be printed on them. The printing agency, unfortunately, lacked cricket knowledge — or perhaps there was a printing error. The caption came out as KING OF SPAIN.

Poor Giles earned the obvious (and somewhat cruel) nickname of King of Spain, and became a unanimous target for jokes and taunts!

 

[Hellgood]

Agreed Giles was even more boring than Lyon to watch bowl, but did his job for the side.

Did have his day in the sun with the above peach to Damien Martyn though.

How good is the commentary from Richie there too, so understated but did the moment perfect justice.

 

[Kram]

What exactly does Jordan Silk do?

LPno1 had such a boner for that guy, lol.

 

[Carl Hooper]

left arm spinner aaron heal.. played club cricket for my old club, warnbro haha

Somehow got a few state games for wa and even played some early big bash. Never really saw the hype around him

Was suppose to be our answer to Hogg retiring from FC cricket, literally fell off the map, dont even know if he plays cricket anymore.

 

[Carbine Chaos]

Handy enough LO spinner for WA, old Healy.

 

[Kram]

left arm spinner aaron heal.. played club cricket for my old club, warnbro haha

Somehow got a few state games for wa and even played some early big bash. Never really saw the hype around him

Was suppose to be our answer to Hogg retiring from FC cricket, literally fell off the map, dont even know if he plays cricket anymore.

I swear at some stage a poster on BF called for him in the ODI side, I lolled.

 

[ioppolo]

Got the Warnbro surfer hair that's for sure.

 

[Pea Nut]

Got the Warnbro surfer hair that's for sure.

Looks more unemployed alcoholic's hair to me !!

 

[Carl Hooper]

I swear at some stage a poster on BF called for him in the ODI side, I lolled.

Hahahaha.. I hope it wasn't me. I remember I used to rate him 10 years ago.

 

[Hellgood]

left arm spinner aaron heal.. played club cricket for my old club, warnbro haha

Somehow got a few state games for wa and even played some early big bash. Never really saw the hype around him

Was suppose to be our answer to Hogg retiring from FC cricket, literally fell off the map, dont even know if he plays cricket anymore.

I don't remember any hype or these imaginary calls for him to be playing for Australia.

Was a reasonable limited overs spinner, but main thing I can recall about him is listening to him winning us a T20 or ODD game against Queensland with a boundary off the last ball.

Yeah, was a Big Bash game in early January:

The Retravision Warriors have won a heart stopper over the Queensland Bulls in tonight's KFC Twenty20 Big Bash match at the WACA Ground.

Aaron Heal became an instant hero when he struck the final ball of the innings to the boundary to record a victory that has put the Warriors in with a strong chance of advancing to next Sunday's final.

Earlier, Bulls skipper Jimmy Maher elected to bat after winning the toss, but his side ran into early trouble after Brett Dorey claimed two wickets in the first over of the match to leave the visitors 2-4.

Shane Watson proved the thorn in the Warriors side as the burly Queenslander punished the home attack, scoring 51 off 30 balls in a display that showcased the form that has taken him to the highest level.

Philipson's 21 and Carseldine's 32 added further pain to the scorecard, with the Bulls finishing their 20 overs at 9-154. Dorey's 3-19 and Heal's 2-32 were vital to the Warriors cause.

The Warriors run chance got off to an indifferent start with Luke Ronchi dismissed cheaply, before Shaun Marsh and Luke Pomersbach set the trend for the WA innings. Man of the Match Marsh stood out in his innings of 70 from 49 balls, hitting eight fours and a six, while Pomersbach launched a trademark six high into the stands in his whirlwind 22.

Queensland's persistence paid off with a succession of quick wickets slowing the Warriors run rate and threatening to derail its bid for back to back Big Bash wins.

When Ervine fell to Carseldine, the Warriors were walking a tightrope at 5-125, but David Bandy (34*) hit 17 off a James Hopes over that brought the equation back into the Warriors favour and set up a tense finale.

The Retravision Warriors needed seven from the last over bowled by Ashley Noffke. When Theo Doropoulos (6) was bowled on the penultimate ball, Heal needed two off the last ball to avoid defeat or the nerve -acking prospect of a bowl off. He found the boundary and the Warriors celebrated a famous victory at the WACA Ground with the euphoric crowd.

The Warriors head for Adelaide tomorrow morning for Tuesday night's KFC Twenty20 Big Bash encounter against the Redbacks, before moving on to Sydney for their final preliminary match against NSW on Thursday.

There is one change to the 12-man Warriors squad for those games with paceman Ben Edmondson coming in for opening batsman Liam Davis.

http://www.waca.com.au/other/news_detail.php?ID=973

Pomersbach, Ervine, Doropolous, Bandy, Heal... Those were the days!

 

[big_e]

Lawford's debut was probably worse. It still makes me laugh now, truly atrocious bowling. I think he struggled to bowl a legal delivery that day, which is pretty hard when you're bowling about 110 ks off a short run-up.

Yes! I'm sure there have been worse spinners statistically, but Giles made a career out of bowling outside leg to right-handers. If there was a player who truly embodied the real spirit of England cricket (mediocrity, dullness, and lack of endeavour), it would have to be Giles. The period from 2005 to now is an aberration, of course.

Lawford took 2-36 and 3-41 on debut, conceding less than three runs per over. That's a handy debut in most peoples' books.

 

[Torz]

I don't remember any hype or these imaginary calls for him to be playing for Australia.

Was a reasonable limited overs spinner, but main thing I can recall about him is listening to him winning us a T20 or ODD game against Queensland with a boundary off the last ball.

Yeah, was a Big Bash game in early January:



http://www.waca.com.au/other/news_detail.php?ID=973

Pomersbach, Ervine, Doropolous, Bandy, Heal... Those were the days!

Bandy is still playing in our local league. Hard bloke to bowl to.

 

[carnthemlions]

Hmmm, perhaps re Giles but that was just his job. He had two out and out attacking very fast bowlers in Harmison and Flintoff bowling ahead of him, Jones who was a wicket taker and probably the best pure swing bowler of the time in Hoggard, it's just what he was there for. Iirc he was the only bowler to dismiss every member of Australia's top 7 in 2005.

Harris was the same for SA, bowled around the superstar attacking quartet (counting Kallis) so he had one role and he played it well.

Whether either would have been good enough to do anything different is another matter.....

There's doing your job, and then there's bowling outside leg from ball one. Harris was just there to dry an end up and give the quicks a rest, but I hardly think his bowling was comparable to that of Giles. Deliberately bowling outside leg and not turning the ball is the most negative tactic you can employ in cricket these days, not sure I can think of another player who regularly employed it as anything other than a desperation measure in recent times at least. So no, there'll be no playing down the sheer dreariness of Ashley Giles' test career in this thread

Lawford took 2-36 and 3-41 on debut, conceding less than three runs per over. That's a handy debut in most peoples' books.

No, this was his earlier Matador cup debut. Mostly full-tosses and wides.

Best Ash Giles story.
http://www.cricketcountry.com/criclife/ashley-giles-the-unintentional-monarch-496333

 

[Docker82]

Not going to name names here but talent-wise these blokes who 105km an hour spinners that don't turn at all and bat 9-11 are some candidates for this thread. Sure they do alright in BBL but won't get a game in any other format and are probably some of the least talented players I've seen.


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Without a doubt, the worst bowler I have ever seen is Trent Lawford. Also, there was a bloke who played a game for the Redbacks (debuted with Travis Head) who was a leggie, Cameron Williams aka. the bloke from Cricket superstar. He could not land one and from memory went at around 10 an over.

He played 2nd grade for his club team in the same season he'd played a Shield game

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

MARK RAMPRAKASH

FC: Av. 53.14, 114 x 100s, 147 x 50s

Tests: Av. 27.32, 2 x 100s, 12 x 50s

Speaks volumes about the old county system that was eventually overhauled.

I actually had some sympathy for Mark Ramprakesh. He seemed to always play the away tours to Australia and the West Indies. Was felt that he was tough enough to at least compete in those tours. Missed out on the easy opposition at home where the county systems delicate flowers were included.

Not that he was a gun or anything. Just that he was a bit of a sacrificial lamb for them.

 

[PhatBoy]

I actually had some sympathy for Mark Ramprakesh. He seemed to always play the away tours to Australia and the West Indies. Was felt that he was tough enough to at least compete in those tours. Missed out on the easy opposition at home where the county systems delicate flowers were included.

Not that he was a gun or anything. Just that he was a bit of a sacrificial lamb for them.

He should have been a gun.

I don't believe he was proof of a dodgy county competition - heck, year after year it was still being inundated with gun players from across the globe.

More likely it was proof of how hard it is to succeed if you mentally aren't up for it and can't make the necessary adjustments required when you go up a level.

 

[Hellgood]

Not going to name names here but talent-wise these blokes who 105km an hour spinners that don't turn at all and bat 9-11 are some candidates for this thread. Sure they do alright in BBL but won't get a game in any other format and are probably some of the least talented players I've seen.


On iPad using BigFooty.com mobile app

Why can't you name them?

Honestly I'm struggling - maybe Jason Floros and Chris Green fit the description, but I think lack of specifics is a mask for the concept being more of a standard pre-conception people have about T20.

 

[ioppolo]

Chris Green has one of the best economy rates in the BBL. If he's not talented then why do batsman struggle to take him for more than a run a ball?

 

[Gough]

I actually had some sympathy for Mark Ramprakesh. He seemed to always play the away tours to Australia and the West Indies. Was felt that he was tough enough to at least compete in those tours. Missed out on the easy opposition at home where the county systems delicate flowers were included.

Not that he was a gun or anything. Just that he was a bit of a sacrificial lamb for them.

98 tour to the West Indies he was great, and everyone thought that he would finally live up to his promise. Alas that never happened.

 

[ioppolo]

Robert Key comes to mind. Double century on debut no?

 

[Docker82]

Why can't you name them?

Honestly I'm struggling - maybe Jason Floros and Chris Green fit the description, but I think lack of specifics is a mask for the concept being more of a standard pre-conception people have about T20.

Ok then, Liam O'Conner, Clive Rose, Michael Beer (these days)

There's a reason these guys never play first class cricket anymore and hardly ever play List A cricket.

Could add a few more but they are batsmen who I consider talented at batting.

 

[Docker82]

Chris Green has one of the best economy rates in the BBL. If he's not talented then why do batsman struggle to take him for more than a run a ball?

Because 105km/hr an hour darts are hard to hit for 8-10 runs an over but ask them to take wickets when batsmen only need 5-6 an over or in first class cricket don't have to worry about scoring rates at all.

It works in the BBL but won't at international level IMO. The difference between some of these guys and club bowlers is accuracy an nothing else. I'll give Green one thing he changes his pace up. Some don't even do that.

 

[ioppolo]

Because 105km/hr an hour darts are hard to hit for 8-10 runs an over but ask them to take wickets when batsmen only need 5-6 an over or in first class cricket don't have to worry about scoring rates at all.

It works in the BBL but won't at international level IMO. The difference between some of these guys and club bowlers is accuracy an nothing else. I'll give Green one thing he changes his pace up. Some don't even do that.

You could argue that T20 has helped these players get more opportunity at a top level competition rather than plodding for their local grade team.