Worst test cricketer you've seen?

[SeinDude]

Mark Ramprakash would have to be my pick. How a player with a test average of only 26 can get into any team's top 6 in the batting order is beyond me!!

It's more of a case of him under-achieving, as he is a very talented county player in the English leagues, but England will never get anywhere if the likes of him play in their test side.

SeinDude

 

[Waltzing Woof Biscuit]

Originally posted by The Hippie
Anyone remember Sam (I think that was his first name) Trimble's ODI debut years ago, that was embarassing. The poor bloke got so nervous, he couldn't hit the pitch when he was bowling and bowled a stack of wides in his first spell. That said, he was a good state player for QLD, and a really good, hard-hitting lower order batsman.

I think it was Glenn Trimble, and yes, it wasn't pretty.

But THE worst HAS to be Chris Matthews (agree LondonDave). Played two tests, some time apart, and on both occasions was totally overawed. In the first, the batsmen almost had to shoulder arms at third slip. The selectors gave him another go, and the same thing happened.

Chris Tavare of England was AWFUL to watch. You thought Gavaskar could be slow? This guy had the shot making of a sedated tortoise.

And LondonDave, I thought Murray Bennett was kinda cool with his dark glasses. Had a decent batting average at least

 

[Groucho]

Probably a bit long ago for most of you but take it from me the worst Test cricketer ever was John Watkins. He was a leggie and plucked from nowhere (well,NSW anyway-of course!) by the selectors in 1973. He played one test against Pakistan and I remember a commentator saying that "his bowling seemed to lack all the necessary skills required to play the game of cricket", or words to that effect. He just couldn't land the ball on the pitch or even near the batsman! But he still went on the following tour of the West Indies! Thankfully he didn't play any more tests. Strangely he helped win that test by putting on about 70 with Bob Massie for the last or 9th wicket giving Australia enough runs to allow Max Walker to take 6-15 off 16 overs and win a close one. But as he was selected as a bowler he would have to be the worst! hardly heard of again even for NSW after that.

 

[wagstaff]

Nixon McLean of the West Indies would be up there for me. Somehow managed to play all five Tests against Australia last summer yet he failed to take 10 wickets for the whole series. It would have helped had he learnt how to actually swing or seam the ball.

Overall, his Test record isn't much better:

19 matches, 44 wickets at 42.56

 

[Macca19]

Chris Matthews was shocking. 3 tests, 6 wickets at 52. Couldnt ball to save his life...i remember his first test was when i was young..like 5 or 6 and all i can remember about him was the dozens of wides he balled.

Julian wasnt that bad. He had quite a good series against the West Indies, i think in 95 in the Carribean where we won our first series there for 30+ years.

other than that, there really isnt that ive seen. The Aussie team has always been very stable with no real hacks in it since ive followed cricket (since 89). The only "hacks" i can think of is Chris Matthews and the other players that played one or two tests for no real result

 

[Player]

The majority of the New Zealand team from about:

New Zealand v England, 1991/92, 1st Test
Lancaster Park, Christchurch
18,19,20,21,22 January 1992 (5-day match)

Result: England won by an innings and 4 runs


until about:

Pakistan v New Zealand, 1996/97, 2nd Test
Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium
28,29,30 November, 1 December 1996 (5-day match)

Result: Pakistan won by an innings and 13 runs

With special honourable mentions to the teams that lost by an innings and 200+ runs

 

[London Dave]

Yeah, Chris Matthews was an interesting case. I remember a newspaper article about him at the time, saying that some people are totally destroyed by nerves, or because they feel they don't belong/aren't good enough, completely lose the plot and are unable to do the things that come naturally in a less stressful situation. Glen Trimble had the same problem, kind of like what happened to Ian Baker-Finch.

I recall Watkins Groucho, legendary performance that.

Possibly another name for the list is Jonathon Agnew (now the BBC cricket supremo for radio at least.) Took a big haul v the Windies at Lords, and the poms are announcing the 'great' fast bowler has arrived. Came down to Oz, and I recall Slug Jordan absolutely cacking himself on the radio when he bowled, saying "...and the Poms reckon this bloke is quick????"

 

[Santos L Helper]

Trevor Laughlin
Wayne Phillips (vic)
Murray Bennett
Tom Hogan
Steve Smith
Peter Toohey
Julian Weiner (hehe)
Dav Whatmore
Jeff Moss
Phil Carlson
Wayne Clark
Alan Ogilvie
Tony Mann

Ahh, the old WSC era...............glory days for the hack.

 

[BMD]

Chris Matthews test match performances were excruciating to watch. Simon Davis was cod ordinary too.

Australia have tried a few spinners of the years that weren't much chop - Murray Bennett, Brad Hogg, Tom Hogan, Peter Sleep all come to mind.

Of batsmen - Rob Kerr from Qld did nothing in a couple of games.

Mark Ramprakash is the one that astounds me - averages under 30 and he's played about 50 test matches. Just shows how low the Poms have sunk in recent years.

 

[Bloodstained Angel]

Dirk Welham

I'm still amazed at the hype that surrounded this guy - and yet he did diddly squat.

He did manage one ton - but I think that was about it.

To think he was touted at the time as the new Greg Chappell or something equally as ridiculous

cheers

 

[Groucho]

Originally posted by Santos L Helper
[
Jeff Moss


Ahh, the old WSC era...............glory days for the hack. [/B]

Jeff Moss!!! He's got a test average of 60 if you don't mind!

 

[Briedis]

Originally posted by The Hippie
Anyone remember Sam (I think that was his first name) Trimble's ODI debut years ago, that was embarassing. The poor bloke got so nervous, he couldn't hit the pitch when he was bowling and bowled a stack of wides in his first spell. That said, he was a good state player for QLD, and a really good, hard-hitting lower order batsman.

That's who I was trying to think of...Trimble. That has to go down as the worst debut of all time doesn't it?

How come we both remember that one? Must have been a Manly/Parra reply on beforehand!

 

[Briedis]

Originally posted by BMD
Chris Matthews test match performances were excruciating to watch. Simon Davis was cod ordinary too.

Australia have tried a few spinners of the years that weren't much chop - Murray Bennett, Brad Hogg, Tom Hogan, Peter Sleep all come to mind.

Of batsmen - Rob Kerr from Qld did nothing in a couple of games.

Mark Ramprakash is the one that astounds me - averages under 30 and he's played about 50 test matches. Just shows how low the Poms have sunk in recent years.

Ramprakash is a tough one. His stats say he is no good, but he looks like a good player when he bats, some beautiful shots when in form. He just has a habit of getting himself out too early unfortunately....

 

[BMD]

Originally posted by Briedis


Ramprakash is a tough one. His stats say he is no good, but he looks like a good player when he bats, some beautiful shots when in form. He just has a habit of getting himself out too early unfortunately....

Agree that he plays some nice shots, but eventually you just have to put the runs on the board. How many chances do you get?

 

[Briedis]

Originally posted by BMD


Agree that he plays some nice shots, but eventually you just have to put the runs on the board. How many chances do you get?

Well, I guess he's thanking his lucky stars he wasn't born an Australian! He would be in the top bracket of English batsmen even without any runs....true about how low they have gone, look to be on the way back though. I guess it has to be remembered that he would not have had the chance to build many big partnerships in this English side due to the lack of quality batsmen in the side, maybe that is a factor as well.

Scoring runs doesn't seem to be a criteria over here either...or maybe Steve had scored TOO many - so he gets dropped.

 

[dogs105]

Peter Sleep????

I remember a certain series in ~87 vs NZ, when Sleepy was our best player by far (He was about the only one doing anything!!)

Well, he was making runs anyway



Easily the best #7 batsman in Aus. History until Gilly came along (Sorry Ian H)

 

[RogerC]

Worst batsman for mine has to be Steve Smith. I remember thinking at the time how out of his depth he was. Never passed 12 runs in 5 innings - even our bowlers were outscoring him! Career ended with a broken little finger from Joel Garner. Totally inglorious.

Worst bowler - Chris Matthews. Can't recall the last time I cringed so much at watching an Australian bowler. I thought that over might never end. There are guys with worse figures, but Matthews was the worst to watch.

 

[Fat Red]

Originally posted by The Doctor
Tom Hogan, Ray Bright, Simon Davis, Chris Matthews, Greg Ritchie, Sam Gannon, Micheal Hibbert, Wayne Phillips (Vic), Jo Angel, Peter McIntyre, Peter Wilson, Scott Muller, Sean Young

just to name a few

Ray Bright is most unfair, took 53 test wickets, not a great average but there's plenty worse, had a big hand in the tied test in India.

Greg Ritchie was also average but not terrible in a weak time in Australian cricket.

And Wayne Phillips is hard done by, one test match for an opening batsman is not enough of an opportunity.

 

[skilts]

worst test cricketer you've seen

Have to agree about John Watkins' ineptitude. Several of his deliveries in that match against Pakistan endangered the square leg umpire.
Apparently he was the classic country bumpkin. On the trip to the West Indies, so the story goes, he asked one of his Australian team mates whereabouts he could go on the aircraft to change into his pyjamas.

 

[Mr. Blonde]

One player that used to annoy me was Graeme Wood. I'm not sure of his avarages, but he was the classic player from the 80's who only got picked because we had no one else.

 

[The Hippie]

Re: worst test cricketer you've seen

Originally posted by skilts
Have to agree about John Watkins' ineptitude. Several of his deliveries in that match against Pakistan endangered the square leg umpire.

I remember reading a story by Doug Walters I think, asking him if he was checking to see if the next weeks pitch was going to take any spin.

 

[Dippers Donuts]

Originally posted by Mr. Blonde
One player that used to annoy me was Graeme Wood. I'm not sure of his avarages, but he was the classic player from the 80's who only got picked because we had no one else.

what a shocker Graeme wood was. Averaged about 32 in test cricket but somehow managed to play over 50 tests.

Had a liking for the hook shot IIRC...as for his running between wickets...didn't they call him the kamikaze kid!! His running between the wickets with Rick Darling was almost comical.

Rick Darling...there's another dud.

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by Dippers Donuts


what a shocker Graeme wood was. Averaged about 32 in test cricket but somehow managed to play over 50 tests.

Had a liking for the hook shot IIRC...as for his running between wickets...didn't they call him the kamikaze kid!! His running between the wickets with Rick Darling was almost comical.

If Graeme Wood was a shocker, what does that make Geoff Marsh!!!

Compare :

Graeme Wood 60 Tests, 113 Inn, 6 NO, 3374 runs @ 31.53, HS 172, 9 centuries, 13 fifties

Geoff Marsh 50 Tests, 93 Inn, 7 NO, 2854 runs @ 33.19, HS 138, 4 centuries, 15 fifties.

So in a nutshell, a bloke with a highest score of 138, and averaging a piss poor 1 century per 18.25 innings (4 centuries in about 7 years) was Australia's VICE BLOODY CAPTAIN for about half of those Tests!!!

 

[Dippers Donuts]

Originally posted by Darky



If Graeme Wood was a shocker, what does that make Geoff Marsh!!!

Compare :

Graeme Wood 60 Tests, 113 Inn, 6 NO, 3374 runs @ 31.53, HS 172, 9 centuries, 13 fifties

Geoff Marsh 50 Tests, 93 Inn, 7 NO, 2854 runs @ 33.19, HS 138, 4 centuries, 15 fifties.

So in a nutshell, a bloke with a highest score of 138, and averaging a piss poor 1 century per 18.25 innings (4 centuries in about 7 years) was Australia's VICE BLOODY CAPTAIN for about half of those Tests!!!

Gee, I'm surprised Swampy Marsh's average was that low. I always thought it was around the 37/38 mark. He did taper off quite a bit towards the end of his career, obviously more than I realised.

He was a master tactician though...

 

[Darky]

Originally posted by Dippers Donuts


Gee, I'm surprised Swampy Marsh's average was that low. I always thought it was around the 37/38 mark. He did taper off quite a bit towards the end of his career, obviously more than I realised.

He was a master tactician though...

Could never stand watching Swampy bat. More boring than Steve Waugh, and you KNOW how I feel about him!

Your query of sorts did lead me to do some investigating and I found that after his 25th Test, he never averaged higher than 36.

After his first century (in his 10th Innings), he reached his career-high average of 42.22

His centuries came in his 10th, 15th, 18th and 59th Innings. Two very long droughts of 41 Innings (2 years, 9 months) and 34 Innings (2 years, 7 months), the second drought ending his career.

So, afgter a promising start of 3 centuries in his first 18 innings, he followed it up with 1 century in 75 innings!

The analysis can be found here :

http://statserver.cricket.org/perl/...=0&stumpedlow=&stumpedhigh=&csearch=&submit=1


I'm going to lie down now (and don't call me Hansie!)