The King is dead! Long live the King

I read today an interesting article about the gathering of the great fast bowlers and how the art is dying because of the wickets that are being made batsman friendly.

I was a fast bowler, and for those people who suffered injuries at my hand they will testify to how fast I was. I still remember one match when I was playing against York in the Yorkshire league, before helmets had really become widespread, Barry Wood tossed me the ball and said go on see if you can do some damage. It was an interesting turn of phrase because the opening batsmen got the first ball under the chin and the second uprooted his middle stump with a yorker. Number 3 came in all cockily and told me I had been lucky so you guessed it, chin ball, to which his response was, after he picked himself off the floor, can I get a helmet out here please. He didn't last very long either. Mind you I had just come off the back of 7-32 and 7-19 in my previous Varsity game so I was kind of on a roll.

That said I think here lies the problem. It's not the pitches as such it's the fact that batsmen look like medieval knights now. Protection has advanced so much that it is really difficult to intimidate top batsmen like you could do in the olden days. Sure the even bounce has made life easier the days of Sabina Park wickets are probably done and dusted but great fast bowlers have always found a way on batting tracks. That is what made them great.

I remember a great batsman called Sir Vivian Richards once saying that he didn't need a helmet because he had a bat. And maybe that's what we need to do ban helmets for batsmen. Bugger the health and safety and the political correctness. Keep them for children like rugby players and boxers have done but once you step out as a professional then ban them.

Then to quote Kipling .......Then you will be a man my son! 

Another season draws to an end

The Autumnal winds have started to blow the leaves from the trees, the nights are starting to draw in once again and so we come to the end of the English Cricket Season. Has it been a good one? I think so and not just in terms of sport but in terms of attitude and in life coaching.

We have seen a near total demolition of the worlds top test team by the team destined to be the top team. We have seen a retiring veteran take what can only be described as the catch of the decade on T20 finals day and we have seen more injuries than in an Italian Serie A match.

Young players are coming through, old players retire and ex-players bemoan the state of the game. The reality though is that cricket continues, and will continue for a long time to come for this is still the game where fairness comes first and where sport and honour are more important than money.

So I say thank you for the season, for all those who have contributed so much, congratulations to the winners and to the losers better luck next time. Let us all now move forward to the next great spectacle.