[cfcnewton]

for a game ive played and loved all my life. A sad sad day. RIP Phillip Hughes.

[Mr Mercury]

Westbars Spireite, on 27 November 2014 - 07:12 AM, said:

Really bad news this morning about Phil Hughes. It didn't look good from the initial collapse but it's still a shocking way to go. As well as his family and friends I feel sorry for the poor lad who bowled the ball. I'd be surprised if he ever played again.

Terrible news, I can remember seeing footage of Brian Close going out to bat wearing trousers, gloves and a sweater and little else to face the Windies fast bowlers. Nowadays batsman are trussed up like battle veterans you would never expect this to happen nowadays!

[Westbars Spireite]

All it takes is one bang to the wrong place on the head. Doing anything. I don't play cricket at any great level but I rarely wear a helmet. I think I'll make sure I do in future. If I bother again that is!

[JonB]

As i've mentioned on the other thread this one really got me this morning when i woke up to the news. These sort of tragedies in sport are always sad but for some reason i just relate to the circumstances of this one more.

Hard to believe that with all the protection that batsman wear these days that just another short ball like thousands bowled around the world has led to this happening. Its a horrible freak accident and as much as we need to mourn Hughes, Sean Abbott needs all the support in the world as well.

[JonB]

Westbars Spireite, on 27 November 2014 - 08:05 AM, said:

All it takes is one bang to the wrong place on the head. Doing anything. I don't play cricket at any great level but I rarely wear a helmet. I think I'll make sure I do in future. If I bother again that is!

I've been wearing a helmet for years now for batting. Once we started going up the leagues we started coming across quicker bowlers but still i wore a helmet more for the fact the way i bat i could easily top edge one into my face or alike. I've seen a few folk do it and it made me just start wearing one and get used to it...it now feels weird to not bat in one! I remember a mate of mine a couple of years after i started playing being one of the first i saw in club cricket to wear one and him getting a lot of grief from the opposition for it....now you are probably the exception if you dont wear one. That said i still field in close now and then and dont wear one when i'm potentially more likely to get struck...thats something i may need to consider going forward!

I think this whole incident has got to me more because of being a bowler and not evening beginning to imagine what young Abbott is going through at this moment. When you chuck the chunk of leather down at the bloke with the piece of wood in his hand this outcome is just unimaginable! I've hit folk on the body with deliveries in the past, hit folk on the helmet and even knocked a blokes glasses off once and you dont think about this sort of outcome.

[Valley Blues]

JonB, on 27 November 2014 - 08:48 AM, said:

I've been wearing a helmet for years now for batting. Once we started going up the leagues we started coming across quicker bowlers but still i wore a helmet more for the fact the way i bat i could easily top edge one into my face or alike. I've seen a few folk do it and it made me just start wearing one and get used to it...it now feels weird to not bat in one! I remember a mate of mine a couple of years after i started playing being one of the first i saw in club cricket to wear one and him getting a lot of grief from the opposition for it....now you are probably the exception if you dont wear one. That said i still field in close now and then and dont wear one when i'm potentially more likely to get struck...thats something i may need to consider going forward!

I think this whole incident has got to me more because of being a bowler and not evening beginning to imagine what young Abbott is going through at this moment. When you chuck the chunk of leather down at the bloke with the piece of wood in his hand this outcome is just unimaginable! I've hit folk on the body with deliveries in the past, hit folk on the helmet and even knocked a blokes glasses off once and you dont think about this sort of outcome.

A truly awful day.
I was fortunate enough as a youngster to play a decent level of adult cricket from a relatively young age ( poor player in good side ) so I always wore a lid. It was a wise move as I once took one sock in the grill from a quick bowler, via my top edge. Without the helmet I dread to think what the outcome may have been.
What makes this weeks events in Sydney even more devastating, if that's actually possible, is that Phil Hughes was doing everything right, taking all precautions available. This is a horrendous freak accident.
I just hope that time is taken by the authorities to mourn and remember a fantastically talented young man and there are no snap decisions made about the future of a wonderful game.

[Stents]

I'm just glad i'm not quick enough to get it up round a batsman's head!

Definitely something that will play on peoples mind when they think about throwing a short ball down.

[JonB]

Stents, on 28 November 2014 - 11:07 AM, said:

I'm just glad i'm not quick enough to get it up round a batsman's head!

Definitely something that will play on peoples mind when they think about throwing a short ball down.

To be honest i've played up to Derbyshire Div 1 level over the years and even at that which is a decent standard the number of players that are capable of bouncing someone are few and far between. Think i've faced three blokes over that time that could probably do it....Mark Footitt and a couple of Pakistani overseas players. One went on to play a couple of ODIs for them and i had to face him the ball after he had broke Jordan Burrows box with a full toss which was interesting and the other lad was at Ambergate and he didnt like that i'd got 20 odd batting at 10 so pinned me on the shoulder although i was wearing a helmet at the time.

[Stents]

We had a kid last year who went on to win shot at the pro's. Loved a bouncer! Lost count of how many i've ducked out of the way of in nets.

[JonB]

Stents, on 28 November 2014 - 11:37 AM, said:

We had a kid last year who went on to win shot at the pro's. Loved a bouncer! Lost count of how many i've ducked out of the way of in nets.

Its one thing bowling a bouncer at indoor nets or on bouncy astro nets....not so easy when they get carried away doing it on damp tracks in April\May and wonder why a half decent bat is smashing them all as they dont get above waist high!

[Stents]

JonB, on 28 November 2014 - 12:09 PM, said:

Its one thing bowling a bouncer at indoor nets or on bouncy astro nets....not so easy when they get carried away doing it on damp tracks in April\May and wonder why a half decent bat is smashing them all as they dont get above waist high!

A damp early May Hundall track certainly isnt the same as what he was playing on in India...

Probably why he ended up getting a bit of tap.

[JonB]

Stents, on 28 November 2014 - 01:39 PM, said:

A damp early May Hundall track certainly isnt the same as what he was playing on in India...

Probably why he ended up getting a bit of tap.

Aye! I always say the same to some of our lot as we practice indoor at Cricketal with it pinging onto the bat and short balls getting head high....almost identical to Ashover the last weekend in April!

That said it appears we've blown some cash on some covers so maybe we'll get some Perth like rock hard tracks!

[Stents]

JonB, on 28 November 2014 - 01:42 PM, said:

Aye! I always say the same to some of our lot as we practice indoor at Cricketal with it pinging onto the bat and short balls getting head high....almost identical to Ashover the last weekend in April!

That said it appears we've blown some cash on some covers so maybe we'll get some Perth like rock hard tracks!

We chucked a load of money at covers a few years back. Doesn't quite work like that I'm afraid...

Youve also got to rely on someone actually putting them on!

[JonB]

Stents, on 28 November 2014 - 03:44 PM, said:

We chucked a load of money at covers a few years back. Doesn't quite work like that I'm afraid...

Youve also got to rely on someone actually putting them on!

Aye....just another thing to take off on match day as well! Sure we will get some use out of them anyway.

[Stents]

JonB, on 28 November 2014 - 03:47 PM, said:

Aye....just another thing to take off on match day as well! Sure we will get some use out of them anyway.

Yeah they'll be a nice dry patch just off the pitch!

[Mr Mercury]

England are absolutely woeful in the second ODI v Sri Lanka , currently 180/9 after 42 overs . After all the great success of the mid 00's to 2012 we are once more in danger of becoming international also rans!

[SpireiteFitzy]

We're going to get leathered at the world cup next year. Lost 15 of our last 22 ODI's. We can only bat when we are chasing a high score that's ultimately too much and we just simply can't bowl, whether it be stopping the opposition scoring first or chasing down a total. Saying that against Jayawardene and Sangakkara your facing the most experienced pair playing the game currently, a superb example of how to bat in an ODI and how to chase a tricky total if you lose early wickets.

[JonB]

No Broad or Anderson in this side which will make a difference along with playing in Oz not the sub continent. That said we need to figure out a plan batting wise.

[shaun1866]

JonB, on 29 November 2014 - 12:59 PM, said:

No Broad or Anderson in this side which will make a difference along with playing in Oz not the sub continent. That said we need to figure out a plan batting wise.

The plan batting wise is sat at home twiddling his thumbs KP and Hales needs to be playing.

[SpireiteFitzy]

JonB, on 29 November 2014 - 12:59 PM, said:

No Broad or Anderson in this side which will make a difference along with playing in Oz not the sub continent. That said we need to figure out a plan batting wise.

They've no Malinga and don't even need Kulasekra who was one of their best bowlers over here. Our experienced batsmen need to do what Jayawardena and Sanggakkara do which is ease themselves in without really scoring heavy for the first few overs and then put the foot down when they are settled, and when they are settled they are so hard to dislodge. A lot of our guys just go out trying to club it into the next city and end up getting out to stupid shots. Doesn't help that we don't have a decent spinner either with us been in the sub continent, Ali is better than Tredwell and he's not even a full time bowler.