The Pavel Florin Supporters Club and Cricket Thread

[Sergio Bellend]

Have you got a cricinfo profile from your UCCE/minor counties days Max?

 

Be pretty boss if you did. I've always thought you've made it as a cricketer if your on there. Which is surprising that I know/have played with/against quite a lot of people with cricinfo profiles.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Sergio Bellend

[Max Power]

Sadly not.

 

Yorkshire had Mark Lawson in front of me, and then latterly Rashid. Always hated Lawson, the bald bastard. I played England Under 15/16/17's though, with such luminaries as Chris Nash, Phil Mustard, Gordan Muchall and Chris Benham. But I went to Uni and played for Braford Leeds UCCE, and discovered drink/fast food/shagging etc, and the rest is history.

 

So you were another Yorkshire leggie? Was there some kind of spin bowling push up in Yorkshire around that time because they have always been renowned for their seamers but not necessarily spinners because of the pitches at Headingley?

 

I like Chris Nash though, was he much kop when you played with him? Might have an outside shout of a ODI cap or two if he keeps playing well.

 

Yeah, there were plenty of us around the turn of the millenium. Old Terry Jenner used to come up and take us a few times each summer - when he wasn't in the bookies. I always struggled though, because Lawson and Rashid were both younger, and quite clearly better than I was. It was tough, because once you've finished playing and doing well in your own age group as a kid, and then you're all cobbled together as an academy, you quickly find out where you are in the pecking order with kids in different age groups.

 

Chris Nash was a fantastic off-spinner who couldn't hold a stick. Now he's a very, very good batsman who bowls a bit - it's strange how things work out. A very good lad though. It's amazing how lads you played with ten yuears ago don't forget though. In 2008, when Yorkshire played Sussex at the Scarbrough Festival, I saw some of the Sussex boys out in the town centre, and Nash had loads of time for the group of lads I was with - a real class act. Could have been a dickhead like some of his teammates with the pissed up locals, but he spoke to us for a fair while (mostly to take the piss out of me).

 

As for Cricinfo - sadly not. It seems that a lack of List A games put paid to that. I'm on cricinfo's shitty, second rate little brother - cricketarchive.com

 

Here:

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/play...mp;startseason=

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/play...mp;startseason=

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/play...mp;startseason=

 

For the UCCE games, the bastards on there mixed me up with an RGR Barlow:

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...s/74/74582.html

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...s/74/74487.html

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...s/74/74461.html

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...118/118534.html

 

In the second one of those links our opening batsman was RC Kettleborough - who is now pinching a living as a Test Match Umpire!

 

Any, hopefully I've not bored you to tears too much.

Edited November 11, 2010 by Max Power

[V1mark]

I had an epic innings last year. Opened the batting as our side were prone to frequent collapse. Concentrated on staying in. Every ball seemed to go to the fielders. Other people scored, other people got out and after 16 overs our team were 4/62 chasing 190. I was still there on 0 not out and had even run out the captain

 

I got a run in the 17th over to over the top wild fake celebrations from my team mates and to the laughter of the fielding side who hadn't worked out that I hadn't scored a run in an hour and a half. I managed 3 more before getting out.

 

What a glorious day

[PowerButchi]

For anyone in the house this morning, Eurosport 2 are showing Pakistan vs the Boks live. It's surreal seeing Cricket on Eurosport, and it has a weird aspect ratio, and the commentary sounds like it's being done off-tube over the phone. It's on till half one.

[Devon Malcolm]

Yeah, there were plenty of us around the turn of the millenium. Old Terry Jenner used to come up and take us a few times each summer - when he wasn't in the bookies. I always struggled though, because Lawson and Rashid were both younger, and quite clearly better than I was. It was tough, because once you've finished playing and doing well in your own age group as a kid, and then you're all cobbled together as an academy, you quickly find out where you are in the pecking order with kids in different age groups.

 

Chris Nash was a fantastic off-spinner who couldn't hold a stick. Now he's a very, very good batsman who bowls a bit - it's strange how things work out. A very good lad though. It's amazing how lads you played with ten yuears ago don't forget though. In 2008, when Yorkshire played Sussex at the Scarbrough Festival, I saw some of the Sussex boys out in the town centre, and Nash had loads of time for the group of lads I was with - a real class act. Could have been a dickhead like some of his teammates with the pissed up locals, but he spoke to us for a fair while (mostly to take the piss out of me).

 

As for Cricinfo - sadly not. It seems that a lack of List A games put paid to that. I'm on cricinfo's shitty, second rate little brother - cricketarchive.com

 

Here:

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/play...mp;startseason=

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/play...mp;startseason=

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/cgi-bin/play...mp;startseason=

 

For the UCCE games, the bastards on there mixed me up with an RGR Barlow:

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...s/74/74582.html

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...s/74/74487.html

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...s/74/74461.html

 

http://www.cricketarchive.com/Archive/Scor...118/118534.html

 

In the second one of those links our opening batsman was RC Kettleborough - who is now pinching a living as a Test Match Umpire!

 

Any, hopefully I've not bored you to tears too much.

 

Not at all, that's great stuff!

 

Was Terry Jenner any good as a coach? He obviously did great with Warney but reports from other leggies he worked with have not always been that great, have they? I don't think Chris Schofield had much good to say about him.

 

I like the story about Nash - sounds similar to Pietersen in terms of starting out as a spinner and turning into a quality batsman. Do you reckon he has an England chance?

[PowerButchi]

Has anyone much good to say about Chris Schofield?

[Max Power]

The problem with Jenner is that he wanted everyone to be a carbon copy of Warne. You know, the walk up to the crease, the gather in the last two or three strides, and the pivot and follow through. If you had a slightly different or individual action, then he tried to break you down, and start from scratch in building you back up - despite the fact that you obviously had something if you were at the level you were already. Whereas if he maybe recognised what each indiviual player had, and offered tips to improve their own personal games - instead of trying to discover another Warne. Having said that, his job with the ECB was exactly that - to find another Warne, so maybe I'm being over-crytical. A fantastic bloke though.

 

As for Schofield? Jenner didn't have time for "dickheads" as he called them. He hated Macgill for that reason. Maybe he saw Schofield as someone who was given too much too young - the sponsored car, the central contract etc, before he was ready, and wasn't willing to learn. From what I heard around that time, Schofield wasn't exactly the most down to earth bloke playing cricket. There's stories of the guy being on a huge gig at Lancashire, and by the end of his contract, playing in the 2nd team and just tossing it off. Although to be fair to him, it looks like he's worked hard and he's come back a more complete player.

 

The thing that strikes me with leggies at the minute is that they seem afraid to really spin the ball. A lot of them have been introduced in T20 or one day stuff, which means 2 shit overs and they don't bowl again. Kids like Will Beer and Max Waller would rather bowl tight negative stuff, than really try and rip it - for fear of getting whacked all over. T20 is no place for a leg spinner to learn. There's only really Rashid that spins it - he's the best of the bunch by a mile.

 

Have you seen the England scorecard Butch? Our hero has gone up another notch on the Swannometer - another 4 wickets.

[PowerButchi]

Tremendous. He's really hitting high gear at the best possible time. He's had a great year, becoming one of the world's very best spinners, and saving his cat from under the floorboards and possibly avoiding the drink driving charge. He's going to be our X-Factor this series, methinks.

[Sergio Bellend]

When I grow up I want to be Graeme Swann.

[The Curious Orange]

Hundreds for Strauss and Cook today, which is another good sign - the top 6 needs to be converting 50s into 100s in this series to make sure we don't leave the bowlers too much to do on pitches that could prove quite hard work at times.

[Devon Malcolm]

The thing that strikes me with leggies at the minute is that they seem afraid to really spin the ball. A lot of them have been introduced in T20 or one day stuff, which means 2 shit overs and they don't bowl again. Kids like Will Beer and Max Waller would rather bowl tight negative stuff, than really try and rip it - for fear of getting whacked all over. T20 is no place for a leg spinner to learn. There's only really Rashid that spins it - he's the best of the bunch by a mile.

 

Do you think England are handling Rashid correctly? He had a brilliant season this year with bat and ball and it's almost as though they are a bit frightened to give him a game. In yesteryear, before Swann and Panesar, I think they would have fallen over themselves to get him in the team.

 

Also, since when did Eurosport become The Cricket Channel? They had Sri Lanka v West Indies on this morning. Chris Gayle was great fun - when he can be arsed, what a player he is to watch.

[PowerButchi]

It's surreal watching Cricket on Eurosport isn't it?

[Devon Malcolm]

Yes. I think I'd feel a lot more comfortable if Angus Loughran was commentating.

Edited November 15, 2010 by Gladstone Small

[Max Power]

Chris Gayle looks to be struggling...

[Devon Malcolm]

Yeah, I'm not sure he's going to make it to 400.

 

In the other two tests, the underdogs are giving a good account. Pakistan are holding up South Africa, and New Zealand have set India a load in not much time too.