Tuesday, April 30, 2024

Craig McDermott 6 for 53 and 2 for 90 vs England at Brisbane, Nov 25-29 1994

Craig McDermott was a textbook outswing bowler with a classic side-on action who could run through any batting order on his day.  In the first Test at Brisbane in November 1994, Australian pace bowler Craig McDermott destroyed England's batting lineup. He took 6 for 53 and laid the victory foundation. The ball was swinging and creating penetrating gaps after England, through pitiful batting against McDermott, was dismissed for 167 on the third day.

Stewart was caught at the wicket off a wide out-swinger in what might otherwise have been the last over of McDermott's new-ball spell; Graeme Hick soon followed, caught behind, mis-hooking; only while Atherton and Thorpe were adding 47 did England briefly promise to recover. In the 2nd innings, he also took 2 for 90 and finished the match figures 8 for 143.

 Lets get into the video.

McDermott was the spearhead of the Australian attack in the late 1980s and early 1990s. He was powerfully built at 191 cm tall. Between 1984 and 1996 he played 71 Tests for Australia, taking 291 wickets with the best of 8 for 97 vs England at Perth in 1991. Injuries hit McDermott towards the end of his career: he missed the best part of the 1993 Ashes tour, as well as the famous victory in the Caribbean in 1994-95 and the World Cup a year later. After his playing days, McDermott returned to cricket in a coaching capacity, but not before enduring tough times off the field, as the failure of his real-estate business caused him to sell his home and declare bankruptcy.


Monday, April 22, 2024

Sachin Tendulkar First Six in International Test

Do you know, when Sachin Tendulkar hit the first six in international cricket? As everyone knows, Sachin made his Test debut against Pakistan in Karachi in 1989. But he has to wait 245 days to hit the first six in international cricket.Sachin Tendulkar hit the first six to England off-spinner Eddie Hemmings at Leeds in the Ist ODI of the 1990 three-match series. In a brief 19 runs inning, Sachin faced 35 balls and hit one four and one six. Before that, he appeared in 10 Test matches and 5 ODI’s. Let's watch his first six in international cricket.

Monday, April 08, 2024

John Emburey Career Best Figure 7 for 78 vs Australia at Sydney in 1986-87

John Emburey was born on 20 August 1952. He is a former English first-class cricketer who played for Middlesex, Northamptonshire, Western Province, Berkshire and England. John Emburey was a right-arm spin bowler and a slightly eccentric but useful lower-order batsman with the style of a grafter. In the 5th Ashes Test at Sydney in 1986-87, John Embury took the career-best figure of 7 for 78 in the 2nd inning. Unfortunately, his efforts were in vain, as England lost the test by 55 runs. Let's get into the video.

John Emburey was briefly made England Test captain in 1988, the notorious "Summer of four captains". Mike Gatting was sacked after the first Test match against the West Indies and Emburey was appointed for two matches, both of which were lost. Emburey too was fired and was replaced by Chris Cowdrey for the fourth Test. Cowdrey lasted just one match, replaced in turn by Graham Gooch. While not a successful Test captain, Emburey had some successes captaining England in one-day international cricket, leading them to victory (in the absence of Gatting and Botham) in the Sharjah Cup in 1986–7. 

John Emburey was the only cricketer to go on both the England rebel tours to South Africa in 1981/2 and 1989/90; the rebels were banned from Test matches. Emburey was eventually restored to the England test team (respectively in 1985 and 1993). Later in his Test career, Emburey tended to be picked for single Tests in England, as happened in 1993 against Australia, when statistically, he was the leading all rounder in the country, and 1995 against the West Indies.

John Emburey Career Best Figure 7 for 78 vs Australia at Sydney in 1986-87

Thursday, April 04, 2024

Alec Stewart and Andy Caddick's Last Wicket Partnership vs Australia at Birmingham in 2001

In the Ist Test in the 2001 Ashes series at Birmingham, Alec Stewart and Andy Caddick rescued England's batting from complete disasters. Both put an incredible batting show on the last wicket, which frustrates Australian bowlers. After lunch Australians picked up the game to get five wickets and it looked like they'd wrap it up pretty quickly after England had them 9/191 just after tea. But Caddick and Stewart got going and smashed all around the park to nearly take the score to 300. Alec Stewart scored 65 off 82 balls including 9 fours and Andy Caddick remains not out on 49 in 59 balls including 7 fours and 1 six. Let's get into the video.

The 103 run-partnership between Alec Stewart and Andrew Caddick was the 15th-century partnership for the tenth wicket in Test cricket. It was the fourth-century partnership for England in all Tests. It was also the best for England against Australia on home soil. Australia won the test match by an innings and 118 runs. It was a pretty clinical performance, professional," "as they put the ball in the right place and took the catches. Australia played aggressive cricket and was backed by the crowd; they had a good time out there.

Alec Stewart and Andy Caddick's Last Wicket Partnership vs Australia at Birmingham in 2001

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

Andy Roberts Three Brutual Deliveries to Tony Greig in the First Test 1976 at Nottingham

It is difficult to quantify the impact Andy Roberts had when he first emerged in the early 1970s. Watch this video to witness how Andy Roberts' three brutal deliveries against Tony Greg in the first innings of the 1976 First Test at Nottingham left the captain stunned with a beautiful thunderbolt. Andy Roberts was hitting his stride at a very fast pace at this point in his career.

Dennis Lillee called him the most complete fast bowler he had seen at the time. However, the foundation of his game, at least in the early years, was some significant pace. He was part of the West Indies team that won the first two Prudential World Cups in England in 1975 and 1979.

John Snow feels that Roberts saw reduced effectiveness after being over bowled by Hampshire and West Indies in 1974.

Andy Roberts took 28 wickets in five Tests in England in 1976, including ten in the match at Lord's and nine at Old Trafford. During that series, he reached 100 Test wickets in just his 19th match. At that times, only five bowlers have ever got there faster and none of them was a bowler of true pace. He is still 7th fastest bowler to reach the 100 wickets milestones in Test cricket.