Talking about if "you are good enough, you're old enough" I just wanted to take the opportunity to raise the profile of one young up and coming cricketer.
His name is Sam Heazlett and he has just turned 20. The bad news is that he's an Aussie.
I came across Sam this summer as he was the overseas pro for Bexley CC. Sam didn't just turn out for the Club, he helped on the ground and with coaching the colts including my son, Seb. You could not wish to meet a more rounded young man - a total credit to his mum and dad who are both teachers back in Aus.
Sam came to Bexley from the same club, Redlands Tigers, as Jimmy Peirson who was Bexley's pro in 2013 (Jimmy has been playing for Brisbane Heat in the Big Bash). Sam, again as Jimmy did, played for Australia U19s and scored 160 this March in a Test against England U19s.
Whilst Sam's Kent Premier League average of 42.82 was decent if not exceptional (overall average for the Club 64.07) it was more the nature of those knocks and one in particular that caught the eye. It wasn't even a League game - it was against Lashings for the Leigh College representative team.
Now anyone who has ever seen Lashings play knows that they play to win. But Sam took the bowling attack apart. And yes it was made up of former internationals who, perhaps, one could argue had seen better days.
But it did include one Tino Best. One very angry Tino Best who had been playing Test cricket as recently as 18 months earlier. So irate was Tino, one of his bouncer's at Sam not only cleared the keeper but only just fell short of the sight screen - he was bowling as fast as he possibly could. Sam went on to make 150 in probably no more than 15 overs. But the story doesn't end there.
Already the recipient of Queensland's Rookie Of The Year award, Sam made his first class debut this weekend for the State against Tasmania - against an attack including ex-internationals Ben Hilfenhaus, Jackson Bird, Xavier Doherty and James Faulkner.
In the first innings Sam amassed 129 off 248 balls. In the second he scored a vital 78 off 87 thus helping Queensland to their first win of the season by just 3 wickets - and securing the Man Of The Match award in his debut first-class game.
So remember the name Sam Heazlett because one day he will play for Australia. But don't be fooled by his easy going and gentle nature. Because underneath that there is so much more.
I'm also in the cricketing circle and know Sam, great guy - and yes credit to his mum and dad.
That knock v Lashings was incredible, I think his first 3 balls he faced were 4 6 4!
I remember so many on here saying would never make it in Test cricket. I wasn't one of them.
Classic case of Flat Track Bully - is shit here (average 35) , is shit in India (average 24) shit in Windies (average 28) - anywhere where the ball moves around a bit or is slow his technique (smack it) leaves a lot to be desired . He's a Loooooong way away from the likes of ABDV and Root.
David Warner has made it Test cricket. Graham Hick was accused of being a FTB but he flopped all over the world. I'd rather have a Warner or a Hayden than a Lyle, Carberry, Compton etc. Cricket has changed, from club to Test and every level in between.
David Warner has made it Test cricket. Graham Hick was accused of being a FTB but he flopped all over the world. I'd rather have a Warner or a Hayden than a Lyle, Carberry, Compton etc. Cricket has changed, from club to Test and every level in between.
Lyle ? - nah, reckon his opening partner Tate will be better.
Talking about bowlers at 90+. if you look at Johnson, his approach is negligible,but he generates all his speed through his body action at delivery - has a very wide stance at delivery but is able to generate most of his pace through his slingy action. Really surprised he has been able to stay fit for so long - with someone with that action, you would expect side strains and ankle/knee problems off front foot to be a regular occurrence.
After posting figures of 28-2-157-1 in the first innings of the current Test against NZ, Johnson has announced this will be his final International match. These were the most expensive stats by an Australian bowler in a Test at Perth.
Before the game Johnson said he was happy to keep playing "as long as I'm performing well and doing my job in the team then mentally I'm feeling pretty good".
A microcosm of his career really. One minute he was mentally in the right place. The next he was wasn't.
Talking about bowlers at 90+. if you look at Johnson, his approach is negligible,but he generates all his speed through his body action at delivery - has a very wide stance at delivery but is able to generate most of his pace through his slingy action. Really surprised he has been able to stay fit for so long - with someone with that action, you would expect side strains and ankle/knee problems off front foot to be a regular occurrence.
After posting figures of 28-2-157-1 in the first innings of the current Test against NZ, Johnson has announced this will be his final International match. These were the most expensive stats by an Australian bowler in a Test at Perth.
Before the game Johnson said he was happy to keep playing "as long as I'm performing well and doing my job in the team then mentally I'm feeling pretty good".
A microcosm of his career really. One minute he was mentally in the right place. The next he was wasn't.
Graeme Swann retired at the end of a Test with the series lost and copped unbelievable abuse - including from people on here - and got called every name under the sun.
Johnson retires MID Test match with the series in the balance and gets universal praise.
Strange decision to go out so suddenly, while conditions weren't favourable, he bowled well in the summer and still seemed fit.
I didn't like the way Swann retired mid series, the difference being England were the away team on tour and it seemed a bit like deserting a sinking ship
Strange decision to go out so suddenly, while conditions weren't favourable, he bowled well in the summer and still seemed fit.
I didn't like the way Swann retired mid series, the difference being England were the away team on tour and it seemed a bit like deserting a sinking ship
When Swann retired the ship wasn't sinking - it was at the bottom of the ocean!
3-0 down and with a busted elbow Swann called it a day in all forms of the game.
Note that Johnson has retired only from international Cricket - he will still be available for lucrative 20/20 Cricket.
Often the way with proper quick bowlers. Their lack of control means they will often struggle, but then they have that magical session of match where everything click (see Devon Malcom v SA!), but they're worth having in the side. So often the batsmen looking simply to survive against the likes of Johnson and then end up giving their wicket away taking on the slower, but more accurate bowlers.
It's why Brett Lee was so successful. McGrath was so accurate that batsmen couldn't get him away, so felt they had to take on Lee, turning balls that would usually be left alone or punished into wickets.
You gotta feel sorry for Warner. He scores 253 in the first innings but doesn't get MOM because Taylor, with his match saving 290, receives that.
Why? Taylor scored more runs than him !
Not disputing he should have got it. Just suggesting that it isn't often that someone scores over 250 in an innings and is beaten because someone scores more.
Anyway, I was being somewhat ironic so far as feeling sorry for him.
Starc ready to take up the mantle of being Australia's "go to" menace with the new ball. Bowled a ball at 160.4 kph or just under 100 mph.
It might not seem that different from say 90 mph to 99 mph but asked any cricketer who has played at that level and they will tell you that every extra one mph bowled in the right area is massive.
Starc ready to take up the mantle of being Australia's "go to" menace with the new ball. Bowled a ball at 160.4 kph or just under 100 mph.
It might not seem that different from say 90 mph to 99 mph but asked any cricketer who has played at that level and they will tell you that every extra one mph bowled in the right area is massive.
How accurate are the speed guns? I watched that ball and it didn't look visibly quicker, maybe it is impossible to tell. Also, is the speed gun from point of delivery to pitching or to when it reaches the bat?
Starc ready to take up the mantle of being Australia's "go to" menace with the new ball. Bowled a ball at 160.4 kph or just under 100 mph.
It might not seem that different from say 90 mph to 99 mph but asked any cricketer who has played at that level and they will tell you that every extra one mph bowled in the right area is massive.
How accurate are the speed guns? I watched that ball and it didn't look visibly quicker, maybe it is impossible to tell. Also, is the speed gun from point of delivery to pitching or to when it reaches the bat?
Often the way with proper quick bowlers. Their lack of control means they will often struggle, but then they have that magical session of match where everything click (see Devon Malcom v SA!), but they're worth having in the side. So often the batsmen looking simply to survive against the likes of Johnson and then end up giving their wicket away taking on the slower, but more accurate bowlers.
It's why Brett Lee was so successful. McGrath was so accurate that batsmen couldn't get him away, so felt they had to take on Lee, turning balls that would usually be left alone or punished into wickets.
Brett Lee also had a long and lucrative IPL career, something Mitch no doubt is salivating over! 4 overs a match is no effort at all, and he's a very good attacking batsman too, so should be in demand.
I wonder if we'll see him next summer in the T20 blast?
You gotta feel sorry for Warner. He scores 253 in the first innings but doesn't get MOM because Taylor, with his match saving 290, receives that.
Why? Taylor scored more runs than him !
Not disputing he should have got it. Just suggesting that it isn't often that someone scores over 250 in an innings and is beaten because someone scores more.
Anyway, I was being somewhat ironic so far as feeling sorry for him.
News from the Day Night Test Aus v NZ is that Mitchell Starc has a stress fracture of his foot - this also with a 'heel impingement' . This, along with the news that Patrick Cummins has *another* back stress fracture, and out for a very long period (the guy,sadly has only played 8 first class games in his career !) and Pattinson has only just come back after a near 2 year period out , and is clearly injury-prone PLUS PLUS PLUS Mitchell Johnson's retirement from Test cricket means that OZ are heavily depleted in the fast bowling dept at the moment. Could well be that the next time we face them in OZ next year that the quicks could be Siddle,Hazlewood and Faulkner.
Comments
I'm also in the cricketing circle and know Sam, great guy - and yes credit to his mum and dad.
That knock v Lashings was incredible, I think his first 3 balls he faced were 4 6 4!
Having stuffed NZ in the First Test, they are 416-2 at the end of day one in the 2nd.
Warner is on 244* off 272 balls so that's 423 runs he's scored so far in this series and he hasn't even completed three innings yet!
Burns, the other opener, has scored 240 in his three innings.
Khawaja, batting at 3, has scored 304 including two centuries and only been out twice.
Good job we haven't got the Ashes this winter!
Cricket has changed, from club to Test and every level in between.
Before the game Johnson said he was happy to keep playing "as long as I'm performing well and doing my job in the team then mentally I'm feeling pretty good".
A microcosm of his career really. One minute he was mentally in the right place. The next he was wasn't.
Johnson retires MID Test match with the series in the balance and gets universal praise.
Interesting, isn't it?
I didn't like the way Swann retired mid series, the difference being England were the away team on tour and it seemed a bit like deserting a sinking ship
3-0 down and with a busted elbow Swann called it a day in all forms of the game.
Note that Johnson has retired only from international Cricket - he will still be available for lucrative 20/20 Cricket.
Funny that!
However, I wouldn't think that if he was English :-).
What a bowler he has been for them.
Anyway, he bowls to the left, he bowls to the right. That Mitchell Johnson, his bowling is .....
Just so so so funny.
2009 - England Win - 20 wickets at 33
2010/11 - England Win - 15 wickets at 37
2013 - England Win (Johnson dropped for series)
2013/14 - Australia Win - 37 Wickets at 14
2015 - England Win - 15 wickets at 35
That's an amazing return - three very mediocre series sandwiching one series where he recorded the best figures delivered in modern times.
Very, very strange.
It's why Brett Lee was so successful. McGrath was so accurate that batsmen couldn't get him away, so felt they had to take on Lee, turning balls that would usually be left alone or punished into wickets.
Anyway, I was being somewhat ironic so far as feeling sorry for him.
It might not seem that different from say 90 mph to 99 mph but asked any cricketer who has played at that level and they will tell you that every extra one mph bowled in the right area is massive.
I wonder if we'll see him next summer in the T20 blast?
This, along with the news that Patrick Cummins has *another* back stress fracture, and out for a very long period (the guy,sadly has only played 8 first class games in his career !) and Pattinson has only just come back after a near 2 year period out , and is clearly injury-prone PLUS PLUS PLUS Mitchell Johnson's retirement from Test cricket means that OZ are heavily depleted in the fast bowling dept at the moment.
Could well be that the next time we face them in OZ next year that the quicks could be Siddle,Hazlewood and Faulkner.
PS, we'll still lose 5-0 !