Posted by jrod on February 28, 2009 under QLD | 
No not mine. But Mr Panic’s. He put this up as a comment. And I thought it was way better than my pissweak effort, and also a real piece from a New Texan.
Which sucked because all I could see on TV was the limited overs matches, so didn’t get to watch him bat very often.
I cursed myself for missing his unbeaten double century against the touring English (which nine televised) the year he made his test debut. fucking school.
He was a measured batsman, but he could score runs quickly when needed.
I remember furiously updating that stupid cricket Australia website as he made something like 150 runs in a session against western Australia.
He was a more elegant stroke player than Mark Waugh.
In another era, he would have been Australia’s Rahul Dravid.
Watching him effortlessly dispatch cover drive after cover drive would make purists swoon.
He didn’t suffer from lack of talent, but a lack of opportunity, a lack of spotlight.
He wasn’t one to get in the papers like Cosgrove or Pomersbach, Martin Love was smoothness the whole way.
2002 was his zenith.
He scored over 2000 runs in first class cricket (while missing a month or two with a broken finger) at an average of over one hundred.
He made his debut at the Boxing Day test that year, filling in for a rotund Darren Lehmann. He scored 62, the hallmark of a nearly man, another Brad Hodge, Greg Blewett, Stuart Law, or Matthew Elliot.
But he was better than the lot of them (says the one-eyed Queenslander).
After being dropped for the returning Darren Lehmann, he sustained many frustrating injuries, which kept him on the outer.
Always a valuable contributor for Queensland, he never matched the form of 2002, but did enough to remind us of his brilliance.
However, since the advent of twenty20 cricket, he increasingly has looked a player from another era.
In a way, his retirement is no surprise. He has a successful career as a physiotherapist. Injuries have limited him to a few matches a season.
But I for one will miss having him in the Queensland line-up. A double century in his last Gabba match reminded us all of his class and talent.
Alas, in the end, he will be remembered as an almost anonymous cricketer, that only a privileged few cricket snobs (and Queenslanders) will be able to remember.
And whenever an argument arises in the decades to come, those snobs will say to a baffled audience, at pub or oval, “the new kid has talent, but he’s no martin love”.
Posted by jrod on February 27, 2009 under QLD |
Martin Love is retiring.
He has made plenty of hundreds. He averages 48. He made runs at test level as well. He has a haircut you could balance the senate with.
But I have almost no memories of him. Can’t think of any great knocks I have seen, or any moments where I said wow, he just did his job well, and almost with an invisibility.
That he was the anchor man of New Texas during their great run is without doubt. But I can remember Law, Maher, Carseldine, Symonds, Clinton Perren and Brendan Nash all making scores that pissed me off.
Not Love.
To be fair he probably deserves a better send off than this, but I can’t write anything about someone I really can’t remember.
Posted by jrod on September 30, 2008 under QLD |
QLD, the New Texas Bulls
Players that won’t be available for large parts of the season.
Hayden, Roy?, Watson and Hopes.
Losing Watson and Hopes in the one season would cripple most state teams, but the one thing Queensland has is all rounders.
The two bets performed all rounders in state cricket last year were Ryan Harris and Ashley Noffke, they are now team mates, and Noffke has a point to prove.
Last year they were plainly spoken complete fucken rubbish. Actually they were way worse than that.
They were old, stale, and pathetic.
This year the have shed Maher and Kasprowicz, for some unknown reason kept Bichel, and Johnson has gone to be with his girlfriend.
Leadership
Chris Simpson is the new captain, and I don’t know a lot about him, it always seems risky when a team makes a fringe player a captain, but if he is the only choice, he is the only choice.
He said some strong words in the media about hard work and so forth, but so did Nathan Adcock last year, and where is he now, exactly.
Bowling
Ashley Noffke was the best bowler outside of test cricket last year. Ryan Harris was the hardest working man in show bizness last year,
But once these two are finished what does Queensland have. They have no spinners, Andy Bichel and lots of untried bowlers, Noffke and Harris would have to take a lot of wickets, and if one gets the call up, Queensland are in trouble.
Batting
Old.
Unkown.
Strugglers.
And all rounders.
I have never seen a state line up look so bare.
Noffke and Harris may end up with all the wickets and all the runs.
Long in the tooth
Andy Bichel is technically already dead and no one has told him and Martin Love is pensioner, if both of these guys play out the whole year I’d be surprised.
Ready to shed the nappies
Ummmm, shit, lets say Alistair McDermott who makes other red heads look subtle.
Nostradamus
Shield
Last.
One dayers
Last.
2020
Second Last.
The rub
They seem old and ordinary, and the probably are, remember when they were good.
The Robert DeNiro mob
Posted by jrod on October 8, 2007 under NSW, QLD, VIC |
Homer has suggested I do a break down of the upcoming domestic cricket, and why not. I’m not qualified at all, but when has that stopped me before.
I won’t take into account the 2020 Kentucky fried rat crap, and as for the one day ing cup thing I think the Victorians and Tasmanians look good. But what would I know.
New South Wales-
This looks to be the weakest NSW squad ever. Richard Chee Quee would be a walk up starter in this side. However the team could be given a major boost if Bracken or MacGill don’t play test cricket.
Batting is very light on, Brad Haddin and Simon Katich are going to have to carry the team. Thronley is handy, but he is a good five or six, in this side he may have to bat higher. Moises Henriques is only 20, but I’ve already heard so much about this kid. So far he hasn’t shown much at the top level. This could be his year. He will probably have to bat top 6. Hopefully they don’t over bowl him as well.
Bowling could be interesting. Bollinger has been spruiked up, and the dude looks 45. He played well for Australia A, I’ve never rated him, but when Bracken is playing for Australia Bollinger is the man. Matthew Nicholson is 33 and was really never that good. Hauritz and Casson are vying for the back up to MacGill, Casson would be my choice. Will be interesting to see which way they go.
The rub, they look weak to me, but they are NSW and they are very rarely bad. They look a little shallow in batting and fast bowling, but as usual they seem to have shit loads of spinners to decide from. Likely finish 4-6.
Queensland (new texas)-
They look strong, they always look strong. They are old Bichel, Maher, Kasprowicz, Perron and Love are all on the wrong side of 30.
Their batting is classy, Shane Watson opening the batting is interesting. Martin Love the sex symbol of state cricket is still a good player, and is unlucky to have not played more tests. I haven’t heard of any young batsmen coming through, but they have 4 classy performers and Chris Hartley the keeper is a damn fine batsman himself.
Bowling, Nofke, Bichel, Kasprowicz and Jurgenson is a good fast bowling quartet. But its Queensland what else would you expect. Still no spinner, but its Queensland what else would you expect. Watson may be playing more games for Queensland than he expected this year, but he won’t be bowling.
The rub, a lot of these guys are getting ready to retire and move to the gold coast. They still have class, Watson and Kasprowicz are under injury clouds. Love and Maher must be nearing the end. Barring trips to the old people homes and emergency wards they should finish 1-3.
Now I’m tired I’ll do two more tomorrow.
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