It came to mind as I read this about Nathan Bracken's efforts to get back into the Australian Test side as a spinner.
Bracken has been trying out in the nets, bowling them at around 95kph. 'It's been suggested I look at Colin 'Funky' Miller as an example. Funky had a fast bowler's mentality because he'd make sure blokes couldn't get down to him', he said.
A better example would be Derek Underwood, who bowled a mix of spin and cut at almost medium pace, left arm over - and Deadly didn't do too badly. The mad ambition of the scheme is the best part of the story. There's something last century about it.
Conan Doyle, a man of many parts, would have approved. Spedegue ended up winning the Ashes for England, and Conan Doyle himself is said to have dismissed his fellow MD, WG Grace in a private match.
Grace's reaction to be being undone by the creator of Sherlock Holmes is sadly unrecorded, although it was probably along the lines of what Kevin Pietersen might say if Nathan Bracken ever spins him out.
Bracken's onto a winner here, I mean Hauritz, Krejza and White got picked with very ordinary figures, at least Nathan would take experience, temperament and man-hair into the spinning experience.
ReplyDeletePlus he'd be a dual bowling all-rounder, which would add to the balance of the team - Symonds a specialist no 6 batsman who doesn't score any runs, Watson a bowler/opening no 7/male model and Hussey who bats 5 and couriers hats.
btw I'm enjoying your blog, any chance of a link swap to http://beerandsport.net/ ?
Cheers Moses,
ReplyDeletehave put you on the blogroll, thanks for the swap.
If Symonds stays in too, would they be the only team in history with two dual-bowling all-rounders? I'm counting Roy's medium pacers, although I haven't seen them in a while...
I do not know or I should say that I did not know really much about Nathan Bracken, but I am glad I came here to read your blog
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