Viv Richards - King of Cricket doco (Warning: for cricket fans only!)

[Coolio]

I was watching this doco this morning at work, and was thinking it would be a great pairing with a Robusto. It's an hour long, and from 1987, and an excellent tribute to an all time great.

I was talking to my dad the other day about the MCG Xmas Test in 1984 where we saw Viv bat from the fall of the 3rd wicket through the day. He went on until he was the 10th wicket, and made a measly 208!

This was also the Test where Craig McDermott took his first Test wicket with a bean ball to Richie Richardson, which was played down onto his stumps.

Here's a link to highlights of the MCG Test if you're looking for something to do!

[Ken Gargett]

I was watching this doco this morning at work, and was thinking it would be a great pairing with a Robusto. It's an hour long, and from 1987, and an excellent tribute to an all time great.

I was talking to my dad the other day about the MCG Xmas Test in 1984 where we saw Viv bat from the fall of the 3rd wicket through the day. He went on until he was the 10th wicket, and made a measly 208!

This was also the Test where Craig McDermott took his first Test wicket with a bean ball to Richie Richardson, which was played down onto his stumps.

Here's a link to highlights of the MCG Test if you're looking for something to do!

have not had a chance to watch as yet (but thankis for posting - they were great days, even if we were usually on the wrong end of it) but i remember that test well.

id be prepared to bet that first wicket for billy the kid was not a bean ball but a full toss about waist high (i gather it slipped out and mcdermott was always a bit embarrassed by it) which richie richardson lost sight of and it clipped a bail. an off bail if i recall but i could be wrong. but i certainly dont remember it as a bean ball or mcdermott playing it down.

if it is on the clip, i might look a bit silly soon.

[westg]

Thanks Dave will definitely park up with a stick and watch these cheers mate

[Coolio]

have not had a chance to watch as yet (but thankis for posting - they were great days, even if we were usually on the wrong end of it) but i remember that test well.

id be prepared to bet that first wicket for billy the kid was not a bean ball but a full toss about waist high (i gather it slipped out and mcdermott was always a bit embarrassed by it) which richie richardson lost sight of and it clipped a bail. an off bail if i recall but i could be wrong. but i certainly dont remember it as a bean ball or mcdermott playing it down.

if it is on the clip, i might look a bit silly soon.

You're right I reckon Ken, in that it slipped out and wasn't on purpose, but it would have hit Richardson around the neck if he hadn't jumped. He played it down onto the leg stump or bail. I'll stand corrected on the bean ball claim as I've looked it up and Dr Google tells me it's a head high ball (looks like primarily a baseball term - I've always used 'bean ball' for anything high at the body and full)! It's at the 4 min mark of the clip.

I really miss the Windies of the 70's and 80's. I hope one day soon they recover and become a competitive force again. There was nothing like that thrill you got when they were playing. That fearsome attack including Holding, Marshall, Garner, Roberts and Walsh etc will surely never be topped. And Richards. I got goose bumps just watching him bat again in these videos.

[Coolio]

Thanks Dave will definitely park up with a stick and watch these cheers mate

Westy I could picture Viv Richards doing exactly the same, with a JL Series 2 and a bottle of his best Antiguan rum!

[Ken Gargett]

You're right I reckon Ken, in that it slipped out and wasn't on purpose, but it would have hit Richardson around the neck if he hadn't jumped. He played it down onto the leg stump or bail. I'll stand corrected on the bean ball claim as I've looked it up and Dr Google tells me it's a head high ball (looks like primarily a baseball term - I've always used 'bean ball' for anything high at the body and full)! It's at the 4 min mark of the clip.

I really miss the Windies of the 70's and 80's. I hope one day soon they recover and become a competitive force again. There was nothing like that thrill you got when they were playing. That fearsome attack including Holding, Marshall, Garner, Roberts and Walsh etc will surely never be topped. And Richards. I got goose bumps just watching him bat again in these videos.

watched the clip. you are right. well, a lot more right than i was. a few inches below the neck. from his reaction, and everything i have heard, definitely slipped. and these days would be a no ball.

worth noting that the great west indian side was largely the same one, granted early days, that was thrashed 5-1 by chappell's aussies (lillee, thommo, walker, marsh, walters, the chappells etc - at the time there were a lot of people arguing they were the equal of the invincibles). the windies were brilliant but the aussies at their best were their equal. it was a great shame that we could not have had an era where both sides at their peak for 5-6 years. rather than us decining as they crested. what an era of test cricket that would have been.

[jat]

I usually don't like historic cricket stuff, listening the Ian Chappell constantly refer back to the 70's as the pinnacle of cricket has put me off.

But this was great. Jeff Thompson 'spewing' about getting hit for 6, Bob Willis with a perm, few helmets, Richard Hadley looking dejected; more cool that Frank Sinatra stepping off a helicopter with a martini, beach cricket!! small bats, a skinny Botham in an ugly jacket, etc. Christ, facing big Joel, I'd be padded up like the Michelin man.

I'd really like to hear of a thorough analysis of the state of WI cricket at he moment. Some of these past stars are invoked in the current board and there seems to be a lot of inter-island tensions, hence the current weak side. Antigua held sway for a number of years because of the players, but times have changed and money divdes loyalties. "You could pick up test bat's men like mango's", are a times past and a tradition forgotten.

And mate what job do you have where you can watch an hour of YouTube and smoke a robusto, and are there any vacancies??

[Webbo]

Loved to watch Richards bat, a genius, but what a royal pain in the arse if things did not go his way. If any team had the temerity to actually get any runs against the Windies (no it did not happen often) then he was a petulant nightmare. His sense of entitlement was gargantuan and whist being a sore loser is part of the make up of a winner his attitude often was completely out of order. He would be in my world XI of greatest players and maybe captain of my spoilt brat XI.

[JohnS]

I remember this test series well. Viv Richards, apart from this innings, did not dominate, rather Larry Gomes did with two centuries. Malcolm 'Maco' Marshall was at his irrepressible best. For Australia, Kepler Wessels made runs and Geoff Lawson took wickets. Kim Hughes tearfully resigned from the captaincy, I remember at the time that it did not make sense, how could someone want to give up a dream job as the Australian Cricket Captain? It's only later as an adult did I realise the ramifications of the divisions in Australian cricket during the WSC (World Series Cricket) era which segregated some players for many years (i.e Hughes and Yallop especially).

Australia began the test series badly, and when Allan Border took over things changed. They lost in Adelaide, but not as badly as in Brisbane and Perth. In this 4th test, if you can recall, Clive Lloyd delayed his declaration on the 5th morning allowing Andrew Hilditch to make a comeback century (and draw the test), only to be banished forever the next season for continually getting out hooking. Kepler Wessels made a big hundred in the last test, and Bob 'Dutchie' Holland spun Australia to an innings victory (with Murray Bennett).

One thing that struck me about these highlights was the poor standard of fielding on behalf of the Australian team, there were quite a few missed chances this series. I think Viv Richards himself should have been out before getting to 208 due to dropped catches. It was soon after this that Australia addressed this problem and employed Bob Simpson as coach, who implemented changes in training methods and made Australia a much better fielding team.

[Ken Gargett]

Australia began the test series badly, and when Allan Border took over things changed.

One thing that struck me about these highlights was the poor standard of fielding on behalf of the Australian team, there were quite a few missed chances this series. I think Viv Richards himself should have been out before getting to 208 due to dropped catches. It was soon after this that Australia addressed this problem and employed Bob Simpson as coach, who implemented changes in training methods and made Australia a much better fielding team.

john, for me, it was border taking over that turned aussie cricket and we still owe him so much. he was a one man band in a team sport for so long. brought back the steel. people talk about waugh and all the captains who followed but border led the way. an aussie hero (and a great qlder, of course).

[JohnS]

john, for me, it was border taking over that turned aussie cricket and we still owe him so much. he was a one man band in a team sport for so long. brought back the steel. people talk about waugh and all the captains who followed but border led the way. an aussie hero (and a great qlder, of course).

Yes, for sure. Allan Border paved the way for Australia's subsequent success in the 1990's. He was the backbone of Australia's batting for quite a bit of the late 1980's, possibly until the new wave of players like Waugh, Boon, Marsh and Jones started to come good in 1989.

Incidentally, if you remember the bat AB used, a heavy Duncan Fearnley (like they all were). I had a 3lb Duncan Fearnley when I played but I remember Bob Simpson advocating lighter bats when he was coach, and players like Dean Jones switched. I don't think AB did. He could really pull and cut hard with that heavy DF bat, in fact, I recall attending the 1988-89 Sydney test against the West Indies and marveling why the point fielder was about 30 metres from the bat when AB was on strike!

[Ken Gargett]

Incidentally, if you remember the bat AB used, a heavy Duncan Fearnley (like they all were). I had a 3lb Duncan Fearnley when I played but I remember Bob Simpson advocating lighter bats when he was coach, and players like Dean Jones switched. I don't think AB did. He could really pull and cut hard with that heavy DF bat, in fact, I recall attending the 1988-89 Sydney test against the West Indies and marveling why the point fielder was about 30 metres from the bat when AB was on strike!

memories, john.

when i played, it was always a stuart surridge. 100% committed but then when i was playing in england, i picked up that very bat, the old duncan fearnley magnum. loved it. used it non stop - although i did manage to break one or two - never happened with the surridge.

one day i will tell you about being selected to replace border in a game in england. sadly, the decision was not made on ability. it did not go well. long story.

[Coolio]

I usually don't like historic cricket stuff, listening the Ian Chappell constantly refer back to the 70's as the pinnacle of cricket has put me off.

But this was great. Jeff Thompson 'spewing' about getting hit for 6, Bob Willis with a perm, few helmets, Richard Hadley looking dejected; more cool that Frank Sinatra stepping off a helicopter with a martini, beach cricket!! small bats, a skinny Botham in an ugly jacket, etc. Christ, facing big Joel, I'd be padded up like the Michelin man.

I'd really like to hear of a thorough analysis of the state of WI cricket at he moment. Some of these past stars are invoked in the current board and there seems to be a lot of inter-island tensions, hence the current weak side. Antigua held sway for a number of years because of the players, but times have changed and money divdes loyalties. "You could pick up test bat's men like mango's", are a times past and a tradition forgotten.

And mate what job do you have where you can watch an hour of YouTube and smoke a robusto, and are there any vacancies??

I loved the Thommo interview in that video. Classic 80's style. Our accent seems to have had the strine removed since the 80's, or maybe Thommo's was just really broad!

Just to clarify I did watch the video at work (I work in an airline operations centre and Sunday was quiet), but wasn't smoking at the same time. I would love to of course. But no, some do gooders started complaining a while back and now nobody can smoke at work! Rob and team excepted of course!

[Coolio]

Loved to watch Richards bat, a genius, but what a royal pain in the arse if things did not go his way. If any team had the temerity to actually get any runs against the Windies (no it did not happen often) then he was a petulant nightmare. His sense of entitlement was gargantuan and whist being a sore loser is part of the make up of a winner his attitude often was completely out of order. He would be in my world XI of greatest players and maybe captain of my spoilt brat XI.

You can see that I guess in the way he strutted around! Don't know the guy but I can imagine he's a fairly arrogant bloke. Or was. He may have changed who knows?

[Ken Gargett]

You can see that I guess in the way he strutted around! Don't know the guy but I can imagine he's a fairly arrogant bloke. Or was. He may have changed who knows?

he was arrogance personified on the field, for good reason, and probably a bit like that back in the days he was best in the world. but mates who played with him speak very highly of him as a bloke. really decent guy and good for a laugh.

[JohnS]

he was arrogance personified on the field, for good reason, and probably a bit like that back in the days he was best in the world. but mates who played with him speak very highly of him as a bloke. really decent guy and good for a laugh.

Yes, that's right. He made a conscious decision in the 1970's to channel his hero, boxer 'Smokin' Joe Frasier and adopted his dominant, aggressive attitude on the field. Off the field, a barrel of laughs.