Greig: Lillee could be 'a bit of a fairy

if hit.

http://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/Lillee-a-bit-of-a-fairy-20110518

Obviously looking to sell some books.

How ignominious to have to resort to sensationalist statements to generate enough interest to sell a book.

Actually, anyone who saw the infamous "hold me back, hold me back" Lillee v Javed incident at Perth in 1981 (scarred me for life) would not doubt the "fairy" line. Yes, one of the 3 greatest bowlers I ever saw, but that will forever be a blot on his career.

Blimey Grieggy's not pulling the punches nowadays.

Big Dog wrote:How ignominious to have to resort to sensationalist statements to generate enough interest to sell a book.

Wasn't particularly sensationalist.

I assume Greig means that Dennis didnt like getting bounced ..rather than having his bowling hit

No one does like getting hit with the ball ...that's why fast bowlers do it

Greig obviously liked it so much he decided to wear a helmet.

I think he was on about the time Lillee was at a party and pretty much renditioned the whole of Betty Davis Eyes.

skully wrote:Actually, anyone who saw the infamous "hold me back, hold me back" Lillee v Javed incident at Perth in 1981 (scarred me for life) would not doubt the "fairy" line. Yes, one of the 3 greatest bowlers I ever saw, but that will forever be a blot on his career.

Scarred you for life, skulls? Shirley you're jesting.

On that fateful day in 1981, I came home from a long day at uni and caught the late news, furry, and that was the headline story. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My great hero Dennis Lillee feably kicking Javed in the leg then standing behind umpire Tony Crafter and screaming obscenities at Javed as the combative Pakster threatened to crown DKL with his bat. It was the most piss weak thing I'd ever seen from an Aussie cricketer on the field, and yes, it forever coloured my view on the original TGM.

skully wrote:On that fateful day in 1981, I came home from a long day at uni and caught the late news, furry, and that was the headline story. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. My great hero Dennis Lillee feably kicking Javed in the leg then standing behind umpire Tony Crafter and screaming obscenities at Javed as the combative Pakster threatened to crown DKL with his bat. It was the most piss weak thing I'd ever seen from an Aussie cricketer on the field, and yes, it forever coloured my view on the original TGM.

Until Punter was made captain.

Even Drunky's pathetic exhibition towards Feltch after being run out by Pratt wasn't as embarrassing as DKL's effort.

Just rewatched it to refresh my memory

I think you're wrong , S

Should FOT have stood there and let Javed hit him with the bat (even though Lillee had acted stupidly to that point)?

...and I reckon an incident involving two Chappells may be a bit worse in the piss weak stakes even including it's JAMODI Snoozy factor

Well, he shouldn't have kicked him like a tart in the first place, And no, he shouldn't have stood there and let Javed hit him with the bat, but the way he stood behind Crafter and screamed abuse at Javed was a tad pathetic, IMHO. As I alluded, it was the old school bully "hold me back" routine, when clearly DKL was using Crafter as a shield.

In terms of sportsmanship, no argument on the underarm incident, but I was more referring to the p!ssweak, girly behaviour.

Surely Murray Bennett being on a field in a test match was the most piss weak moment in Australian cricket history?

Hmmmnnn! Difficult to decide this. One part of me says he was smart not to take on an obviously temporarily deranged javed.

The other part of me says wimp if only for not kicking the crap out of the little qunt (a kicking long overdue). Don't think there'd be a jury that would convict him. Not in this country anyway.

JKLever wrote:Surely Murray Bennett being on a field in a test match was the most piss weak moment in Australian cricket history?

Not even close ..

.the Ashes in 78/79 where we batted Trevor Laughlin at 6 in Brisbane would be a low point in playing personnel ...a decision even poorer than S Smith at 6 in the 10/11 Ashes

Bennett at least played a part in securing a draw and a win vs the Windies in his brief career ...and Gilbert and Wellham were pissweaker moments than Bennett who played in the same sides as him

Aye, I still PMSL at the mental image of Murray Bennett haring off deliriously to cover and hugging someone I can't remember and someone he hardly knew after he bowled Viv with an arm ball in the WI 2nd innings at Sydney in 84-85. Dutchy was causing havoc at the other end, but Bennett's 5 wickets in the match was also pivotal.

Just watched the highlights

It was either Lawson or McDermott ...probbaly

A fairly decent ball

Dross and drosser - hard to tell them apart. Actually, that's possibly being a bit harsh on Henry, but he deserves it just for his personality.

TBF on Tawny, Skully's comments here are far more sensationalist.

embee wrote:Just watched the highlights

It was either Lawson or McDermott ...probbaly

A fairly decent ball

I agree ... not many can claim to have clean bowled Viv Richards with a great ball; Murray Bennett can.

Bruce Francis is IMO the worst cricketer EVER to have played for Australia. There was no justification for his selection when he was chosen, he did nothing, yet he continued to be chosen (for an Ashes tour, FFS). He was a failure for years before his representative and Test career, he was a failure during his test career, and he was a failure after his test career. He rose without trace*, and disappeared up his own arse within a year o r less of his last Test. He wasn't half as good as his NSW opening partner, Alan Turner, and that wasn't very good.

At least Ogilvie, Carlson, Dyson, Hibbert, Mann, Wayne Clark, Serjeant, Cosier, Callen, Laughlin, Jeff Moss et al could all point to decent performances at Shield level at some stage of their career, even if we laugh at their selections now. Francis did nothing. He was less deserving of a Test cap than Usman Afzaal minus Paul Curtis ... that's how sh!thouse he was.

(* apart from being from NSW)

At least Francis got a small handful of runs and had one goodish stand with Stacky (opening stand of 68 in his debut innings) which the likes of Hibbert, Ogilvy and Eastwood cannot say.

Lordy lardy, did Francis goose your missus, or sumpent???

I think I listened on ABC radio to the innings that probably got Francis on that Ashes trip. He and Dougie put on a stack in a Shield match and I think Francis made 150. Will check.

Rubbish. He did nothing in any stand with Stacky, either v the ROW or England.

22 out of 77 was his best, from memory.

He got more chances than any of the others.

Eastwood failed at Test level (just the one chance) but he'd scored an absolute mountain of runs that year, including two double tons, and it's no disgrace to have been dismissed by Snow.

Likewise Ogilvie ... failed at Test level, but he'd just broken the Shield runs record. He at least deserved his go.

Hibbert made runs for years and years ... never prolific, always slow, but a hell of a lot better than Frances ever was. He could also catch a ball, or pick it up off the ground without spiking himself. He even bowled later in his career. Francis was an oxygen thief.

Francis made 132 v ROW and Dougie made 100 as well. It was the only decent innings Francis ever played in Australia.