Anyone else see the great Viv on IC?

Made some interesting comments. Responded to some twitter questions.

At one stage he called BJ Julien.

Thinks the modern day players wouldn't survive facing quick bowlers without helmets - would be a dentist's delight.

Reckons that Sylvester Clarke was their quickest and most dangerous ever bowler but more interested in hitting batsmen than taking wickets.

AB said that a couple of the Aussie batsmen couldn't believe one day when they turned up for a game and the Windies had left Clarke and Marshall out of their bowling line-up. Scared the hell out of them how good the rest would be.

Said nobody could get the ball to take off like Thommo who didn't need to bowl short to get it to rear. When he bowled short it went over the keeper's head.

Probably rated DK the best. Hard to rate the great Pak bowlers because he was in his late thirties by the time he faced them. Rated Hadlee too.

Hard to separate the great Windies quicks but thought Marshall was really special.

Said that bowlers get their moment of glory by sending off batsmen but batsmen get to be a bowler's face all day.

Didn't wear a mouthguard because it got in the way of his chewing gum.

They showed footage of him hitting sixes one-handed.

Showed some highlights of 75/6 series with Richards against Lillee and Thommo.

He did get one thing wrong though, said that their first World Cup win was a boon for them after the 5/1 loss to the Aussies when it obviously came before.

Admitted that T20 came too late for him because he conceded he would do well in it.

Hell he was awesome to watch. Effortless power and the peerless strut.

Rated Melbourne as the best place to play because of crowd etc.

Hopes Windies can build on T20 success and slammed as rubbish claims of the influence of basketball; said the passion was still there in Caribbean cricket.

Red wrote:At one stage he called BJ 'Julien'.

Brendon Julian in his playing days had a nickname 'Bernard'; after Viv's former team-mate, Bernard Julien, whose main claim to fame in Australia was as (the unexpected) opening partner for Roy Fredericks in Perth in late 1975.

Reference to Bernard Julien and his claim to fame brings a triv question to mind. What was team mate Keith Boyce's main claim to fame?

First to take 8 wickets in a List A match?
Only test cricketer to die on his birthday?

An outstanding allround performance at the Oval?

This "achievement" made him (in)famous, but it wasn't a statistical thing. It occurred on the tour the piefellow referred to above. Boyce was an honest and useful cricketer at best but did something that made a mark on that tour.

Is this R Rated?

Hehehe, no. A hint: It was an on-field "achievement" and I was at the ground when this occurred.

Was he one of the West Indians who took a leak over the side of the bridge?

No. It was an on-field effort. Series changing.

If he was true to character, he went against instructions to bat for a draw, took a couple of wild slogs, first one went over the stand for six, second found him stumped by 15 yards?

And was never selected again?

He dropped Greg Chappell?

He tried (badly) to impersonate Garry Sobers?

WideWally wrote:He dropped Greg Chappell?

Indeed W. While I think you probably saw this live on ABC TV, it was indelibly stamped in my memory as I was in the Bob Stand with my dear old cricket loving Dad when it happened.

The Windies came to the 4th Test in Sydney in 1975/76 2-1 down but far from out of the series. They won the toss and made a creditable 355 with all but Alvin Kallicharran of the top 6 making >45. Aus was in early trouble with Mikey Holding really starting to show his promise. It was incredibly tense. He had Crapelli clearly caught behind but Umpire Tom Brooks said no. Holding was mortified and had tears streaming down his face as he trudged back to his mark. He had his revenge shortly after when he again had IM Chappell caught at the wicket. At 4-103 Greg Chappell frog-marched to the wicket, rated the no. 1 batsman in the world. He scratched his way to 11 before Andy Roberts reared one at GSC only to see Keith Boyce spill the straight forward chance at 4th slip. Chappell went on to make 182* and saw Aus to 50 runs lead.

The Aus bowlers now smelled the blood of the deflated WIs in the water and Thommo tore them a new arsehole with the most hostile spell I personally ever witnessed live. He took 6-50, twice cartwheeling middle stumps halfway back to the keeper who was, no word of a lie, a pitch and half length back from the stumps. The game was quickly over after the WIs were smashed for just 128.

Wisden Almanac recorded Boyce's drop so "If ever a missed catch will go down in history as having lost a series it will be that which Boyce dropped off Greg Chappell at fourth slip off Roberts when he had made 11. He went on to make 182 not out."

I had forgotten. Actually, I think I was playing cricket that day & didn't see it. I was probably busy dropping some other batsman at the time.

Main claim to fame? The performance at The Oval is what I remember him for. And dying on his birthday. That takes good timing.

Aye. Perhaps "Claim to infamy" may be fairer.

Poor bastard.

House, marriage, life fell apart (serious drink). Not sure that dropping The Iceman had anything to do with that decline.

Poor bastard, nevertheless.

BTW, Viv also said that Clarke was pissed for most of the tour to oz which didn't help his chances of cementing a place in the team.

They loves their rum, them Ganjas.

Red wrote:BTW, Viv also said that Clarke was pissed for most of the tour to oz which didn't help his chances of cementing a place in the team.

He played a few games for my club back in the day. There is still a story about him passing out in the bar after the Saturday's play and the barman making him wash the floor before opening on the Sunday.

ah the good old days of seth effrica

The One wrote:ah the good old days of seth effrica

I don't quite get your point. The barman in question is a small black guy of about 5'2" who has just served me with an ice cold beer.