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Who was the first man to play the reverse sweep?
Who was the first WI cricketer to play the reverse sweep?

willaim perkin invited the dilscoop but dilshan got all the credit

In reply to Headley
I know Greenidge was an expert with reverse sweep. I remember during the bicentury MCC V rest of the world match, he was doing it allot. in one instance Border set 2 fielders to stop him from doing it and he played the ball between them.

In reply to tops

That was the first time I can remember seeing the shot

In reply to Headley
Mushtaq Mohammed?

He is the first batsman I saw do it as a member of an English touring team to Ja about 1970. I remember the comms. saying he was known to play that shot from time to time.

First West Indian?

My guess would be Rohan Kanhai. Seems like something he would do.

In reply to navindesigns

They had a Zimbabwean called Douglas Marillier who was doing it long before Dilshan

tek dat in yuh wasshole

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Tek dat in yuh $kunt,




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In reply to Devin

His reverse sweeps look more elegant.

So far no correct answers, although one was in the ballpark.

In reply to Headley

I think Hanif Mohammed was one of the first players of it?

In reply to Headley

Real nuff years ago New Zealand toured the west indies, they was an ODI and the rain fell, when play finally started the west indies were batting and Brian Lara was just scooping the ball over the keeper, men in the park (Spartan) wanted to know what kind a monkey cricket he playing......I told a man, man Brian playing nuff mek up shots...... real years later Dilshan had the same shot named after him....the dillscoop........lil Perkins was probably still living in Vauxhall too........Lara is the first player I saw playing that shot.........

I first saw Gregg Chappell reverse sweep Willett at the ARG in 1973.

In reply to Headley
Javed Miandad is the first person I can recall seeing do a reverse sweep

In reply to Headley

I saw George Headley reverse sweep Wilfred Rhodes in 1930...I have the video tape if yuh interested....

Rohan Kanhai was the first WI cricketer to play the reverse sweep shot, and for a long time the only one, as far as I know (since mid-sixties). I recall Kanhai playing the shot in the early 70's for fun and it would drive the commentators crazy, especially Tony Cozier. They could see no good reason for playing such a high risk shot.

For those of us who believed Kanhai could do no wrong it made us admire him even more.

The question of who was the first man to play the shot is not settled. When Kanhai played the shot I do not recall him being mentioned for inventing it. That may have been a reflection of the commies disdain for the shot and not because he did not invent it.

Kanhai was adventurous, very, very 'wristy' and as CW Weekes noted it seemed like something he would do (when others were unable or afraid to do it). It did not surprise me when I found out after he retired that he kept wicket in the first three tests he played. Some claim that he was also the best coach Jamaica and the WI ever had.

Ewart may have more information and I am sorry Hubert is no longer posting to add more light on this.

In reply to FanAttick

I have them too on 8 track.

In reply to Headley

Did Kanhai play the reverse sweep or the tumbling sweep?

In reply to FanAttick

You were in short pants overhearing big man talk. Who would have told you what Mr. Kanhai was doing?

In reply to Headley/ Fanattick

if that the same shot Fanattick is referring to, it was not a reverse sweep.

man i played that like it was no tomorrow

In reply to Headley

I was playing ago East Bank and a man name Ramkellawan Sukhnandan Ramcharitar played a reverse sweep against our pacer in 1978... that's the first reverse sweep I saw!

In reply to navindesigns

Naw, it was named after Merv Dillon's forward defense prod ...

In reply to tc1

After one drink too many?

In reply to tc1 and WestDem

I read that Kanhai also used to play a tumbling hook shot where he would end up on his ass while the fielders went to fetch the ball.

Again it has plenty merit since the downward momentum would be in the right (safe) direction and would be assisted (powered) by gravity.

In reply to Headley

Heard a lot of different stories about dat shot but someone that was in de know said the shot was premeditated after he was introduced to the Queen during a Lords test (Tea Interval) and he told her, his first shot would be for her....the 1st delivery he received after tea was just outside off and short...he stepped across and pull the ball right into the Member's Stand where the Queen was sitting and in the process, he fell on his backside....I was also told that when he returned back to the pavilion, the Queen was so impressed, she took off her glove and shook his hand....

In reply to WestDem

he played that shot against India in 62

In reply to WestDem

our resident expert Larr say the babu was off balance!

In reply to WestDem

whats when she said "Mr. Kanhai, how are you?"

the Babu responded "aye Queen, me dey"

In reply to googley

spizz was the one,

In reply to googley

In reply to WestDem

I love the story. Don't care if it's true.