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Was Charlie Griffith the beginning of his demise?

 
Casper 2020-04-16 18:53:23 

If not, well, at least, those encounters did not help.

 
Dukes 2020-04-21 12:14:23 

In reply to Casper

You do know that he scored more than 6,500 test runs at an average of 58 with 20 centuries!!!!

 
granite 2020-04-21 13:38:43 

I looked at some old you tube action of Charlie Griffith bowling against India,and what was noticeable was,he had absolutely no or very little follow through.Having no follow through and still capable to knock over batsmen tells us all about him.
I also looked a Roy Gilchrist and what a bowler,he was a beauty to look at.

 
DonD 2020-04-21 14:47:47 

In reply to Casper

I recall Kenny Barrington playing vs WI in 4 series viz: 1959-60/ 63 / 66/ 67-68 … he did not play vs Griffith in 59-60 because Griffith did not play in that series. Barrington had a good 59-60 series. He did play vs Griffith in the other three series, his performances were not spectacular. He may have scored one or two centuries but he remained at all times a very dangerous batsman.

I know that Barrington had a two eyed stance, he may have adopted this in order to cope with Alan Davidson but it became more pronounced in order to cope with Hall in 1960 and certainly most pronounced to cope with Hall and Griffith in 1963 onward. I don't recall Griffith really troubling Barrington. I recall him getting out to Sobers and Gibbs quite a few times. Chanderpaul in a way reminded me of Barrington, both gritty players with ugly stances .. Barrington being overshadowed by the more dashing Dexter and to a lesser extent the very graceful Tom Graveney. Chanders being overshadowed by the incomparable lara and to a lesser extent Ronnie Sarwan. I certainly cannot comment on Barrington's psychological mental state. Suffice to say however, at the crease, he was tough, not a pretty batsman but certainly a great one.

 
seaegg99 2020-04-21 15:39:17 

In reply to DonD

Barrington, Graveney, Walters(Aus)and Chanders were really tough batsmen to remove. We are in dire need of such a tough nut in the middle order right now. Mayers have played that kind of role for Bim this year. We have the young flamboyance (Hope, Hetty and Pooran) but no strong backbone.

 
Dukes 2020-04-21 15:58:24 

Even though Barrington's overall test average is 58,his average against the West Indies was 34.73 in 17 test matches.He was dismissed 7 times by Sobers,6 times by Gibbs , 5 times by Griffith and 4 times by Hall.In 1963 and 1966 in England he failed miserably and in 1966 was dropped after 2 test matches.This was in stark contrast to his performances against Australia in Australia where he averaged 69 in 10 test matches.
As a result Australians rate him much higher than West Indians.

 
hubert 2020-04-21 17:15:44 

In reply to granite

One of the greatest disappointment I had in cricket was not to see Gilchrist and Hall in tandem.They never played together
in the Caribbean and played only in one one series vs India in India and shared 56 wickets,, WE 30 in 5 Tests and Gillie
26 in 4.
They were real terrors.That;s why England won the series in 1960..Wes did not have great help as
at the other end as Watson was too green.

 
hubert 2020-04-21 17:16:23 

In reply to DonD

Nice comparison among other facts, Don D.

smile

 
Ewart 2020-04-21 19:00:38 

In reply to hubert

Hubert, i seem to be remembering a match at Sabina under Worrall’s captaincy where he used three fast bowlers at the same time: hall stayers and Griffith.

Hall would bowl northern end, Griffith would bowl southern end and stayers would then come from the north and so on. Could have been against either India or Pakistan.

Do you also recall that?

//

 
DonD 2020-04-21 20:36:17 

In reply to Ewart

You are thinking of the series against India in 1962.I don't believe Griffith played in that series. I recall that in the first test in Trinidad Worrell had Hall, Watson, Stayers and a jet lagged Sobers at his disposal plus himself, ie 5 seamers. I always believe that WI 4 prong pace attack was initiated by Worrell and not Clive LLoyd.

 
hubert 2020-04-21 21:21:34 

In reply to Ewart

Sorry just got back from arun.

As DonD stated ..it was against India in 2nd Test..he used Hall,Sobers and Stayers at one stage in the second innings in one over
spells alternating ends..111st time I saw that in any cricket.This went on for a short time as he probably wanted all three to share
the new ball without burdening anyone as he went after the win.
I have never seen that since.
The irony is that in the next Test at Kensington Oval, he refused to take the new ball even after 100 overs if memory serves,enabling
the ball to lose some 'shape' and Gibbs to extract unusual bounce sometimes to take 8 wickets late in the game.

Frank was a genius,most everything he did worked because he was superb reader of the game among other things.

 
granite 2020-04-21 21:38:40 

In reply to hubert

Man it was a travesty not to have had Gillie play more tests,my father always talked about Roy Gilchrist;clean bowling Englishmen in those times was the most difficult thing to do,but he did,what a lovely action. cool

 
XDFIX 2020-04-22 00:06:18 

In reply to granite

I am not old enough to have seen Roy Gilchrist but what I have read I am impressed! I always like when people do not support the status quo and think outside the box!