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T&T Charlie Davis, how to play spin......

 
sgtdjones 2021-03-06 18:26:08 

T&T Charlie Davis, how to play spin......


When India visited the W.I. in 1971, they came with a feared and mysterious spin quartet of Bishen Bedi; Erapalli Prasanna; Salim Durani and Venkataraghavan. Whilst many of the other West Indian batsman seemed to be confused and stifled at the wicket, Davis on the other hand, never looked like getting out. He topped the batting averages with 529 runs from four Test, with an average of 132.5. In the first Test at Port of Spain, the only one the W.I. lost, he scored 71 not out and 74 no out. In the next Test at Bourda, he picked up where he had left off, scoring 125 n.o.. At Kensington he scored 71 out of a W.I. total of 501 for five declared. He rounded off the series with 105 in the final Test at Port of Spain. In seven innings batted he managed to reach 50 five times.

Davis believes the reason that he was so successful against the Indians was based on the way he was taught to play spinners. "'Pa' Aleong my Cricket Coach at St. Mary's College, didn't believe a spinner should get anybody out." Davis says he was taught to play a good ball on its merit and bad balls were to be dispatched to the boundary. It didn't matter how it got there, once it got there. Every time 'Venkat,' and Bedi ran down the wicket, I think they were shocked because I was the first West Indian (batsman) coming down the wicket (to meet them). and this upset their line. Davis adds that he "also developed a cut shot," so that anything slightly short was put away. I was lapping 'Venkat,' and every time he bite it (the ball), I would put my foot outside the off -stump and swing to mid-wicket." If they put a man out at the boundary, Davis would simply "tuck" the ball and take singles. "The W.I. had six left-handers, so 'Venkat' had a field day."

Naturally, Davis holds Bedi, "Venkat" and Prasanna in tremendous regard. "Because of my lapping and running down the wicket, Bedi, the Captain, was totally frustrated. He was supposed to get me out every time - he was that good. ...He was the best I ever saw in my life. He could bowl the ball however he wanted, it would always land in the same place. Bedi was able to turn the ball three ways: he could give it a little turn, bigger turn and then bounce and turn."


Link Text

 
sgtdjones 2021-03-06 18:58:26 

Insularity

Davis says that during his time with the W.I., there was no insularity on the team. "The first time I became aware of insularity in W.I. Cricket, was when we played India, at the 'Queen's Park, in 1971. Davis had scored two undefeated half-centuries, however the W. I. still lost. "I was back in the Pavilion and I saw a huge crowd jumping up on the street. I thought they must be going to a Carnival fete. But the crowd was shouting 'the West Indies lose, but Charlie Davis score runs, so f...k the West Indies.' I couldn't believe it."


lol

 
tc1 2021-03-06 21:21:05 

In reply to sgtdjones

so Insularity started with the Tits.

lol lol lol

 
Dukes 2021-03-06 21:32:38 

Charlie Davis never played test cricket in India and only played a handful of tests outside the West Indies so I do not regard him like a Lara or a Kallicharran or even a Clive Lloyd who have done well in that subcontinent.

 
Khaga 2021-03-06 21:34:12 

In reply to Dukes

sgt is promoting Charlie to be recalled to the WI side to face SL in the ongoing series.. lol

 
Dukes 2021-03-06 21:45:27 

In reply to Khaga

If anybody can "talk" their way into a cricket team it is Charlie Davis.Dat man can chat.

 
sgtdjones 2021-03-06 21:53:50 

In reply to Dukes

Dukesy


Where does it state playing Cricket in India is the standard for any player?.

He played against them in the caribbean and look at his average.

lol lol lol

 
dayne 2021-03-06 22:03:31 

Davis played a series in Australia and he was successful there also.

 
Dukes 2021-03-06 22:13:08 

In reply to dayne

He played 1 test match in Australia and scored 18 and 10.Incidentally he batted at # 8 in the first innings and at # 9 in the second.

 
dayne 2021-03-06 22:18:53 

In reply to Dukes

thanks for the info, but he had some success against Australia

 
Dukes 2021-03-06 23:00:50 

In reply to dayne

Indeed you are correct.He had 2 of his 3 five wicket hauls in first class cricket in Australia on that tour.He averaged 16 with the bat on that tour and only hit one half-century (69) on the entire tour.

 
sunfish 2021-03-07 00:00:37 

Remember that series quite vividly.

 
Narper 2021-03-07 00:41:13 

Charlie Davis,

the man who would not be run out


Funny stuff this....Charlie is a story teller par excellence big grin

Although Davis's century at Lords must have been a crowning moment for him, it wasn't without incident. There had been a mix-up in the middle with his idol Sir Gary, who was unceremoniously run out for 29. "Charlie" explains what happened: "Gary had just started to open up and England was definitely scared of him. The ball hit his pad and ran to mid wicket, everybody was three quarters way down to the boundary, because they were scared to death of him. I looked at him and said 'Skip what happen, that's a sureity run but he turned his back. So I turned my back, all of a sudden, I hear running. I turn around and he right by me, I say 'what happen, I call you already and you say 'no.' I eh going nowhere now." Sobers wasn't too pleased. "He let off a few choice words," before heading to the Pavilion. "So I'm a little boy, I scared to death. I then told myself, it's better to stay outside than to go back inside and face him. I happened to make a century, I hadn't planned on it." Charlie is quick to add however, "I later found out that Gary wasn't the kind of guy to hold a grudge, but I didn't know that at the time - I was scared."


Clive Lloyd was one individual who was not pleased with Davis' "Run out ," philosophy.

Forbes Burnham, the then Guyanese Prime Minister, had brought down Lloyd from Australia, just for that series. Davis describes the out-field at Bourda as flat and very fast. Whilst both men were at the wicket together, Lloyd hit a powerful shot to mid-off. Lloyd shouted "Yes!" calling Davis for the run. Davis taking into consideration the power of the shot and the quickness of the out-field, decided the run wasn't on. Lloyd repeated - "'Yes!'" This time Davis responded: "Hell NO!!" Lloyd ran down the wicket anyway and was consequently run out. Davis explains that at the time, Burnham had a great influence over what was read in the Guyanese press. Thus, there was a lot of hype about the Guyanese P.M. bringing down one of their own, to play in the series, "and Charlie Davis got him run out," adds Davis. Naturally the crowd was incensed. A female spectator with a broken bottle, invaded the pitch to communicate her discontent to the Trinidadian batsman. "Everything started to flash through my mind," says Davis. He wasn't too worried because he was armed with a bat and pads, however: "I knew if I hit her with the bat, the crowd would kill me for sure. So I ran putting the wicket between her and I." A mounted officer came on to the field "and in true John Wayne fashion," dove off the horses and apprehended her. When Davis returned to the pavilion, Lloyd was more than a little upset with him. However, Sobers quickly came to his defence: "'We heard Charlie saying no quite in here (the pavilion), you couldn't hear out there.'"​


link

 
Phillip-3 2021-03-07 03:07:10 

Charlie had a decent series. He did not play in the drawn 1st Test at Sabina Park.

 
granite 2021-03-07 10:39:59 

In reply to sgtdjones

Nobody likes to hear about Charlie Davis because it showed how the insularity worked back then.Davis was not ever needed again because WI selectors had their boys in mind.They knew dam well Davis would have gone on to play over 30 or 40 tests,they didn't want that.

 
Dukes 2021-03-07 12:04:00 

In reply to granite

I think your information is wrong

 
Dukes 2021-03-07 12:09:16 

In reply to Narper

A female spectator with a broken bottle, invaded the pitch to communicate her discontent to the Trinidadian batsman. "Everything started to flash through my mind," says Davis. He wasn't too worried because he was armed with a bat and pads, however: "I knew if I hit her with the bat, the crowd would kill me for sure. So I ran putting the wicket between her and I." A mounted officer came on to the field "and in true John Wayne fashion," dove off the horses and apprehended her.


PURE FICTION

 
sgtdjones 2021-03-07 14:38:10 

In reply to Dukes

Come on Duksey

Its like some of sudden fictions.....

lol lol lol

 
Dukes 2021-03-07 14:47:36 

In reply to sgtdjones

When Trump says harmless lies like he won golf tournaments or he is 6 foot 3 inches tall we call him on them because if we do not then when he tells us he won the election and that Obama spied on him, people believe him.

 
Narper 2021-03-07 15:07:11 

In reply to Dukes

PURE FICTION


I know...I was present at the ground....in the schoolboy (North) stand....had a good look at the action coming out of 'rails'....saw how it started till de end

Charlie is a master story teller....in Tittie language its called ole talk wink

 
Narper 2021-03-07 15:12:20 

In reply to granite

Nobody likes to hear about Charlie Davis because it showed how the insularity worked back then.Davis was not ever needed again because WI selectors had their boys in mind.They knew dam well Davis would have gone on to play over 30 or 40 tests,they didn't want that.

When Kallicharan and Lawrence Rowe arrived in 1972 with a big bang....Rowe with a double and a ton in his first test match.....and Kalli with tons in his first two test innings....and Greenidge and Richards 2 years after with Clive lloyd a young cappo in the middle order....Charlie realized his days were numbered.

Also everybody was playing county cricket...but not Charlie

Note...test cricket was about once a year in those days. Tours were 2 months long...gruelling times especially going to India or Pakistan.

Charlie loved the good life in Tittieland too much
wink

I have listened to Charlie live....Charlie is a 'gyaff man' as they say in mudland...he could talk for days and people would crack up every time

It was sad to see his health decline due to MS even at a relatively young age