no wayOriginally Posted by The Dunster
no way
I only know of Dukes and Kookaburras. Kookaburra has a less pronounced seam and as such doesn't swing as readily as the duke - but a twist top lid can solve that problem.
Overall though, balls are pretty much the same as far as I can tell - I haven't let one go in anger for 30 years.
Balls haven't changed that much over the years
To be fair they probably worse as like most things nowadays are now manufactured in 3rd world countries with variable quality as opposed to days gone by where they were created in England Australia with better workmanship etc
Bats were arguably better with natural willow like they use to be back in the day
The current bats they use shit timber and they basically disposable. Where they have got better is using science and technology to create them so they have bigger sweet spots and can generate more power
Are you talking about the bats we can buy or the ones the professionals use?
Both
The professionals are using the shit Indian timber things not the old style willow bats anyway
https://cricketwarehouse.com.au/prod...edition-dw-bat
Seems odd given plenty of English Willow bats around to choose from off the shelf and then you have custom made bats which you would think the professional players [ much like tennis pros] would get built to their specs.
Is there a reason why they are choosing shit Indian Timber bats ?
Add drop in pitches, short boundaries, covered wickets etc etc
I think Bradman only hit one six in test cricket - would have been hard with those old bats.
$$
Sponsorship from Indian bat companies is one thing that comes to mind
I don't think the professionals are using Kashmir in theirs, since most club cricketers move on from it when they're about 14. Unless there's a manufacturer conspiracy going on which is possible but I doubt it.
Bowlers also enjoy modern advantages, their fitness and diet/health would be far superior to what they used to be, as well as enjoying the perks of being full time professionals (I'll admit I don't know when the game went pro, world series cricket maybe? before my time)
Personally I think the moaning on bats is way overdone. I think if you had to play T20 cricket with old bats you would notice a huge difference in effectiveness (with the modern bats being way way more forgiving and sweeter striking of the ball) but for test cricket, with the majority of shots being about timing and placement, I don't think its as big a deal as its made out to be. Protective equipment is probably a way better argument with mugs who can't hold a bat able to go out and not be scared for their life.
But how well you can hit a ball is a small component in how effective a Test batsman you are. And I think with his obvious talent and brilliant eye, as well as how he has developed his patience and ability to build big innings over the last few years, Smith would have succeeded in any era.
Not at all. Players used to and as far as I know still do have their bats custom made and then apply a sponsors sticker to them. It's the same with a lot of sports from Tennis, Squash, Cycling... and so on. Also applies to musicians, especially guitars where they are custom made and then have a sponsors sticker applied to them.
Cost for a bat is around $5000 or so from what I've been told. Which is peanuts to these blokes.
Last edited by The Dunster; 19-12-2017 at 04:46 PM.
Tennis players change to a different model racquet but for sponsorship reasons will have the new frame painted to look like the old one they're using so people looking around Rebel sport can see which racquet their favourite pro is using [is being paid to endorse]
Difference is these blokes ain't paying for their bats
Guaranteed Smith Root Warner and co get the ****ers for free
You think Jason Day and Jordan Speith are in Drummond Golf buying a set of clubs with their own coin??
Like **** they are
An endorsement from a company that makes bats does not automatically mean you have to use their bats as you seem to imply.
I would suggest the top players would employ a craftsmen of their own choice and have a bat custom made for them using select high quality English Willow.
The idea that they would use inferior quality bats to satisfy a sponsor is ludicrous given they can simply put the sponsors sticker on any bat they choose and nobody will really be the wiser.
The sponsor then may choose to make a version of that bat for the general public but it's highly unlikely it would be of the same quality.
The requirements / skills of professionals are such that what equipment suits them more often than not won't suit the average mug who plays grade cricket.
I definitely know for sure that the rackets pro tennis players use are never available brand new to the public. I can't see cricket bats being any different and for similar reasons.
Golf is so full of marketing bullshit I wouldn't know where to start given it's a game for cork sniffer types who wouldn't know shit from clay.
Last edited by The Dunster; 19-12-2017 at 10:54 PM.
No chance. Kids today are slower with less endurance than their parents and grandparents so they are starting from a lower base before they turn pro anyway.. The diets and so on can't make up for the fact they start at a lower level of fitness / strength.
Bowling wise Thommo was in a different league for pace to anyone around today. As far as athleticism goes Michael Holding still has no equal, and for longevity Courtney Walsh would also be without peer.
Most of the gains in sport are through equipment not people unless we want to bring PED's into it.
EDIT: Dennis Lillee was probably the next fastest until he got injured and had to bowl fast-medium to medium pace for the bulk of his career. He's also what I would describe as the first of the modern bowlers.
Last edited by The Dunster; 19-12-2017 at 11:12 PM.
You think the Nintendo generation are better athletes ? Plenty of studies on endurance and speed tell us otherwise. Lots of old athletics records are still around at club level - some are over 40 years old and don't look like being beaten anytime soon.
Same study but different articles below.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/kids-tod...-their-parents
https://www.today.com/parents/genera...udy-2D11603599
Prmary research is at https://www.nichd.nih.gov/Pages/index.aspx
If that's not enough then have a look at these peer reviewed papers:
https://link.springer.com/article/10...00333040-00003
And has anyone even come close to the feats of David Boon or Rod Marsh before him on a plane ? I think not.
Last edited by The Dunster; 20-12-2017 at 01:37 AM.
That is fascinating.
OK
But these modern day athletes are not allowed to be hardened drinkers .
They not allowed to get on the piss on an international flight anyway when representing the country
Airlines won't give you that much piss anyway due to RSA being in effect
And the younger generation are that ****ing stupid anyway they will simulate sex with a dog drink their own urine or cop a blowy from a dog or something like that when drinking and after only a handful compared to Boony and Marsh anyway
So it not really their fault despite the reality the current generation is soft as compared to the oldies
It was a joke member.
Without having read the primary one, the SBS article seems to indicate that average fitness levels are dropping across the generations, which I would not dispute at all.
What I would challenge though is that the top 1% I reckon would be on par or exceeding previous generations. Advancements in sports science, technology, understanding of the body etc as well as the ramping up of professionalism allowing more people to more fully dedicate themselves to athletic and sporting pursuits. I dunno, I just find it hard to imagine that blokes who have busted their gut since they were 10 under modern training regimes and coaching would fall short of blokes who spent more time surfing and riding bikes.
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