Disclaimer: If you’re a Surrey fan, you may want to switch off now.
Mark Ramprakash played 52 tests.
The same as Don Bradman.
Bradman just pipped him in the number of centuries made.
By 27.
Ramprakash made 2 in 52 tests at an average of 27.
For younger readers, this may be confusing, as surely a team as well oiled and professional as England wouldn’t allow a man to dance his way to such a bad record.
But they did.
The thing is everyone knows Ramps can bat, especially Ramps.
One hundred came against Warne, Lee, Dizzy and McGrath (flat pitch not withstanding).
The other against Ambrose, Walsh, Bishop and the great Nixon McClean.
Now he has been stuck on 99 first class hundreds for the last few weeks, English county fans are on the edge of their cups of tea in anticipation.
I have always thought making 100 first class hundreds is a failure.
There have been players like Grace and Gooch who did it while being very good test players.
The last man to do it was Graeme Hick, the man that Merv Hughes ruined, who batted at test level like an undecided lemming.
Had Ramps and Hick had 12 year test careers, like they both had the talent to, they would never had reached 100 first class hundreds mountain top.
Who among us would rather make be a statistical anomaly, than a fixture of their countries middle order?
When Ramps reaches this milestone, there will be a lot of head nodding, back slapping and praise for this dancing man.
But for some of us, we will see this as his ultimate failure.
Ofcourse his wife may think he’s had bigger failures.
It’s like winning a best and fairest in the rezzies.
Does that mean they give Ramps the Gardiner Medal then?
I think you’re actually suffering from a severe case of brilliant-batsman envy and you’re just covering. ;) You’re a Rampant deep down, aren’t you? Go on, admit it!
Miah, I think you may have outed the love that dare not speak its name. I suspect there is more than a little man-love for the Ramps.
Suspect Jrod dreams of being swathed in tulle and foxtrotting with a sparkly shirted Ramps… now if I had pics of Uncle J I would so shop this…
Foxtrotting? I see JRod as more of a paso doble man myself.
Ah, you’ve got that right Miriam! Truth is that everyone secretly loves Ramps. Shane Warne loves Ramps. Jrod loves Ramps. David Graveney loves Ramps. Even the people who voted for Emma Bunton loved Ramps. Why? Practical reason: most gifted batsman in the country. Shallow reason: coz he’s a smasher! :p
I heart ramps.He’s a cracking latin dancer, and that chest. Oh my…/swoons.
Suave, you’re not Arlene Phillips in disguise, are you? :pEnjoying the Ramps love!
Sreesanth for Strictly Come Dancing – partnered by that little Russian dictator – the one who bossed Dawson about. She’d give him something to cry about..
Ceci, that would be Lilia Kopylova, and good god YES I would love her to partner Sreesanth – how cool would that be? Oh dear, what’s happened to this thread.
I’m all over this like a rash..More strictly… posts please.Thanking you kindly.
Lilia might be a bit too small for Sreesanth. Better save her for Tim Ambrose. For Sree, perhaps Erin Boag? I get the impression she’s calm but firm.
Ramps always reminds me of Steve Waugh. Not the hard nosed, scrapping and fighting Waugh, the young one, with all the talent, and the shit record. The one that leading into the ’93 Ashes tour had played 52 tests, made 4 centuries, 15 fifties and averaged 36. But where most of those runs had come in one glorious year against hapless English and Lankan sides, before settling back into frustrating mediocrity.Not that England should have stuck with Ramps, but the selectors did him no favours, hauling him back into the side every time they lost (often, he did play 52 tests after all), shunting their most fragile talent up the order to face the Windies or South African quicks. So, all credit to Ramps, whose biggest mistake was to be born English. Can’t blame him for that.
often seen ramprakash get out at 27 in tests. never fails to surprise me that his test avg is also 27. what you call a truly average batsman.
See, I’m lucky that I don’t have this test obsession everyone else has. When your country puts forward a cricket team that, well, don’t tend to do very well at international level (like wot mine does) you don’t tend to have this blinkered ‘test is everything’ attitude. Of course test cricket is the highest level – but I get my kicks from watching county cricket. Far more interesting to me. Don’t care if England, Australia, South Africa, India etc do well or badly. I’d rather watch Ramps and Tresco tonking the ball around at places like the Oval or wherever. *shrugs* You lot don’t know a good thing when you see it! :p Except for those who appreciate lycra and sequins…;)
Miah, the only batsman I envy is Jamie Siddons. Swoons.
Does Mr.Siddons wear spandex as manfully as the Ramps though, one asks oneself? :)
I couldnt imagine him do anything unmanfully, so yes.