The finest sight in cricket...

Just a brief one, what in your opinion is the sight in cricket that makes you love the game the most.

For me it has to be a cloudy, breezy opening morning of a Test match in England, Jimmy Anderson with the ball in hand, and he is swinging it around corners. A display of absolute mastery of the art of swing bowling, and also a very intriguing first hour where the batsmen really have to dig deep and be on top of their game.

The sight of a perfect outswinger taking the edge through to the keeper, or a late inswinger to trap the batsman lbw after setting him up with some outswingers has to be right up there.

Over to you, gents.

For me, it's watching a batsman sending a bowler out of the ground in the most brutal fashion.

Simple as that.

England thrashing India in a Test Series in India

Straight 6 down the ground, a toecrunching yorker or danielle wyatt

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:England thrashing India in a Test Series in India

Ha, it'd be nice but not something that occurs too often

Let me add another....a Michael Vaughan cover drive.

An Ian Bell cover drive > A Michael Vaughan cover drive

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:England thrashing India in a Test Series in India

Hasnt happened in your lifetime though

Gregers wrote:An Ian Bell cover drive > A Michael Vaughan cover drive

Bell is a fantastically aesthetic player, so I'd agree it deserves to be ranked alongside Vaughan's, at least.

A battle between a great fast bowler and a resilient batsman e.g. Donald V Atherton at Trent bridge 98. All the more interesting when the bowler is genuinely angry with the batsman. It makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

Sachin Tendulkar playing the most beautiful punch on drive the game has ever seen.

This just beats Sehwag tearing apart World Class spinners.

I just love watching 2 batters in the likes of Tresco, Kieswetter, Buttler, Bell in full flow

I watched quite a bit of Atherton v Donald from a bar on Malta so, if only for that reason, it was memorable to me; but yes, you’re right, it was a great battle and fascinating to watch. I would also suggest that Warne v England in the 2005 Ashes was compelling viewing. McGrath and Lee were dangerous of course but the whole atmosphere changed when Warne had the ball

One ball, bowled by Warne to Gatting. The way it drifted in, to outside Gats leg stump and then spun viciously across Gatting's text book forward defensive (text book that is other than the lack of actually hitting the ball...) and clipping the top of off stump. That was the time I realised we were going to be seeing something very special for the next several years.

Also relating to Warne, the sight and sound of the England fans chanting 'we wish you were English' during Shane's final test match in England. Shows that despite all the turmoil he's caused us over the years, there is an admiration for a worthy opponent amongst England cricket fans.

The sight of a fast bowler sending stumps cartwheeling always creates excitement. That or the bowler deceiving the batsman and getting him out while making him look a bit foolish too.

Thinking of Flintoff , Jones and Harmison as recent examples.

Nothing comes close to a Sir Vivian Richards pull shot, brutal power, with pomp and class. Thats coming from a bloke born in 1986, who didn't see him play live!

Gregers wrote:Straight 6 down the ground, a toecrunching yorker or danielle wyatt

hmmm must agree about wyatt

shankythebiggestengfan wrote:England thrashing India in a Test Series in India

6x6 by Yuvi off clueless Broady.

A spin bowler confusing batsmen so much that they don't know which way it will turn. A spin bowler in a good spell is magnificent to watch. I always liked Muralitharan coming on to bowl for example.
On the batting side Sangakkara's driving ability is sensational.
As you can see I might be slightly biased towards the old Sri Lankans, but I enjoy the game more when they play than any other team.

Sehwag scoring 25-26?? off Gul's over, in the 2011 world cup semi.
Sehwag Sachin belting Wasim Waqar, Actor, and Saqlain in 2003 world cup meeting, scoring 110+ in 10 overs.

An opener getting beaten by a vicious outswinging ball early on the first morning of a Test, and knowing that the battle that they have to fight over the rest of the course of the session is only a small part of the conflict to come over the next five days.

For me it's when you see a batsman elegantly cover drive to the boundary.

When you're at the ground you see the batsman's action...then there seems to be a slight delay in hearing that sweet sound of willow on ball, followed by the crowd reaction a moment later.

This is cricket.

For me its the final day of an Ashes series just what Crickets about.

Liam_Main wrote:For me its the final day of an Ashes series just what Crickets about.

Unless it's all over before then...

I also enjoy the first day of an Ashes series when all the pre-match talk is over.

Linebreaker wrote:

Liam_Main wrote:For me its the final day of an Ashes series just what Crickets about.

Unless it's all over before then...

I also enjoy the first day of an Ashes series when all the pre-match talk is over.

* Unless England have wrapped it up early you mean Only Joking mate.

Would agree,always that little bit of nerves and tension on the first day of an Ashes series.

I was thinking more of 2007...but yes Liam...2010/11 too!

Linebreaker wrote:For me it's when you see a batsman elegantly cover drive to the boundary.

When you're at the ground you see the batsman's action...then there seems to be a slight delay in hearing that sweet sound of willow on ball, followed by the crowd reaction a moment later.

This is cricket.

Agreed. It just has to be the cover drive.

The best three cover drives among the current players, IMHO of course: Dravid, Bell, Kallis.

Borges wrote:The best three cover drives among the current players, IMHO of course: Dravid, Bell, Kallis.

What about Sanga?

Yup, Sanga, and Ponting too have very good cover drives - most good batsmen do.

While the cover drives of Dravid, Kallis and Bell may not be among the most stylish or flamboyant, they are the ones that are pretty close to being technically perfect.

Borges

Duminy also has a very elegant cover drive when he gets it right.But quite often he nicks it to the keeper.

Someone actualy giving Tendulkar out lbw

Three words.

Sun - Cricket - Cider

You can't beat it.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Three words.

Sun - Cricket - Cider

You can't beat it.

agree

Stuart Broad running into to bowl........

Watching Sanath Jayasuriya flay top quality bowling attacks around was a joy to watch, when he was in his pomp.

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Three words.

Sun - Cricket - Cider

You can't beat it.

Four Words

Sun - Cricket - Cider - Hove

Perfect combination

Gregers wrote:

BATH_BTGOG wrote:Three words.

Sun - Cricket - Cider

You can't beat it.

Four Words

Sun - Cricket - Cider - Hove

Perfect combination

replace Hove with taunton and your talking, better cider's

I'll give you the better cider Hodgey, but we have the lovely sea air

we now have fresher air than a few seasons ago, due to cattle market no longer being over the other side of the river.

we have seagulls flying over the ground occasionally sea enough for us

Seagulls occasionally? We have them 24/7!

seeing one of the many young talents coming through in domestic ciricket winning a game for their county

A hat-trick

Gregers wrote:Seagulls occasionally? We have them 24/7!

A few seagulls here too but they're much smaller than your big Atlantic variety.

One of the greatest sights I've witnessed was Steve Waugh's final innings in 2004 v India when he made that epic 80 to ensure the draw. The whole place went nuts with everybody waving those red handkerfchiefs. That was the biggest buzz I've experienced for one player.

A Waqar yorker
Malcolm Marshall steaming in
A extravagant Lara cover drive
A Ponting pull
A Gower cover drive
A Mark Waugh on drive
A Tendulkar straight drive
Roger Harper's running out of Gooch