I've always felt like he wasn't quite good enough, yet he keeps popping up with scores. He's pretty much keeping the drug cheat and his drugged up body at bay. SA are now nearing the driving seat. Thanks to him. Is he actually any good? Whadda peops think?
I remember him being somewhat solid versus England when SA needed it. The same happened in India I think...
Originally posted by Comical Smoking Monkey: I've always felt like he wasn't quite good enough, yet he keeps popping up with scores. He's pretty much keeping the drug cheat and his drugged up body at bay. SA are now nearing the driving seat. Thanks to him. Is he actually any good? Whadda peops think?
I remember him being somewhat solid versus England when SA needed it. The same happened in India I think...
SA's Colly?
----------------------------------- A fluke is a poor man's trick-shot
He's managed to cut down on the shuffling across his stumps and straightened his backlift a bit, which accounts for him looking a much more solid player than he did 2 or 3 years ago.
And to be fair to him, it's not like he's cashing in on flat tracks. Could maybe move up to number 3?
Originally posted by Comical Smoking Monkey: I've always felt like he wasn't quite good enough, yet he keeps popping up with scores. He's pretty much keeping the drug cheat and his drugged up body at bay. SA are now nearing the driving seat. Thanks to him. Is he actually any good? Whadda peops think?
I remember him being somewhat solid versus England when SA needed it. The same happened in India I think...
SA's Colly?
Aye, he doesn't look anything special, but he gets the job done.
It is sad that a player like him and many others like him that will end up with a better test record than one of the most talented batters of all time like Greame Hick.
Good gritty player. Didn't do too badly in the 6 Tests against us off the top of my head, getting a 100 and a 90. Wasn't timing the ball well either, which he seems to be doing better now.
Originally posted by Carpet Monster: I was a bit skeptical about his merits of inclusion in the past but hes in some good form and is scoring important runs.
He'll sleep better knowing he won't have to play Warne again too. 11 of his 38 test dismissals are by Warne, thats quite a stat!
Originally posted by Comical Smoking Monkey: I've always felt like he wasn't quite good enough, yet he keeps popping up with scores. He's pretty much keeping the drug cheat and his drugged up body at bay. SA are now nearing the driving seat. Thanks to him. Is he actually any good? Whadda peops think?
I remember him being somewhat solid versus England when SA needed it. The same happened in India I think...
I remember his debut against Australia back in 2001/02. Didn't score heavily but left the ball impeccably. I've always been convinced by his ability.
Prince reminds me a little of Graham Thorpe in the latter part of his career. Gritty, determined, somewhat lacking in style but getting the job done. Good on him. We see plenty of players not making the most of their ability (England team, take note) so to see one maximising his opportunities is a welcome sight.
People often talk about 'getting value for your shots' when playing on a fast outfield, but Prince gets value for his shots by running hard and running fast between the wickets. He must add 2 runs for every 10 he scores just by never being complacent in his running and backing that up by being very quick.
He was first selected to play against Aus in 2002 after he made a 90 against them in a warm-up game. The controversy there was that the warm-up game was the first FC match he had played in over a season and many felt his eventual Test selection was a knee-jerk reaction to an irrelevant innings. The fact that he's black didn't help much either. Anyway, he top scored for SA in that game with 49, but that was the highest score he'd make during his first run in the SA team. He played 6 more games and ended up with an average of about 15.
He was recalled about two years after that, mainly out of desperation as SA were trying to find a proper player to fill in the 'Boeta Dippenaar' slot in the middle order. His domestic form wasn't that great and many were wondering why he was being reconsidered. Again, the fact that he is black didn't help. But since then he's played 20 more Tests, scored 6 tons and averaged over 50.
When he first started playing FC cricket everyone was talking about how he was going to be the next big batting sensation, but then he started becoming a bit mediocre and his eventual Test selection was a big surprise. I'm sure his original selection and recall were politically motivated, but his continued inclusion is certainly not. Good to see him finally fulfilling his original promise.
When he first started playing FC cricket everyone was talking about how he was going to be the next big batting sensation,
When he started as a teenager, he always used to race to 30 odd, before throwing it all away. You could compare his re emergence to that of Steve Waugh- Another guy who started young and had big wraps on him as a flashy strokemaker, but after a stop start early international career, turned himself into an unstylish grinder who held the Aussie middle order together.
You cant help but cheer every run Prince makes, as you get the feeling that he's spent a lot of his life proving to people that its his ability, not his skin colour, that has got him to the top.
I'm not so sure that his skin colour didn't get him to the top. Both his selections were controversial in that he wasn't in great form and one was on the back a lengthy injury. But his ability has kept him at the top - this time at least.
You could compare his re emergence to that of Steve Waugh- Another guy who started young and had big wraps on him as a flashy strokemaker, but after a stop start early international career, turned himself into an unstylish grinder who held the Aussie middle order together.
....when he was not running them out, getting them to chase the quick runs and accumulating red ink
