RIP Martin Crowe
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<p>Man. Everyone knew he was living on borrowed time but fuck, that hasn't stopped this from stinging like hell.</p>
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<p>The man was so fucking talented, whether it was with the bat, in the commentators box, writing articles or mentoring our Rossco and Guppy. And a couple of those he was doing at the same time he was fighting cancer. He's left a huge hole in NZ sport and cricket all around the world.</p> -
<p>Hogans best articles on cricinfo.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/977971.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/story/977971.html</a></p> -
<p>With alot of talk re Crowes death going back to the 92 CWC, and that devastating semi final loss to Pakistan.</p>
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<p>Heres something to cheer us up, Inzamam's greatest hits of run outs..</p>
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<p>If only he showed us this talent in 92. * Wait he did, but by then it was all too late.</p> -
<p>haha what a fat potato</p>
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<p>the best one? how do you choose?! the one where he turns an easy two into a one and then sells his partner out by just going "fuck running 2" was a favourite for me. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="562131" data-time="1456988537">
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<p>the best one? how do you choose?! the one where he turns an easy two into a one and then sells his partner out by just going "fuck running 2" was a favourite for me. </p>
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<p>They are all hilariously funny, but just seeing him taking a yorker to the foot and just walking a couple of steps then 'falling over' made me piss myself with laughter. (much needed today)</p> -
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<div>Grant Fox recalls 40 years of friendship with emotional tribute to Martin Crowe
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<p>Considered one of the greatest cricketers to ever play the game, New Zealand legend Martin Crowe has died, aged 53.</p>
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<p>Perched side-by-side as fresh-faced teenagers, it began with a Fox and a Crowe on a pew.</p>
<p>Forty years ago Grant Fox first met Martin Crowe at Auckland Grammar School.</p>
<p>Long before his exploits at first five-eighth for the All Blacks, Fox was a farm boy from the Waikato who had moved up to board. Crowe travelled in from out of zone in Titirangi.</p>
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<p>Both young men knew few others and immediately hit it off. As their friendship grew over the years to come, Fox hoped they would be mates for life. </p>
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<p>"We were third form sitting at Auckland Grammar School. We got chatting and we've been mates ever since. It didn't take me long to work out there was this genius cricketer in the making," Fox recalled, speaking with a lump in his throat while digesting the fact Crowe's battle with cancer had come to an end on Thursday, aged 53. </p>
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<div><img src="http://www.stuff.co.nz/content/dam/images/1/a/5/t/3/4/image.related.StuffLandscapeSixteenByNine.620x349.1a5r3f.png/1456989027573.jpg" title="" alt="1456989027573.jpg"><div>Crowe (top) with Fox in school together</div>
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<p>Like many others, Fox fielded a difficult phone call to receive the news but was happy Crowe would not suffer any longer.</p>
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<p>"He was my mate. We're not going to be able to play golf and drink red wine together any more. I find it hard to believe, really. I was hoping we'd grow old together telling lies. It's sadly not to be."</p>
<p>Most remember Crowe for his cricketing exploits; Fox knew his many other sporting talents, too.</p>
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<p>"I remember this guy that was fiercely competitive and immensely talented. He was intense. He was focused and he was emotional. When you think about people that are geniuses at sport, they're the traits they have."</p>
<p>Crowe and Fox bonded through sport. They made the finals of the junior and senior tennis championships as a school doubles pairing - "we took real serious tennis players to the wire both times" - and linked on the rugby field.</p>
<p>One year after making the first XI football team Crowe turned his had to rugby, starring on the right wing for the first XV that featured Fox at first-five.</p>
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<p>Crowe was on track to break Grammar's try-scoring record, only to damage his knee which would trouble him late in his cricketing career three games from the end of the season. </p>
<p>"He knew how to sniff out an opportunity," Fox said. "Just like cricket he had a great feel for what needed to be done, where he needed to be and where the space was. He had great vision on the right wing."</p>
<p>Fox also experienced a different "Marty" than the one some remember. </p>
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<p>"He was caring, compassionate, kind and generous to a fault. That's the side that's not in the public arena.</p>
<p>"Particularly in the last couple of years when he was battling he cared more about those around him than about himself. He was stoic and he dealt with this with dignity.</p>
<p>"The remarkable thing for me early on he said he was at peace with it. That will stick with me forever. How are you at peace when you've basically been given a death sentence?"</p>
<p>Along with Crowe's wife Lorraine Downes and daughter Emma, Fox saw him show incredible strength of character to keep fighting.</p>
<p>"It was like trying to overcome the fast bowlers or spinners who were throwing stuff at him. He took to his Lymphoma the same way and fought till the better end."</p>
<p>Death evokes reflection. In Crowe's case his passing has clearly been felt around the world. For Fox, one vivid memory is a test in Christchurch where rain forced a break in play in a match involving a Stephen Fleming-led New Zealand team.</p>
<p>"They went back and showed highlights of a test century he scored at Lords - his final century there. The grace, poise, class and pure batsmanship... with no disrespect to those who were at Lancaster Park that day, it was clear Crowe was a cut above. It's then you just remember how good he was.</p>
<p>"Sometimes you don't realise what you've got until it's not there any more."</p>
<p>Those sentiments ring true today.</p>
<p><strong> - Stuff</strong></p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Virgil" data-cid="562058" data-time="1456963633"><p><a class="bbc_url" href="
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Was there a better cover drive in cricket?</p></blockquote>
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Awesome vid Virgil.<br><br>
The early stuff was a parade of memories for a young booboo ...
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Mate of mine wrote a lovely tribute on Facebook I thought worth sharing:<br><br><br>
For getting beaten up by Lillee and Thomson as a 19 year old but finishing with an average of 48 against Australia. For making 100s against Imran and Marshall and Wasim and Waqar in tough conditions and when they were in their pomp. For walking into a press conference after scoring what should have been the country's first 300 to tackle homophobic rumours from the chattering classes head on. For tossing the ball to an off-spinner to open the World Cup and seeing what happened. For basically envisioning 20/20 ten years before it started in earnest. <br><br>
And for that glorious cover drive, especially at Lord's, and generally for setting the standard, as a batsman of whom New Zealand could be proud in the desperately dire post-Hadlee era. For all these things, and for so much more - Martin Crowe, you'll be missed. -
I grew up in a house where Crowe was loathed. I always loved his play though and he was a true hero of mine. <br><br>
I am saddened, truly saddened by his passing. To me this hurts more than Lomu. Im not sure why but I just never expected he would go. I thought there'd be some 11th hour saviour. Some miracle cure.<br><br>
He did great things and it was a great pleasure to have watched him play when I was a kid. RIP.<br><br>
Sent from my SM-G925I using Tapatalk -
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<p>The best one is where hes hit on the foot and just lies on the ground, totally ignoring the fact his partner is running towards him (you know, like they do in cricket)</p>
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<p>Mr spud head was actually quite slim in his earlier years. But always about as agile and athletic as a bag of cement.</p> -
<p>Stats fans chew on this.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/977995.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/977995.html</a></p>
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<p>Over ten years, from the start of the 1984-85 season, when Crowe established himself after a difficult beginning in Tests, until the end of the 1994 English summer, the final major flowering of his sumptuous batting craft, he averaged 53.94 in 57 Tests. He made significant or definitive contributions to most of New Zealand's Test victories, and scored hundreds and averaged at least 45 against all of the seven nations he played against.<br><br>
Of those who played 12 or more Tests in that time, only Brian Lara (62.61, in 16 Tests at the start of his career) averaged more, and only Sachin Tendulkar (50.57, playing in the latter half of Crowe's prime decade) also topped the 50 mark.<br><br>
The list of bowlers New Zealand encountered during Crowe's peak years highlights the scale of his achievements with the bat, all carried out with a style that seemed to merge timeless classical elegance and precision with modern power and experimentation.</p>
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<p>I was struck watching the Crowe video highlights last night by how unusual his batting style was - it was distinctively Crowe in the way he seemed to move his whole body through his drives rather than plant the feet then play the shot. He did combine elegance with brute force in a way that few batsmen have.<br>
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Awesome KP I'm sure I've posted similar stats over the years regarding the main part of Crowes career. <br>
You have to wonder too how much better his record would be if he wasn't fighting illness and injury most of his career. Not too mention carry a fairly ordinary NZ side. -
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<p>Stats fans chew on this.</p>
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<p><a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/977995.html'>http://www.espncricinfo.com/blogs/content/story/977995.html</a></p>
<p>I was struck watching the Crowe video highlights last night by how unusual his batting style was - it was distinctively Crowe in the way he seemed to move his whole body through his drives rather than plant the feet then play the shot. He did combine elegance with brute force in a way that few batsmen have.<br>
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<p>Yeah KP, that "shuffle" or "shrug" of the shoulders when driving. Looking at it now it's a clever technique to get all momentum moving forward to combat the ball seaming away, which NZ and county pitches always offered in those days. In Aus you can stand and deliver almost with your weight on your back foot, on green tops you have to get all your weight forward and those highlights demonstrate that - even another little skip forward after the ball hits the bat.</p>
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<p>Here's a good piece from a definitely unbiased source - Greg Chappel in the Guardian</p>
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<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">It was Martin Crowe’s insatiable curiosity that struck me on our first meeting. He embodied the old African proverb, which stated, “The one who asks questions does not lose his wayâ€.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Martin was 19 years of age and playing Test cricket well before he was ready for it against a strong Australian pace attack. He had managed to get run out for 9 in his first and only innings for the Test and, without being unkind, he was lucky to get that many.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">It was off the field that Martin made the biggest impression on me.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">As was the tradition at the time, the two teams would get together at the end of each day for a few cold drinks and a chat. When Martin came into our room at the end of day one he made a bee-line to where a few of us were sitting and joined the group.</p>
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<div style="font-family:'Guardian Egyptian Web', 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;"><a class="">Martin Crowe: a batting master craftsman who was ahead of his time</a> </div> <div> <div></div> <div style="font-family:'Guardian Egyptian Web', 'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;color:rgb(253,173,186);">Read more</div> </div> </div> </div><p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">After a respectful wait while the conversation went around in circles, Martin started asking questions of myself, Dennis Lillee and Rod Marsh. He asked good, insightful questions and was rapt as he listened to the answers. When it happened again in Auckland and again in Christchurch, I began to take notice of the young man whose work had totalled 20 runs in his first four Test innings.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">It was obvious that he possessed immense talent and athleticism, but it was his intelligence and his desire to succeed at the highest level that had me convinced that he would find a way to express his potential; sooner rather than later. It took him until his fourteenth Test innings – back in Wellington – to make his first Test century. It was achieved with the hallmark elegance that we came to expect from him.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">That he went on to make another 16 Test tons and finished with a Test average of 45.36 did not go close to telling the full story of his dedication, determination, courage or his talent. Martin was the outstanding New Zealand batsman of his era and is arguably the best that they have ever produced.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">John Reid, Bert Sutcliffe and Glenn Turner were all good players and each had their own strengths. Reid had power, Sutcliffe was classy and Turner was exceedingly patient, but Martin was a composite of the three of them with a dash of flair and an arrogance that all the best players have. Had Martin been born in Australia, or anywhere else for that matter, I believe his record would have better reflected his talents and would place him in the highest pantheon of batsmen from all countries.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">New Zealand pitches in his time were tough to bat on. Often damp, always covered with grass, they were challenging as the ball darted off the seam disconcertingly. It needed a great deal of patience, a well-honed method that got one close to the ball and an unerring eye to find the middle of the bat consistently in those conditions.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Martin was renowned for his front foot play, but I remember his back foot shots through the off-side as a great strength. It is well known that he drove anything that was slightly over-pitched. This forced bowlers to pull back from that length only to see a slightly under-pitched ball brutally dispatched through the off side with a dismissive flash of an amazingly vertical blade.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">I didn’t play against Martin again after his first series, but I did keep an eye on him from a distance as he carried New Zealand batting on his broad and deceptively powerful back for over a decade. In coalition with Richard Hadlee he made New Zealand a formidable opponent during their time. Crowe averaged 55 in the 16 Test match victories in that period, which is a much better reflection of the massive talent that he was.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Once Martin became comfortable at the highest level, he played some memorable innings, of which his two Test centuries at Lord’s and his 299 against Sri Lanka at Wellington were among his favourites.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">His second Test century at Lord’s in 1994 was probably his crowning achievement. Troubled for much of his career with knee problems, Martin had been out of Test cricket for some time and approached the Test with some trepidation. He need not have worried. Even though well short of full fitness, he made a masterful 142 on a ground he held in high regard because of its place in the history of the game he loved.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">This was one of the many of his innings which epitomised Peter Roebuck’s comment about him: “Crowe could soar like an Eagleâ€. The 299, ironically, was his biggest disappointment. He would love to have made a 300 in Test cricket.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Always a lateral thinker, Martin showed his nous and disregard for convention when, as captain during the 1992 <a class="" href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/cricket">Cricket</a> World Cup, he pushed hard-hitting Mark Greatbatch up the order to attack and opened the bowling with off-spinner Dipak Patel. Both moves had a huge impact on the success that the team achieved under Martin’s leadership.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Martin wasn’t always comfortable in his own skin and often made life more difficult than it needed to be during his playing days. Ironically, it took retirement and his subsequent illness for him to explore and finally discover who he really was. He actually quite liked the person that he uncovered.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">After his playing days, Martin began a media career with Sky Sports in New Zealand. Once again his penchant for lateral thinking was seen with his invention of Cricket Max, which proved hugely popular with audiences and players alike and, in many ways, was the forerunner to Twenty20 cricket.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">I had many conversations with Martin during his illness and he was always unfailingly positive and upbeat. It was during this time that he revisited his autobiography. The result was “Raw†which was as uncompromisingly open and honest as the title suggested. His writing for ESPNCricinfo was another place where he explored the deep recesses of his creative mind to seek solutions for some of the problems besetting the game. One always walked away from reading these pieces thinking a little differently about the game.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">I am profoundly sad that Martin’s life was cut so cruelly short at a time when he had so much for which to live. I feel deeply for his wife and daughter who have lost a loving husband and father who still had so much to offer.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Martin was always highly regarded by his peers, but he hasn’t been as well recognised by the wider population as he should be. Wherever he travels in the next life I am sure they all will be aware that they are in the presence of someone special. Perhaps in death he will get the recognition befitting the champion player and human being that he was.</p>
<p style="color:rgb(51,51,51);font-family:'Guardian Text Egyptian Web', Georgia, serif;font-size:medium;">Rest in peace my friend.</p>
