The Colin "Funky" Miller experiment

[Dogs 24/7]

Colin Funky Miller was a fast medium bowler who toiled around the Sheffield Shield for many years with somewhat modest success. Whilst messing around in the nets with some off spin he caught the eye of the state selectors who said he should try it during some of the games. The rest is history and he carved out a good International career mixing up his medium pace in the early overs and his spinners once the shine was off the ball.

I was reading today that Nathan Bracken dropped a not so subtle reminder to the selectors that he was still around. Obviously this was his way of saying that he rates himself as a better bowler than Bollinger I suppose but I wonder why more pace bowlers don't try and add a bit of spin variety to their arsenal ?

Granted not many crickets have made this work but for guys sitting on the fringe it could just be the thing that gets them on a tour or even a test game.

Is it just to hard to do ?

[LostDoggy]

Re: The Colin "Funky" Miller experiment

I think Bracken's hair even with that stupid clip has got to be better than Bollinger's birds nest.

[GVGjr]

Re: The Colin "Funky" Miller experiment

Is it just to hard to do ?

No it shouldn't be too hard at all. No reason why some bowlers couldn't do some work on it in the nets and then see if they could use it during a game.

[westdog54]

Re: The Colin "Funky" Miller experiment

Colin Funky Miller was a fast medium bowler who toiled around the Sheffield Shield for many years with somewhat modest success. Whilst messing around in the nets with some off spin he caught the eye of the state selectors who said he should try it during some of the games. The rest is history and he carved out a good International career mixing up his medium pace in the early overs and his spinners once the shine was off the ball.

I was reading today that Nathan Bracken dropped a not so subtle reminder to the selectors that he was still around. Obviously this was his way of saying that he rates himself as a better bowler than Bollinger I suppose but I wonder why more pace bowlers don't try and add a bit of spin variety to their arsenal ?

Granted not many crickets have made this work but for guys sitting on the fringe it could just be the thing that gets them on a tour or even a test game.

Is it just to hard to do ?

I fail to see how to be frank. Symonds switches between the two with consumate ease and Mark Waugh made the transistion almost seamlessly.

He won Test Player of the Year at the AB Medal one year, a remarkable achievement given how few tests he actually played.

[GVGjr]

Re: The Colin "Funky" Miller experiment

Alan Sieler (SP) was a Victorian all-rounder who would bowl some lively medium pacers and then later in the day some very good spinners. Graeme Beard was a NSW all-rounder who played a few tests but was a stingy medium pacer who would also bowl off spin.

It can be done.

This is the write up on Beard

Graeme Beard was a real utility allrounder - a middle-order batsman who could bowl either medium-pace seamers or offspin - who was picked for Australia's tour of Pakistan in 1979-80 on the back of a good Sheffield Shield season. He played in all three Tests, taking one wicket and scoring 114 runs. In the third Test at Lahore he scored 39 and 49. He was a surprising choice for Australia's 1981 tour of England where he played little. He retired in 1982 to concentrate on his job with the Australian Workers' Union.

[Sockeye Salmon]

Re: The Colin "Funky" Miller experiment

Alan Sieler (SP) was a Victorian all-rounder who would bowl some lively medium pacers and then later in the day some very good spinners.

I ran into Alan Sieler last summer - he was playing baseball at Surrey Park. He must be in his 50's.

Vics had a pretty good team in the 70's and won the Shield 4 times from about 1970 to 1980.

Paul Hibbert
Ian Redpath
Graham Yallop
Alan Sieler
John Scholes
Dav Whatmore
Julian Wiener
Jeff Moss
Mick Taylor
Trevor Laughlin
Brendon McArdle
Richie Robinson
Ray Bright
Max Walker
Ian Callan
Alan Hurst
Jim Higgs


Stacky and Paul Sheahan were test players early in the 70's. Ken Eastwood played 1 test, I think, Froggy Thomson played a few tests as well.