Real courage by Brian Close. I am confused by the title of the video, though. Tony Greig said grovel, not Close... and exactly where is Michael Holding showing annoyance? If anything, it's indifference. The umpire holding a finger up is strange. Again, I have to say I am impressed with Close's courage. He doesn't back away but gets his body behind the ball. I don't anything about him, but he seems to not be a hooker or puller (maybe a bowler?), but he has raw courage.
Remember Tony Greig`s words, i am going to make them grovel. West Indies did not take that lightly, and made him and the rest of the English pay for uttering those words.If you watch the video with an open mind, most of those balls were lifting off a good length, or just short of a length. Close was facing each ball as best he could, and they were very fast deliveries. He was just not fast enough to get out of the way
Hats-off to Mr Close! Brave, courageous, and good technique; He has avoided being killed 4 times in that over, and still didn't think a helmet was necessary. The likes of Tendulkar and Ponting and Kallis would never have survived Holding. And not to leave Holding unappreciated, wow, you've got some pace, Sir!
now i know why my grandad is so proud of his cousin brian close. ive learnt so much about him and so proud of him :) america cricket hall of fame! cant believe i never knew this. x
Helmets has nothing to do with cricket..If you know how to bat you will make records..Else we would have given awards to helmet..LOL WORLD of Cricket OPEND their eyes after Raman Lamba's incident who died when hit on the head fielding at short leg without helmet..in Bangaladesh..Please do not say they were great because they were not wearing helmet..Batsman are great because of their talent.not becasue of HELMETs
What can we sayy after what we did to the Aussies in '33? What goes around comes around...you just have to have MASSIVE respect to Brian Close who, although frightened to death (watch his body language at the crease), sticks it out. What a brave fella. If ANY of those deliverys had hit him on the temple he would have surely died.
Yeah.. Micheal got a finger from Umpire..Enough is Enough show some real bowling if know some..not just throwing bouncers to a bad batsman.. anybody can bowl a bouncer......LOL
Wordl has seen really fast bowlers during morden day cricket...fastest deliveries happened during morden day cricketers..Old day bowlers like holding just throwing bouncers all the time made them famous and looked dangerous......I think Steyn , Bret Lee and Akhtar bowls faster then this guy.. Sachin would play very easily if bowled this over to him...
@everybodylovessachin you know nothing of cricket...these old guys had a speed gun and with off short runs and with no run ups hit 135-140...take the helmet off sehwag, dravid,stick them on the waca and see if they get in line...olden day batsmen were the real deal..nt the whole indian team who wear matresses on their chests...real cowards..
@gfdsa54321k So you think you know cricket..Haha LOL Go find out what is the fastest delivery Holding bowled in test cricket..when you find your answer and see what bowlers speed today..average and fastest..Nowadays it is fashion to praise old folks. human nature..If Sachin had played during those era he would have created same records..Do no think those who played without helmet were HEROES,,SPEED of Gun My ASS.Fastest bowlers were during Sachin's era go check records.
You do not need to to be great batsman by not wearing helmet you need good technique to be great...this guy is stupid batsman does not even know how to play bouncers..
four bouncers in the over. He should have been sent off. This has nothing to do with cricket. This team ruined test cricket and turned it into a circus
@doggiedearest. Nonsense! one genuine bouncer one borderline. The rest were all reasonable deliveries just short of a full length with good bounce. Let's be honest the two that hit him were the two fullest pitched balls in the over! Great respect for Close's bravery but I'm afraid he just wasn't up to facing this kind of pace. Incidently why do you blame this team for ruining cricket when Lillee and Thompson had initiated this kind of aggressive bowling (against England and WI 74/75 in OZ)
the guy was 45 and played his first test 27 years before this in 1949 , no helmet lasted 2 hrs in this innings against some of the greatest fast bowlers to eva play . total respect
Was it Close's batting style, his side on rigid posture, that made him so vulnerable? I think he might have been trying to present a 'thin' profile to Holding to reduce the chances of getting hit more, but what would a batsman with agile feet do? (Not saying Close isn't that, I just don't know him) Is there a way to get more square in situations like this? Like putting the front foot on leg and the back foot on off stump? Open the shoulders? Would that help?
@mistersmith6000 - he was a very brave man who was asked to tuff it out against the West Indies despite being past the first flush of youth, and that's exactly what he did. It had nothing to with being 'vulnerable' or lacking technique. He was a fine cricketer and a very tough guy.
@mistersmith6000 his technique was copy book side on .To hold out against that pace on that pitch it is almost impossible even for the most nibble batsmen .
@melglen1 Mnn, thanks for that. I just wonder, if say a more open-stanced, front on wristy player would not be restricted by having shoulders in line with the ball so he could duck, weave and deflect it more. Close looks pretty tall too, which wouldn't necessarily help.
@mistersmith6000 any good batsmen knows squaring up against 150km + on a bouncy wicket is suicidal it is much easier to duck and weeve, side on than it is front on. By the way iam aussie so dont have any support for close or the poms , just thought even though his international record was poor that to survive 2 hours of Holding and the windies at there prime on a difficult deck is pretty awesome at the age of 45.
Ok so closey nearly had his head took off and a kidney knocked loose, but what about the 10 other players in the England team ? as far as i'm aware none of them wore helmets either.
the first player i remember donning one was david steele in 77-78
Guys, I am old enough to have actually been at that cricket match and Holding bowled like the wind. Close wore nothing but box, pads and gloves and there is a newspaper pic of him shirtless afterwards - "a mass of bruises" indeed. Watch "Fire in Babylon" and you will understand what was going on. Fantastic cricket BTW.
Guys, I am old enough to have actually been at that cricket match and Holding bowled like the wind. Close wore noting but box, lads and gloves and there is a newspaper pic of him shirtless afterwards - !a mass of bruises" indeed. Watch "Fire in Babylon" and you will understand what was going on. Fantastic cricket BTW.
@Gautamiyer2 Ponting had his cheek broken by harmison man - a guy that averaged over 40 bowling in tests. and you think he'd hook holding and garner???????????
I remember watching this particular session as a young lad. If I recall (someone will correct me), it was at the end of the day and England scored about 13 runs or so in an hour. Brutal, brutal bowling.
Rolce Royce going mad at 145 +++ ???? That is why they were fantastic.............Current WI lot is nowhere in comparison..and compare that with Roberts,Holding,Garner,Croft,Marshall,Clarke who were QUICK and then gentle quicks like Holder,Boyce,Daniel,Norbert Philip,Winston Davis, etc. They were boasting of such talents that they could have filled up an entire cricket eleven with JUST FAST BOWLERS.
Rolce Royce going mad at 145 +++ ???? That is why they were fantastic.............Current WI lot is nowhere in comparison..and compare that with Roberts,Holding,Garner,Croft,Marshall,Clarke who were QUICK and then gentle quicks like Holder,Boyce,Daniel,Norbert Philip,Winston Davis, etc. They were boasting of such talents that they could have filled up an entire cricket eleven with JUST FAST BOWLERS.
Close (who incidentally is good friends with Holding) said in an interview that the bowler at the other end, Wayne Daniel, was even faster! However it was Holding both he and Edrich feared the most, because of his lethal accuracy and skill...
Exceptionally brave batting, brilliant bowling. Respect to both, and i would imagine they respect each other even more. Fantastic cricket, both these guys are proper cricketers
45-yr-old Close had been recalled to the England team for his first test since 1967 at Trent Bridge. He scored 2& 36 not out, 60 & 46 at Lord's in the second test and 2 & 20 at Old Trafford in the third test. W.Indies won the series 3-0.
not to say that he wasn't fast. he is deservedly one of the bet of all time. however, i think people seem to see these bowlers of the 80s and late 70s through rose tinted glasses. i'm pretty sure the fastest bowlers in the history belong to the present modern era. they might not be comparable in ability, but to say that the oldies were unplayable BECAUSE they were fast, is BS.
@blastitude fast bowling speeds are consistently quicker starting from early 60s ( Wes hall, onwards) , The average man stood 5 foot 6 in 1900 and almost 6 foot by 2000 , old footage of cricket pre approx 1960 prooves this. Larwood ,Gregory, miller , davison were only 140km at best
@HengistTheGreat i agree Holding would have been up there definately with the likes of Akhtar ,lee, tait, Thompson,Ambrose , malcolm, all the modern greats. Lord geoff didnt face them all as he retired early 80s, and he was a selfish dick so i dont take his point of view seriously.
lol lots of fielders around the bat. Take note Strauss, this is how you set an attacking field. Gotta give Close credit, being a tough bastard and letting the ball hit him like that with minimal protection. You never see anyone do that these days.
As Michael Holding Said, when asked about if he bowled today with the way modern batsman play the short ball. 'They'd all be Dead'. and this fella is facing him on a 70's track with no lid! Madness!
Michael Holding at his best was the fastest bowler in the world from 1976-81, watch the footage from The Oval in 1976, he got 14 wickets in the match, at least 10 were from extremely fast well pitched up deliveries. He beat world class players by pace through the air, they simply did not have enough time to play the ball. I have only ever seen 1 other bowler generate the same pace and that was Jeff Thomson in 1974-5 before his shoulder accident
I've watched this i don't know how many times, but in total it still doesn't come to FORTY FIVE MINS. Brian Close has gotta be the bravest sportsman alive surely.
I was hit by a cricket ball in the face when i was 14 which broke my nose, the bowler was 14 as well and couldn't have eben bowling anymore then 40-50mph.............
Imagine being hit anywheer on the body by a ball doing 90+! FUCK THAT
no offense but i think a genuine bowler would never use bouncing as his skill to attach the batsman. it is not in the spirit of the game though it is legal.
holding is behaving like a pussy here and brian like a rock hard man. :D
@pearl1729 you are an idiot! You do not understand the issues that were at stake here. Your South African captain Tony Greig was going to make the WI grovel.His assembled team with the likes of Brian Close& David Steele were to show us West Indian boys the shit,.It backfired. We made you grovel. You seemed to under-estimate the strength of
West Indian resolve. Concessions have since been made, and we are fighting among ourselves, but test us at your peril. We are as good as we need to be
It was, quite frankly, one of the most disgraceful days ever in cricket with balls that could easily have killed the gallant Close. It puts the bodyline controversy well into the shade.
@sidco123 That Edrich was a cunt! Still, lucky it weren't Boycs at the other end. He'd have been telling Brian how play a nice steady innings to improve his average.
However, Michael holding should be ashamed of him self, Brian Close was 104 years old at the time.
After the match Close was called the walking bruise, he died two days after this match in hospital with a bruised scrotum, apparently, there was a seam mark on it.
My dad told me about Brian Close's comments about helmets being made compulsory for batsman - he said 'I don't know what the hell the game's coming to. You wouldn't get me wearing one of those plastic things!'
Holding and Wayne Daniel gave Closey and John Edrich, who was batting at the other end, a really brutal battering for nearly 2 hours. Top marks to all, I say.
@sskgrs Just to inform you, fast bowlers in those days were not so into short stuff, occasionally whenever they did, they hurt few, fast bowlers never bowled bouncers to their counterparts. I would love to see these fast bowlers bowling the batsmen with helmets too, including Tendulkar.
@sskgrs that's funny coz sachin faced wasim,waqar and imran when he was 16 and scored couple of fifties and he wore a grill-less helmet.what do you mean modern day cricketing heroes cant play without helmet?by this logic even tailenders those days are better than lara and sachin?
@coolpratheek No, because back then fast bowlers had an agreement; Don't bounce me and I wont bounce you. Wasim, Waqar and Imran weren't as dangerous bowlers as Holding. Deal with it.
@TheReadingStudent Wasn't as dangerous?ahahha...they were as dangerous as holding,if not more.Because they were fast and were also deadly swingers.And sachin faced them as a 16 year-old that too making his debut.He is the best batsman.Richard hadlee himself agreed to that.Enough said.
@coolpratheek LOL Richard Hadlee that great player who played against Don Bradman and all other batsmen who existed, right? Your argument is full of falacy. Typical misinformed Sachin fan.
@TheReadingStudent As if holding played against don bradman,hobbs,sutcliffe etc..Typical ignorant If-players-belong-to-previous-generation-they-are-better mentality.
Richard hadlee FYI,is one of the best bowlers of all-time with an excellent strike rate and he took 400 wickets in very few tests.(80 tests).If hadlee himself said sachin is better than bradman then it must be true isn't it?Heck!even bradman included sachin in his all-time XI and said he is the closest he has seen who bats like him.
@coolpratheek First of all you just proved yourself an idiot or unable to read. I never said that Bradman was better than Sachin or Sachin was better than Bradman. Blocked, I argue with enough people to not have to argue with an unable retard like you.
@coolpratheek - Good answer, but acknowledging who was/is 'great' is easier than establishing who was/is the 'greatest', that's more of a subjective opinion thing. No doubt that Holding, Hadlee, Tendulkar, Bradman and of course W.G, were/are 'great'.
@sskgrs So what you are saying is OLD day cricketers WERE PISSING IN THEIR PANTS ALL THE TIME? LOL Good Tendulkar never pissed in his pants. Morden day cricketers are smart...not stupid..EVEN BOWLERS DURING THOSE DAYS PLAYED WITHOUT HELMETS. forget about batsman..Do not say they were Brave..by any means..I think they were more stupid not to wear it..specially Batsman.. It was natural to them if they were given helmet they would have surely wore it.
seriously mate i know it's very quick but if you know it is going to be short you have to go the hook or pull shot because in the end the bouncer is just a fast long hop and you can't win a game of cricket if you don't score runs.
C'mon Closey! If you were a real man you'd take the sticking plaster off your elbow. Only joking - you were the hardest man to ever wield the willow. Happy 80th mate!
Bowlers bowl a no ball it's free hit in ODIs; if batsmen get dropped or edge through slips, they should have to face their next six balls without a helmet and chest guard.
Back when cricket was an even contest between bat and ball. Not these days of batsmen having half a tree as a bat, every part of their body protected by pads and a limited number of short balls per over.
Notice how these days batsmen get hit more often - they have forgotten how to dodge the ball.
batsman in olden days wear brave but must say they wear to dfensive give this short pitch,s to like of veru mculm akmel bros dilshan david warner gale ball will go for a ride
@rodtorre7... to be honest, you wouldn't be allowed to, you have to be allowed to go out in public unrestrained by a straightjacket to play test cricket.
Close was as hard as nails. Holding was trying to batter him into submission & didn't succeed. Those bloody pansies that play football in the Premier League would do well to take look at this. They either fall down because they're fairies or because they try to cheat. By what I've seen, it's a bit of both.
Thumbs up for the umpire trying to calm things down at 2:12. Nice try mate. But this boy doesn't believe in simple sledging. Tough lad mind. And not out by the end of it.
Aggers & Boycs just mentioned this on TMS, so expect loads of hits. Puts footballers to shame doesn't it... ? Holding trying to knock Close's block off, and BC has no arm guard, no helmet and just takes a beating without even moaning. What a legend.
Geoffrey Boycott regales a tale about how Alastair Cook asked former England captain now Channel Nine commentator Tony Greig whether Michael Holding was quick. Aggers suggests the England opener should use the internet to search for the words "Holding" and "Close"
Bungieware made a comment further down: Geoffrey Boycott was telling a tale on TMS about how Alastair Cook asked Tony Greig whether Michael Holding was quick. Aggers said that Cook asked him the same thinkg earlier in the tour. Aggers suggested that Cook should use the internet, and the words "Holding" and "Close". I came on here to share the story, but was beaten to it.
@SirCosmoBonsor to protect your ignorant notion (in your own head at least), I would suggest that you don't search for Dennis Lillee vs Viv Richards. But then I guess you think Australians are savages too!!
@SirCosmoBonsor What a stupid thing to write. Besides the pathetic generalisation if you had seen Michael Holding on television you will realise that he is an intelligent and articulate man.
how brave these batsmen would of been??. Damn it is simply the hardest sports........ these batsmen didn't even have helmet and they played in the era of great fast bowlers.....
Close was a tough one alright. He was known to take players behind the pavillion and sort them out and those were ones on his own team! - no touchy feely management skills - more like Atilla the Hun!
what teh facck this old man is doing lolzzz getting his ass kicked.. holding was a great bowller and close is great stopper he shudv come without bat coz he hardly used it in the whole over lolzzzzzzzz
Ball does the talking. Nowadays, pretenders act like they are bowling Marshall's stuff. This was the beauty of the game, now pussies wear helmet and slog quality ball out of the park, game is now uneven.
@Maxshard i have seen pics of his bruises and they looked real horrible - I mean they looked nasty - like all sorts colors and shaped like a cricket ball !
my comment was clearly tongue in cheek- but i'm just holding him to account on a line HE SAID. great character but a daft thing to say if indeed he was serious. obviously he'd also beleive a bullet passing thru' you wouldn't hurt either, cos it only stays in u for a second ! :))
Well coaches nowadays tell young cricketers to watch the ball, but because of the luxury of helmets, that just seems to be second place in the advice column.
trotterbruno. I would like to see how you would have faced up to Holding or years earlier when Wes Hall did the same to him. I would also like to be there when you told Brian Close he was'nt a real man to his face.
disappointed with Close. why did he flinch ! not a real man obviously. this guy is supposedly quoted as saying - how can a ball hurt you when it only stays on you for a second. ??
@trotterbruno If your own grasp of how to use sarcasm was a little better, people wouldn't assume your comments were serious in the first place, so right back at you.
This is Test cricket at its toughest. Yes, the Windies quicks overdid the short stuff that day, but after what Tony Grieg said, can't blame them for showing no mercy!
What a wonderful bowler Holding was, the perfect lazy and graceful action - and frighteningly quick! As for Brian Close, he was picked because he was so stupidly brave - and you've got to respect a 45 year old who's prepared to face such hostile bowling with such little protection!
Facing Holding without a helmet.....these days you would be committed to an asylum.
xpat73 2 weeks ago
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I want this video on my 909 Dual unit.
randyrose512 2 weeks ago
Real courage by Brian Close. I am confused by the title of the video, though. Tony Greig said grovel, not Close... and exactly where is Michael Holding showing annoyance? If anything, it's indifference. The umpire holding a finger up is strange. Again, I have to say I am impressed with Close's courage. He doesn't back away but gets his body behind the ball. I don't anything about him, but he seems to not be a hooker or puller (maybe a bowler?), but he has raw courage.
Jimmy911ism 3 weeks ago
Your video is a favorite on Georgia
dustykeller924 1 month ago
Remember Tony Greig`s words, i am going to make them grovel. West Indies did not take that lightly, and made him and the rest of the English pay for uttering those words.If you watch the video with an open mind, most of those balls were lifting off a good length, or just short of a length. Close was facing each ball as best he could, and they were very fast deliveries. He was just not fast enough to get out of the way
daddycarty 2 months ago
Hats-off to Mr Close! Brave, courageous, and good technique; He has avoided being killed 4 times in that over, and still didn't think a helmet was necessary. The likes of Tendulkar and Ponting and Kallis would never have survived Holding. And not to leave Holding unappreciated, wow, you've got some pace, Sir!
morganfreeman4 2 months ago
now i know why my grandad is so proud of his cousin brian close. ive learnt so much about him and so proud of him :) america cricket hall of fame! cant believe i never knew this. x
flamingogirlaltinkum 3 months ago 3
brian eyes closed lololol
ashhh87 4 months ago
Helmets has nothing to do with cricket..If you know how to bat you will make records..Else we would have given awards to helmet..LOL WORLD of Cricket OPEND their eyes after Raman Lamba's incident who died when hit on the head fielding at short leg without helmet..in Bangaladesh..Please do not say they were great because they were not wearing helmet..Batsman are great because of their talent.not becasue of HELMETs
everybodylovessachin 4 months ago
What can we sayy after what we did to the Aussies in '33? What goes around comes around...you just have to have MASSIVE respect to Brian Close who, although frightened to death (watch his body language at the crease), sticks it out. What a brave fella. If ANY of those deliverys had hit him on the temple he would have surely died.
psychodudu 4 months ago
It's a good job he's a Yorkshireman or things could've got messy!
sammybrown4 4 months ago
Yeah.. Micheal got a finger from Umpire..Enough is Enough show some real bowling if know some..not just throwing bouncers to a bad batsman.. anybody can bowl a bouncer......LOL
everybodylovessachin 5 months ago
Wordl has seen really fast bowlers during morden day cricket...fastest deliveries happened during morden day cricketers..Old day bowlers like holding just throwing bouncers all the time made them famous and looked dangerous......I think Steyn , Bret Lee and Akhtar bowls faster then this guy.. Sachin would play very easily if bowled this over to him...
everybodylovessachin 5 months ago
@everybodylovessachin you know nothing of cricket...these old guys had a speed gun and with off short runs and with no run ups hit 135-140...take the helmet off sehwag, dravid,stick them on the waca and see if they get in line...olden day batsmen were the real deal..nt the whole indian team who wear matresses on their chests...real cowards..
gfdsa54321k 4 months ago
Comment removed
everybodylovessachin 4 months ago
@gfdsa54321k So you think you know cricket..Haha LOL Go find out what is the fastest delivery Holding bowled in test cricket..when you find your answer and see what bowlers speed today..average and fastest..Nowadays it is fashion to praise old folks. human nature..If Sachin had played during those era he would have created same records..Do no think those who played without helmet were HEROES,,SPEED of Gun My ASS.Fastest bowlers were during Sachin's era go check records.
everybodylovessachin 4 months ago
You do not need to to be great batsman by not wearing helmet you need good technique to be great...this guy is stupid batsman does not even know how to play bouncers..
everybodylovessachin 5 months ago
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everybodylovessachin 5 months ago
Stupid technique by Brian Close..Learn cricket Brian Close..how to play Bouncers...
everybodylovessachin 5 months ago
Read all about this in "Crcket at the Crossroads", now available. Based on interviews with former players, including Brian Close.
NoFearFinance 5 months ago
four bouncers in the over. He should have been sent off. This has nothing to do with cricket. This team ruined test cricket and turned it into a circus
doggiedearest 5 months ago
@doggiedearest. Nonsense! one genuine bouncer one borderline. The rest were all reasonable deliveries just short of a full length with good bounce. Let's be honest the two that hit him were the two fullest pitched balls in the over! Great respect for Close's bravery but I'm afraid he just wasn't up to facing this kind of pace. Incidently why do you blame this team for ruining cricket when Lillee and Thompson had initiated this kind of aggressive bowling (against England and WI 74/75 in OZ)
372807 5 months ago
True Yorkshire grit
TheHendonKissArmy 5 months ago
the guy was 45 and played his first test 27 years before this in 1949 , no helmet lasted 2 hrs in this innings against some of the greatest fast bowlers to eva play . total respect
melglen1 5 months ago 3
WHITE GUY CLOSE GETTING HIS ASS WHIPED
FreshAirlines1 5 months ago
.holding...what a wanker!!!!
creffigr 5 months ago
Was it Close's batting style, his side on rigid posture, that made him so vulnerable? I think he might have been trying to present a 'thin' profile to Holding to reduce the chances of getting hit more, but what would a batsman with agile feet do? (Not saying Close isn't that, I just don't know him) Is there a way to get more square in situations like this? Like putting the front foot on leg and the back foot on off stump? Open the shoulders? Would that help?
mistersmith6000 6 months ago
@mistersmith6000 - he was a very brave man who was asked to tuff it out against the West Indies despite being past the first flush of youth, and that's exactly what he did. It had nothing to with being 'vulnerable' or lacking technique. He was a fine cricketer and a very tough guy.
oshawaxpress 6 months ago
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mistersmith6000 6 months ago
@oshawaxpress YOu are not kidding. I just checked his INCREDIBLE and mind BOGGLING test record.
1. Batting average only 25!! Said to play unselfishly
2. Career from 1949 - 1976 !! Blimey, from the ice age to the peak of the modern era.
3. Only 22 tests. That is one test every fitteen months from the age of 18 to 45! WoW
4. Top score only 70! Anyone in the entire history of test cricket played SO long for such mediocre returns and be so respected?
5. Brushed of the (many) knocks
mistersmith6000 6 months ago
@mistersmith6000 his average wasnt much worse than shahid afridi who everyone caries on about how great he is
melglen1 5 months ago
@mistersmith6000 his technique was copy book side on .To hold out against that pace on that pitch it is almost impossible even for the most nibble batsmen .
melglen1 5 months ago
@melglen1 Mnn, thanks for that. I just wonder, if say a more open-stanced, front on wristy player would not be restricted by having shoulders in line with the ball so he could duck, weave and deflect it more. Close looks pretty tall too, which wouldn't necessarily help.
mistersmith6000 5 months ago
@mistersmith6000 any good batsmen knows squaring up against 150km + on a bouncy wicket is suicidal it is much easier to duck and weeve, side on than it is front on. By the way iam aussie so dont have any support for close or the poms , just thought even though his international record was poor that to survive 2 hours of Holding and the windies at there prime on a difficult deck is pretty awesome at the age of 45.
melglen1 5 months ago
There's me thinking that it was the three 'sticks' the bowler was supposed to be aiming at.
What a MAN Closey was.
rafhenlow 6 months ago
That Close guy has SOME balls!!
ianghose1 6 months ago
Ok so closey nearly had his head took off and a kidney knocked loose, but what about the 10 other players in the England team ? as far as i'm aware none of them wore helmets either.
the first player i remember donning one was david steele in 77-78
dobbylad18 7 months ago
Holding was a bully.
jumbybird 7 months ago
what a pace,
bharathreddy74 7 months ago
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Guys, I am old enough to have actually been at that cricket match and Holding bowled like the wind. Close wore nothing but box, pads and gloves and there is a newspaper pic of him shirtless afterwards - "a mass of bruises" indeed. Watch "Fire in Babylon" and you will understand what was going on. Fantastic cricket BTW.
aksdjalskjdlk 7 months ago
Guys, I am old enough to have actually been at that cricket match and Holding bowled like the wind. Close wore noting but box, lads and gloves and there is a newspaper pic of him shirtless afterwards - !a mass of bruises" indeed. Watch "Fire in Babylon" and you will understand what was going on. Fantastic cricket BTW.
aksdjalskjdlk 7 months ago
@mikepumpkin the spectators had quite a bit to do with the way the series went. As always.
adityanaikdesai 7 months ago
@Gautamiyer2 Ponting had his cheek broken by harmison man - a guy that averaged over 40 bowling in tests. and you think he'd hook holding and garner???????????
adityanaikdesai 7 months ago
I remember watching this particular session as a young lad. If I recall (someone will correct me), it was at the end of the day and England scored about 13 runs or so in an hour. Brutal, brutal bowling.
superalihare 7 months ago
wear A FUCKING HELMET
blaugranelona 7 months ago
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Rolce Royce going mad at 145 +++ ???? That is why they were fantastic.............Current WI lot is nowhere in comparison..and compare that with Roberts,Holding,Garner,Croft,Marshall,Clarke who were QUICK and then gentle quicks like Holder,Boyce,Daniel,Norbert Philip,Winston Davis, etc. They were boasting of such talents that they could have filled up an entire cricket eleven with JUST FAST BOWLERS.
narendrahshah 7 months ago
Rolce Royce going mad at 145 +++ ???? That is why they were fantastic.............Current WI lot is nowhere in comparison..and compare that with Roberts,Holding,Garner,Croft,Marshall,Clarke who were QUICK and then gentle quicks like Holder,Boyce,Daniel,Norbert Philip,Winston Davis, etc. They were boasting of such talents that they could have filled up an entire cricket eleven with JUST FAST BOWLERS.
narendrahshah 7 months ago 3
Close (who incidentally is good friends with Holding) said in an interview that the bowler at the other end, Wayne Daniel, was even faster! However it was Holding both he and Edrich feared the most, because of his lethal accuracy and skill...
Maryrichard 7 months ago
Brian Close was hard as fucking nails.
falcao1982 7 months ago
Exceptionally brave batting, brilliant bowling. Respect to both, and i would imagine they respect each other even more. Fantastic cricket, both these guys are proper cricketers
evelyneverettgreen 7 months ago
Now that is balls man!! You couldn't pay me to try that with a helmut let alone with out.
crazzzyyyfoooolll 7 months ago
45-yr-old Close had been recalled to the England team for his first test since 1967 at Trent Bridge. He scored 2& 36 not out, 60 & 46 at Lord's in the second test and 2 & 20 at Old Trafford in the third test. W.Indies won the series 3-0.
gwalkron 7 months ago
He is a Tyke...not afraid to take a bump or two!!
michaeal053 7 months ago
tendulkar can never face these bowlers
Prateexitsagar 8 months ago
Brian Close, the most courageous batsman in the history of cricket. I'd like to see some of today's superstars play Holding without a helmet!
Agnostic21 8 months ago
Brian Close,total and complete respect to you sir
helltopay1 8 months ago 33
Brian Close symbolises why England do quite poorly at cricket and quite well in wars.
RichLN 8 months ago 8
not to say that he wasn't fast. he is deservedly one of the bet of all time. however, i think people seem to see these bowlers of the 80s and late 70s through rose tinted glasses. i'm pretty sure the fastest bowlers in the history belong to the present modern era. they might not be comparable in ability, but to say that the oldies were unplayable BECAUSE they were fast, is BS.
blastitude 8 months ago
@blastitude fast bowling speeds are consistently quicker starting from early 60s ( Wes hall, onwards) , The average man stood 5 foot 6 in 1900 and almost 6 foot by 2000 , old footage of cricket pre approx 1960 prooves this. Larwood ,Gregory, miller , davison were only 140km at best
melglen1 5 months ago
@melglen1
So why do people like Lord Geoff say that Holding was the fastest? He's faced trhem all. The average height of a man in the UK is 5 foot 10".
HengistTheGreat 5 months ago
@HengistTheGreat i agree Holding would have been up there definately with the likes of Akhtar ,lee, tait, Thompson,Ambrose , malcolm, all the modern greats. Lord geoff didnt face them all as he retired early 80s, and he was a selfish dick so i dont take his point of view seriously.
melglen1 5 months ago
uncle batting
theboynxtdoor 8 months ago
lol lots of fielders around the bat. Take note Strauss, this is how you set an attacking field. Gotta give Close credit, being a tough bastard and letting the ball hit him like that with minimal protection. You never see anyone do that these days.
Zanmato007 8 months ago
As Michael Holding Said, when asked about if he bowled today with the way modern batsman play the short ball. 'They'd all be Dead'. and this fella is facing him on a 70's track with no lid! Madness!
acres1234 9 months ago
Michael Holding at his best was the fastest bowler in the world from 1976-81, watch the footage from The Oval in 1976, he got 14 wickets in the match, at least 10 were from extremely fast well pitched up deliveries. He beat world class players by pace through the air, they simply did not have enough time to play the ball. I have only ever seen 1 other bowler generate the same pace and that was Jeff Thomson in 1974-5 before his shoulder accident
captpicard100 9 months ago
Guys, check this Robin Smith video out. He gets hit by Courney Walsh on the chin.
How he faces the next ball I will never know!
youtube.com/watch?v=6NJQupFeIzQ
Camelsarse 9 months ago
I've watched this i don't know how many times, but in total it still doesn't come to FORTY FIVE MINS. Brian Close has gotta be the bravest sportsman alive surely.
I was hit by a cricket ball in the face when i was 14 which broke my nose, the bowler was 14 as well and couldn't have eben bowling anymore then 40-50mph.............
Imagine being hit anywheer on the body by a ball doing 90+! FUCK THAT
Camelsarse 9 months ago
no offense but i think a genuine bowler would never use bouncing as his skill to attach the batsman. it is not in the spirit of the game though it is legal.
holding is behaving like a pussy here and brian like a rock hard man. :D
pearl1729 9 months ago
@pearl1729 It wasn't in the spirit of the game to use the word "grovel" either. Do read up on the background in which this series was played.
joydeepdutta2 9 months ago
@joydeepdutta2
who says 'grovel' to whom? brian to holding?
pearl1729 9 months ago
@pearl1729 Google grovel series.
joydeepdutta2 9 months ago
@pearl1729 you are an idiot! You do not understand the issues that were at stake here. Your South African captain Tony Greig was going to make the WI grovel.His assembled team with the likes of Brian Close& David Steele were to show us West Indian boys the shit,.It backfired. We made you grovel. You seemed to under-estimate the strength of
West Indian resolve. Concessions have since been made, and we are fighting among ourselves, but test us at your peril. We are as good as we need to be
124toeknee 8 months ago
@124toeknee
LOL :) your temper shows that you are a dumbass, you don't know how to speak.
i asked a question and you made a mess with it. fools, don't reply any more
pearl1729 8 months ago
Comment removed
124toeknee 7 months ago
Comment removed
124toeknee 7 months ago
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124toeknee 7 months ago
look up the words "rock hard" in a dictionary and there's a picture of Brian Close. Yorkshire grit
MCBhangramuffin 9 months ago
look at Murray when he's talking to 1st slip, he's saying either "jelly on a plate" or "no woman no cry" lets all limbo dance folks chachacha
dobbylad18 9 months ago
holding was a beautiful bowler really he looked so care free.
xwingclass 9 months ago
@xwingclass There will never be a better/more beautiful bowling action then that. Perhaps Lillee was closest.
Camelsarse 9 months ago
Ahaha is that Bumble wearing the blue cap??
uthumb1 9 months ago
When men were men ;)
ellycat 10 months ago 2
It was, quite frankly, one of the most disgraceful days ever in cricket with balls that could easily have killed the gallant Close. It puts the bodyline controversy well into the shade.
supportme123 10 months ago
John Edrich the fuckin coward!!!
Read his lips to what he said to close in their mid pitch conversation.
He clearly says " what the fuck you doing Brian you wanker, I'd be hitting these balls for sixes if I was on strike"
Edrich u cheeky bastard!!
sidco123 10 months ago
@sidco123 That Edrich was a cunt! Still, lucky it weren't Boycs at the other end. He'd have been telling Brian how play a nice steady innings to improve his average.
Camelsarse 9 months ago
The GREAT,GREAT windies team of the 70/80's!!!
What a shame about the team now.
However, Michael holding should be ashamed of him self, Brian Close was 104 years old at the time.
After the match Close was called the walking bruise, he died two days after this match in hospital with a bruised scrotum, apparently, there was a seam mark on it.
sidco123 10 months ago
My dad told me about Brian Close's comments about helmets being made compulsory for batsman - he said 'I don't know what the hell the game's coming to. You wouldn't get me wearing one of those plastic things!'
Holding and Wayne Daniel gave Closey and John Edrich, who was batting at the other end, a really brutal battering for nearly 2 hours. Top marks to all, I say.
theeviltwaz 10 months ago
This could really be one of the scariest videos I've seen.
Archangel3583 10 months ago
Christ, his bowling was as bad as Bodyline era bowling. Devastating all the same.
TripleDeeeee 10 months ago
Modern day cricketing heroes would piss in their pants if they have to face holding without helmets including Tendulkar.
sskgrs 11 months ago 43
@sskgrs Just to inform you, fast bowlers in those days were not so into short stuff, occasionally whenever they did, they hurt few, fast bowlers never bowled bouncers to their counterparts. I would love to see these fast bowlers bowling the batsmen with helmets too, including Tendulkar.
indianspartacus 8 months ago
@sskgrs In older times people use to F*** prostitutes without protection...doing the same in todays age will be STUPID...!
rahuldalwale 7 months ago
@sskgrs that's funny coz sachin faced wasim,waqar and imran when he was 16 and scored couple of fifties and he wore a grill-less helmet.what do you mean modern day cricketing heroes cant play without helmet?by this logic even tailenders those days are better than lara and sachin?
coolpratheek 6 months ago 3
@coolpratheek No, because back then fast bowlers had an agreement; Don't bounce me and I wont bounce you. Wasim, Waqar and Imran weren't as dangerous bowlers as Holding. Deal with it.
TheReadingStudent 6 months ago
@TheReadingStudent Wasn't as dangerous?ahahha...they were as dangerous as holding,if not more.Because they were fast and were also deadly swingers.And sachin faced them as a 16 year-old that too making his debut.He is the best batsman.Richard hadlee himself agreed to that.Enough said.
coolpratheek 6 months ago
@coolpratheek LOL Richard Hadlee that great player who played against Don Bradman and all other batsmen who existed, right? Your argument is full of falacy. Typical misinformed Sachin fan.
TheReadingStudent 6 months ago
@TheReadingStudent As if holding played against don bradman,hobbs,sutcliffe etc..Typical ignorant If-players-belong-to-previous-generation-they-are-better mentality.
Richard hadlee FYI,is one of the best bowlers of all-time with an excellent strike rate and he took 400 wickets in very few tests.(80 tests).If hadlee himself said sachin is better than bradman then it must be true isn't it?Heck!even bradman included sachin in his all-time XI and said he is the closest he has seen who bats like him.
coolpratheek 6 months ago
@coolpratheek First of all you just proved yourself an idiot or unable to read. I never said that Bradman was better than Sachin or Sachin was better than Bradman. Blocked, I argue with enough people to not have to argue with an unable retard like you.
TheReadingStudent 6 months ago
@TheReadingStudent well,imbecile,you did imply that.Read you comment again.You need not have to play against W.G grace to know if he is great or not.
coolpratheek 6 months ago
@coolpratheek - Good answer, but acknowledging who was/is 'great' is easier than establishing who was/is the 'greatest', that's more of a subjective opinion thing. No doubt that Holding, Hadlee, Tendulkar, Bradman and of course W.G, were/are 'great'.
oshawaxpress 6 months ago
@sskgrs
I AGREE!!!!
dilkashh 5 months ago
@sskgrs So what you are saying is OLD day cricketers WERE PISSING IN THEIR PANTS ALL THE TIME? LOL Good Tendulkar never pissed in his pants. Morden day cricketers are smart...not stupid..EVEN BOWLERS DURING THOSE DAYS PLAYED WITHOUT HELMETS. forget about batsman..Do not say they were Brave..by any means..I think they were more stupid not to wear it..specially Batsman.. It was natural to them if they were given helmet they would have surely wore it.
everybodylovessachin 5 months ago
No head gear?? I doubt if he wore a box.
ichbintharaka 11 months ago
@ichbintharaka he will have had a box but they were shite n those days
Parrock1 10 months ago
seriously mate i know it's very quick but if you know it is going to be short you have to go the hook or pull shot because in the end the bouncer is just a fast long hop and you can't win a game of cricket if you don't score runs.
TopGearDog431 11 months ago
every time I see this I think,what balls Close had
suffern63 11 months ago
C'mon Closey! If you were a real man you'd take the sticking plaster off your elbow. Only joking - you were the hardest man to ever wield the willow. Happy 80th mate!
GETAUSERNAMEGETALIFE 11 months ago 5
Bowlers bowl a no ball it's free hit in ODIs; if batsmen get dropped or edge through slips, they should have to face their next six balls without a helmet and chest guard.
gemartii 11 months ago 2
Back when cricket was an even contest between bat and ball. Not these days of batsmen having half a tree as a bat, every part of their body protected by pads and a limited number of short balls per over.
Notice how these days batsmen get hit more often - they have forgotten how to dodge the ball.
gemartii 11 months ago 4
lol...it took them 100 years to decide on puttin helmets....!!
pappukumar420 11 months ago
OMFG HE HAS NO HELMET ON!
Ronsuri 11 months ago
batsman in olden days wear brave but must say they wear to dfensive give this short pitch,s to like of veru mculm akmel bros dilshan david warner gale ball will go for a ride
jetta4512 11 months ago
Why the hell did they used to put the camera in this position back in the day?
thrillamf 1 year ago
@thrillamf they only had one camera for the straight angle.It should not be a wonder now, if they put a camera in the batsman's helmet
endukupanikiraadu 9 months ago
Can you imagine the players of today batting without helmets?
Tehui1974 1 year ago 3
White buttoned shirt, combover on top, no reaction from Close whatsoever... love it.
greyjd 1 year ago 3
batting against a fast bowler without a helmit and arm guards.... steel balls.
frictiongripbolt 1 year ago
I was at that game - you could here it hit
Nasty and unpleasant
SuperVoodooguru 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
I WUD HIT BAT IN WICKET W/O HELMET I WUD NOT FACE THAT NIGGA
rodtorre7 1 year ago
@rodtorre7... to be honest, you wouldn't be allowed to, you have to be allowed to go out in public unrestrained by a straightjacket to play test cricket.
fjsm33 11 months ago
No helmets in those days....
mingeth 1 year ago
Close was as hard as nails. Holding was trying to batter him into submission & didn't succeed. Those bloody pansies that play football in the Premier League would do well to take look at this. They either fall down because they're fairies or because they try to cheat. By what I've seen, it's a bit of both.
biffthebass1 1 year ago
Thumbs up for the umpire trying to calm things down at 2:12. Nice try mate. But this boy doesn't believe in simple sledging. Tough lad mind. And not out by the end of it.
Saville2341 1 year ago
And no helmets - I can understand why some cricketers jumped into the bath fully dressed so avoid facing Holding
corek1949 1 year ago
Aggers & Boycs just mentioned this on TMS, so expect loads of hits. Puts footballers to shame doesn't it... ? Holding trying to knock Close's block off, and BC has no arm guard, no helmet and just takes a beating without even moaning. What a legend.
jipster2020 1 year ago
Geoffrey Boycott regales a tale about how Alastair Cook asked former England captain now Channel Nine commentator Tony Greig whether Michael Holding was quick. Aggers suggests the England opener should use the internet to search for the words "Holding" and "Close"
Bungieware 1 year ago 18
@Bungieware
LOL, beat me to it... that story on TMS cracked me up.
lukequixotesanjose 1 year ago
@lukequixotesanjose What was this story? Could you share it please?
ghabcdef 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@ghabcdef
Bungieware made a comment further down: Geoffrey Boycott was telling a tale on TMS about how Alastair Cook asked Tony Greig whether Michael Holding was quick. Aggers said that Cook asked him the same thinkg earlier in the tour. Aggers suggested that Cook should use the internet, and the words "Holding" and "Close". I came on here to share the story, but was beaten to it.
lukequixotesanjose 1 year ago
To face Michael Holding in his pomp without headgear takes real guts, hats off Brian Close!
SparkyGerbil 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Typical blacks, just uneducated savages.
SirCosmoBonsor 1 year ago
@SirCosmoBonsor SHowing your enormous and awe inspirign level of education with that comment
fjsm33 1 year ago
@fjsm33
At least I spelled it correctly, illiterate boy.
SirCosmoBonsor 1 year ago
@SirCosmoBonsor to protect your ignorant notion (in your own head at least), I would suggest that you don't search for Dennis Lillee vs Viv Richards. But then I guess you think Australians are savages too!!
sp0rtswr1ter150 1 year ago
@SirCosmoBonsor yes you did. I admire you now and no longer think you're a retarded racist.
fjsm33 11 months ago
@SirCosmoBonsor What a stupid thing to write. Besides the pathetic generalisation if you had seen Michael Holding on television you will realise that he is an intelligent and articulate man.
goatface1000 1 year ago
Why doesn't the other batsman just swing for the bowler's face on his way by?
seaton125 1 year ago
no pussy sport this.. simply hardcore
JFK2684 1 year ago
u gotta have real balls to play cricket
JFK2684 1 year ago
how brave these batsmen would of been??. Damn it is simply the hardest sports........ these batsmen didn't even have helmet and they played in the era of great fast bowlers.....
JFK2684 1 year ago 3
Close was a tough one alright. He was known to take players behind the pavillion and sort them out and those were ones on his own team! - no touchy feely management skills - more like Atilla the Hun!
Buggsy61 1 year ago
what teh facck this old man is doing lolzzz getting his ass kicked.. holding was a great bowller and close is great stopper he shudv come without bat coz he hardly used it in the whole over lolzzzzzzzz
AhsanRaja 1 year ago
I hope Holding went up to Close after the days play and had a beer and said "well played man"
jagdpanther1944 1 year ago 2
@jagdpanther1944
Well, three one-syllable words might be a bit ambitious for him, but who knows.
SirCosmoBonsor 1 year ago
Ball does the talking. Nowadays, pretenders act like they are bowling Marshall's stuff. This was the beauty of the game, now pussies wear helmet and slog quality ball out of the park, game is now uneven.
indianspartacus 1 year ago
jesus, in the end cops one right in those balls of steel too
Imeldaishot2010 1 year ago
I've just lost all respect for modern batsman after watching these vid's of Holding & Thommo.
Hats off to Close, balls of steel!
Imeldaishot2010 1 year ago
gotta rate Closey ...balls he had facing 90mph bouncers from Holding without no helmet
donraj71 1 year ago
hard as nails Yorkshireman
your county salutes you,Brian!
furtles 1 year ago
Pace bowling at it's "terrifying best"
prakram 1 year ago
The drum beats you hear are Closey's heart pounding before every delivery :) Brave brave man though.
mantaray2511 1 year ago
Brian Close cannot be harmed by conventional weapons ;)
GodSaveOurTeam 1 year ago
i was trying get out of the way as i watched it!! when real cricket was played
xwingclass 1 year ago
I think I have watched this vid more than any other on youtube. It never gets dull.
gingerjames86 1 year ago
he has seen death in all the deliveries lol...hats off to close
remobabugadu 1 year ago
As I recall, that was just the begining. Close had a head wound and was covered in blood by the time he was out.
Maxshard 1 year ago
@Maxshard i have seen pics of his bruises and they looked real horrible - I mean they looked nasty - like all sorts colors and shaped like a cricket ball !
AIMANALI 1 year ago
Holding was 22, not 19.
888kevo 1 year ago
smelling the leather - literally! and watch first slip fall to the floor in terror...hilarious
BarnabyJones101 1 year ago
Didn't matter where he pitched it at the time Brian Close was just not a match for a 19yr old Michael Holding
SuperDaggerer 1 year ago
here's one. Go to war in Iraq or face 10 overs vs Holding with no helmet?
negooog 1 year ago
@negooog i go to Iraq, how about you?
MATMICSHA 1 year ago
@MATMICSHA same
negooog 1 year ago
these are the real man, facing horrors with no guards..
rudresh 1 year ago
my comment was clearly tongue in cheek- but i'm just holding him to account on a line HE SAID. great character but a daft thing to say if indeed he was serious. obviously he'd also beleive a bullet passing thru' you wouldn't hurt either, cos it only stays in u for a second ! :))
trotterbruno 1 year ago
Well coaches nowadays tell young cricketers to watch the ball, but because of the luxury of helmets, that just seems to be second place in the advice column.
keversley 1 year ago
Brian Close, harder than any pussy footballer
hallsterr 1 year ago 51
@hallsterr I agree, but Brian Close was ALSO a pro footballer in his younger day (Leeds and Arsenal, I think)!
richardmiles21 1 year ago
trotterbruno. I would like to see how you would have faced up to Holding or years earlier when Wes Hall did the same to him. I would also like to be there when you told Brian Close he was'nt a real man to his face.
zigazaga10 1 year ago
disappointed with Close. why did he flinch ! not a real man obviously. this guy is supposedly quoted as saying - how can a ball hurt you when it only stays on you for a second. ??
trotterbruno 1 year ago
@trotterbruno perhaps closey ought to have head butted the ball to the boundary...for a six!
pix042 1 year ago
@trotterbruno You'd just stand there like a twat then would you, let's face it, you are one.
Maxshard 1 year ago
@Maxshard not the best grasp of sarcasm have u. !
trotterbruno 1 year ago
@trotterbruno If your own grasp of how to use sarcasm was a little better, people wouldn't assume your comments were serious in the first place, so right back at you.
Maxshard 1 year ago
This is Test cricket at its toughest. Yes, the Windies quicks overdid the short stuff that day, but after what Tony Grieg said, can't blame them for showing no mercy!
What a wonderful bowler Holding was, the perfect lazy and graceful action - and frighteningly quick! As for Brian Close, he was picked because he was so stupidly brave - and you've got to respect a 45 year old who's prepared to face such hostile bowling with such little protection!
whouster 1 year ago
crikey that second ball. MONSTA QUICK. different age - genuine pace v genuine bravery
BarnabyJones101 1 year ago
NO HELMET......THAT'S EITHER BRAVE OR STUPID. PERSONALLY, I WOULD GIVE CLOSEY THE BRAVERY AWARD! :-)
converse91970 1 year ago