SA Footy

Has anyone sledged, or been sledged on the cricket field? What are the best ones?
I once let a ball go through to the keeper whilst playing for one tree hill against salisbury west in the PDCA, and it almost bowled me, but the bowler dug the ball in so short it sould have gone over my head so he abused the crap out of me for leaving one so close to the stumps so i said back to the big brute you nearly broke your bloody toe with that one it was so short...is that all youve got? yep..next ball, two stumps ripped out of the ground as i walked off i heard their captain say to his players "thats why you dont mouth off at fast bowlers..

I can remember playing a game for Blackwood against Noarlunga in the Churches comp going back quite a few years now. I went to a play a pull shot and missed and got hit where nobody really likes to cop one. Mind you hit that hard the ball cracked the box. I can't quite remember what the bowler said to me, but i replied, bowl another short one like that and you'll be getting it from the school roof. Sure enough next ball, short again and away it went. He didnt' say too much to me after that but still bowled short to me.

Moved to the regional cricket forum, I'm confident the vast majority of posters on here aren't 1st class or international cricketers so no sledging stories will come from that level of cricket.

1980 Tassie Medalist wrote:Moved to the regional cricket forum, I'm confident the vast majority of posters on here aren't 1st class or international cricketers so no sledging stories will come from that level of cricket.

Yeah i realised that as soon as i pressed the submit button.

Two weeks ago, first game i'd played with most of the blokes in my side. We'd already won on first innings on the first day. We came out to bat in the second innings. I was umpiring cos i had refused to bat again until day 2. After our first wicket out comes the night watchman, a rather portly young lad. As he takes guard the first slip chirps up with "this guy doesn't want to be here. there's still some lamingtons left". I couldn't control my laughter at that point. Even the batsman saw the funny side.

with myself being an opening bowler I don't mind dropping a few lines to get a bite or two. Generally if the batsman mistimes a shot its "does that thing have a friggin middle?" A ball hit in the air near a fieldsman "don't buy a lotto ticket tonight mate you won't win anything".

I almost pulled out the Merv Hughes sledge the other week against Southern Districts we were bowled out for 110 or thereabouts and well before stumps we got at their middle order. One young fellow played an missed 3 times in a row and I said to myself if he misses the 4th I'm gunna say something (ie "its red, spherical and weighs about 156 grams") needless to say the next ball he hit it......................straight to the keeper


best sledge while batting was when I was opening the batting in country A grade during an Ashes series the 2nd slip piped up "where did they find this bloke.............the England academy" after seeing the new ball off.

I have never sledged any one in a game of cricket...

Booney wrote:I have never sledged any one in a game of cricket...

Rules of sledging:
1. The fielding side sledges.
2. The batsman remains silent.
3. If a batsman responds to a sledge, you've won, as he is no longer thinking about cricket.

That's the way I see it.

Anything goes, as long s it's not racial/religion etc based.

Wrong. I love the gamesmanship.

I played 3rd XI cricket for a club in Melbourne as an opener and was promoted to the 2nds one Saturday morning. As the side was solid with the bat, I ended up at number 11. It wasn't a good day and I went into bat at about 9-90 at 4.15pm with the stirring words from a teammate ringing in my ears "if you get out before stumps, I'll smash you!" (he scored a second-ball Watto!).

The opposition 'keeper was a teenage smartarse - a word or thirty for everything (you've played against one, I bet). As I took guard it was "we'll be under the tree in five minutes, boys". I saw the first half dozen balls off with cautious defence (a rarity in itself!) whereby it was "let's get the bunny ... chuck him a carrot!".

My partner picked a few runs off here and there as I also put a couple on the board. The 'keeper became more hostile "You f&*%ing number 11, you're shit!". My reply was "You guys are shit, you can't get a number 11 bunny out!". Tempers were fraying amongst those not holding a bat and every ball was met with a different line. After I hit a boundary, I gave the 'keeper the old "have you got any sauce on you for these pies?". I was having a ball.

After 45 minutes in the middle, I unfortunately snicked one to the 'keeper and I was out for 18 and he trotted past and showed me the ball with a big smirk on his face ... "you hit it here (pointing to the ball) and I caught it here (pointing to his glove). I pointed at the scoreboard and said "144 all out, 50 run last wicket stand and you couldn't get a wicket for an hour".

They were all out for 125 the next week and at the end of the match, I shoook his hand and winked at him as we did so. The next thing behind me I hear is "f%^k, f%^k, f%^k!".

An interesting post script happened three years later when a player turned up for a game. He said his club were full of arseholes and wanted to play with us. He looked familiar and when he 'kept during a fielding drill, the penny dropped. After training, I talked him through the scenario about a 'keeper and number 11 and a war of words. He said "Oh shit, that was you! Sorry!". I said "Don't apologise mate, you're on our side now".

Benchwarmer wrote:Wrong.

How can "that's the way I see it" (ie imo) be wrong?

I agree that it's all about opinion. I'm not saying you cannot have an opinion (god forbid, that's why we are here), it's just that ours differ on this occasion.

Some players do seem to thrive on the cut and thrust of witty banter out on the field. If I get sledged for my (deteriorating) batting, then I have no problem in turning around and joining in with a self-deprecating remark. They laugh and I smirk from under my helmet after having lulled them into a false sense of security (because I am still focused on the task at hand), take strike once again and get back on the job. If I happen to hit a four or six then I will return serve with a "not bad, hey!" and the silence behind the wicket commences. Ipso facto, I win!

One example that quickly springs to mind is Steve Waugh and Herschelle Gibbs during the 1999 World Cup.

Benchwarmer wrote:I agree that it's all about opinion. I'm not saying you cannot have an opinion (god forbid, that's why we are here), it's just that ours differ on this occasion.

Some players do seem to thrive on the cut and thrust of witty banter out on the field. If I get sledged for my (deteriorating) batting, then I have no problem in turning around and joining in with a self-deprecating remark. They laugh and I smirk from under my helmet after having lulled them into a false sense of security (because I am still focused on the task at hand), take strike once again and get back on the job. If I happen to hit a four or six then I will return serve with a "not bad, hey!" and the silence behind the wicket commences. Ipso facto, I win!

One example that quickly springs to mind is Steve Waugh and Herschelle Gibbs during the 1999 World Cup.

He didn't actually say what has been reported though. Shame cos it would've been a great sledge.

I'd love to know what was said as opposed to the famous non-line, too!

Benchwarmer wrote:One example that quickly springs to mind is Steve Waugh and Herschelle Gibbs during the 1999 World Cup.

Mate, when I'm as good as Steve Waugh, then I'll start answering back. Until then

I played against a bloke who played for Parafield Gardens at the time who was bloody fast, and bloody scarey. He bowled a short fast one straight at my head so I just swung at it. The ball actually hit the middle of my bat (not the other way round) and went for six over fine leg. A slips fielder yelled out to me and said, next time open your bloody eyes.....to which I replied...I saw where it went!!!!

I like that one!

When I was out batting I used to cop plenty. But hey shit happens really, Ive been out there for long periods of time and after a while its really just the same sledges reused. And when you really start to get on top well it just becomes funny.

A good example of a spin bowler, yes a spin bowler with a good mouth, telling me im shit for leaving it outside off. But maybe this fella should have turned around to see the ump calling him for a wide..........what a ******** idiot.

This wasnt a sledge, but worth telling anyway. A mate of mine playing for one tree hill, would open the batting and would bat all day and only make 5 or 10 runs, he just held up an end, much to the annoyance of the fielding side. One day he was at the crease for most of the day trying to save the game, but he got out with about 5 overs to go. When he got out, the whole fielding side rushed up to him, carried him to the boundary and threw him over the line.

Didn't really get sledged that much but remember a classic many many years ago in a semi final against Adelaide Lutheran. This time however it was me sledging our opening bowler. The opposition had an opening bat Andy Mellor, he was pretty damn good actually, always seemed to score heaps against us, anyway they won the toss and batted and I got the job of firing our best bowler ex North footballer Trev Clisby up. Anyway got into Clisby ears that I had gone to the pub during the week and met Mellor and we had a few sherbets and that Mellor reckoned Clis was pie (all lies of course). Anyway Clis let rip in the first over of the game with a barrage of short balls, balls into the ribs, anywhere, knocked over Mellor and as he walked past on the way off Clis just said, call me pie meathead, whose pie now, poor Andy had no idea what was going on where as we all just cacked ourselves laughing. Took about 10 years before we told Clis it was all crap