Cow Corner Blog

Goodbye Goughie

Tue Sep 23 01:25PM

We have almost certainly not seen the last of Darren Gough.

Well certainly not if your idea of entertainment on a Saturday evening is watching Goughie, Andi Peters, some chef with an obvious pastry disorder and that nice Irish girl off Blue Peter wearing silver spandex leotards and jumping through a Styrofoam wall.

Even if you missed the unedifying prime time spectacle that is Hole In The Wall, and have also managed to bypass Gough on Strictly Come Dancing, Strictly Come Dancing Christmas Special and surely soon Strictly Come Dancing World Championship play-offs, there is a good chance that you'll see him on a cricket field once again.

Gough may have retired from first-class cricket in the week of his 38th birthday but you get the feeling he's got as many comebacks in him as Frank Sinatra.

A return in next year's Twenty20 has already been mooted as has a money-spinning stint in the IPL. And few would begrudge him a long, elongated farewell tour.

Derek Pringle wrote last week that "history tends to mythologise those who burn bright and brief, but it is built by those who stick around". Certainly if Goughie was thinking about his legacy, he would have packed it in about eight years ago when his knees started to give up.

Instead he flew to Germany more times than Douglas Barder to get the pharmaceutical wizardry of Dr Hans-Wilhelm Müller-Wohlfarth and extract every sinew out of his creaking body.

Gough recently said in an interview: "Ninety per cent of the public would say I'm extrovert, but I'm not like everybody thinks.'

Maybe not an extrovert but someone who made the very most of the moment.
He finishes his career as England's all-time highest wicket-taker by a street in one-day internationals with 234, his economy rate exceptional and his late in-swinging yorker at the death devastating.

He took 229 wickets in his 58 Test matches, making him England's ninth most successful wicket-taker, and his strike rate only second to another Yorkshireman Fred Trueman.

While Trueman was a "We used to live in one room, all twenty-six of us, no furniture, 'alf the floor was missing, and we were all 'uddled together in one corner for fear of falling" Tyke, Gough was all about entertainment - even the Australian crowds liked his up and at them approach.

A half-century and six wickets on his Test debut against New Zealand at Old Trafford instantly earned him the tag as the next Ian Botham but his batting was always of 'I'm here for a good time rather than a long time' variety.

The only other time he would draw comparisons with Botham was when he hit the winning runs at the infamous Centurion Test, according to captain Nasser Hussain, with a stinking hangover after a heavy session the night before presuming the game was dead.

But as the spearhead of England's bowling attack through much of the 1990s, Gough was always a man his captain could trust.

Just 18 victories in those 58 Tests underline that England were a pretty average side but Gough was always one of the stellar performers and he became the first England player to take an Ashes hat-trick in 100 years at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Gough's final wicket was also an Australian, Justin Langer, who summed it up by saying: "Darren Gough will retire as one of the most respected and admired cricketers of our generation."

- - -

The county landscape is changing somewhat, we haven't reached the end of the season and already there is a healthy list of veteran players who have decided to retire or are looking for new counties.

Retired:
Graeme Hick
Mushtaq Ahmed
Darren Gough
Kevin Dean
Iain Sutcliffe

Released:
Alex Tudor
Dominic Cork
Ali Brown
Jason Brown
Lance Klusener
Andy Harris
Nayan Doshi

- - -

FINAL WORD: Darren Gough - the best English bowler of his generation? Have your say below.

*****COW CORNER RETURNS ON THURSDAY****

Comments1 - 18 of 18

Preums !
Bienvenue chez moi !
From vador.sith on Tue Sep 23 01:48PM
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Tournée générale ! Servez vous dans le bar...
From vador.sith on Tue Sep 23 01:48PM
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Merci j'avais soif...
Pitin t'as la main chaude en ce moment vador...
From neuronef2 on Tue Sep 23 01:55PM
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And if you need to explain cricket to a french, tell him to follow that link :
http://grastien.net/blog/message.php?id=42
It'
s the only one I found to understand the rules
best regards
a curious frog
"I never done good things
I never done bad things
I never did anything out of the blue, woh-o-oh
Want an axe to break the ice
Wanna come down right now
Ashes to ashes, funk to funky"
From pierredemontreuil on Tue Sep 23 01:56PM
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elle est bonne ta pie vador
From lesagedufootball on Tue Sep 23 02:41PM
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I believe him no matter what,by the way I have met many ma_ture women on [ ___ see k i n g forty p l u s COMM ___ ] it has become more and more popular for meeting ma_ture men and women!
Change 'forty' to the number and you can go there.
From sobieskicmt on Tue Sep 23 02:46PM
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A truly charismatic character, a Gough fifty would stick in the memory far longer than most others hundreds. I still remember that 100+ stand with Phillip Defreitas he had on debut in '94, and who could forget his Ashes hat trick either.
Highly respected by the Australians - that says it all.
From deltahouserules on Tue Sep 23 03:05PM
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maybe not the best of his generation but definately a legend in his own right, will be sorely missed
From davidwombell on Tue Sep 23 04:46PM
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Watched him make his debut for Yorkshire as a teenager, and have followed his amazing career. He has been a credit to his county and his country- simply the best since Fred. Thanks Dazzler! Enjoy your retirement!
From chris.metcalfe4 on Tue Sep 23 04:51PM
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Of course he never was an all-rounder like Sir Ian, but they did have one thing in common. Cricketers in general when they play for their country do play for their country, but Goughie and Sir Ian, everytime they ran in to bowl to could see it in their eyes and their effort, every ball was bowled for their country. True patriots both. We'll miss you Goughie
From jeanjohnson101 on Tue Sep 23 05:31PM
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Cow, anyone who enjoyed watching England get beaten whilst commentating without trying to hide his absolute pleasure, cannot be called a god. Sorry you got it wrong in Benaud's case.
From jeanjohnson101 on Tue Sep 23 05:35PM
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I will forever remember Goughies words to the Sky Sports Commentary Team, as he walked out to bat in the Ashes in Australia - "Hold on to your hats, there'll be fireworks out there" before smashing a Boxing Day fifty.
A true character who lit up the field when he walked on it, always gave 100% and lifted the players and spectators.
A true gent and a character, in a sport that could do with a few more.
It has been a pleasure to have watched and supported him with Yorshire and England.
From hydeassociates on Tue Sep 23 06:55PM
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In ESPN's 'Legends of Cricket', Dean Jones says of Sir Ian Botham, 'The best thing I can say about Beefy is that he's a good enough bloke to be an Australian', I watched it with a few Aussie mates who all reckoned Goughie is the only other cricketer since, of whom that could be said. High accolade indeed; but it's not just about the statistics (although Goughies hold up well and can you imaging how many wickets he would have taken had he (barring all the injuries) played 120 odd test matches like Glen McGrath? Probably around 500 too calculated from his strike rate, but with no assistance at the other end). It's about the way he played and his on field desire, heart and spirit with charisma and a smile, this would place him in a class of 2, along with Shane Warne.
From bobgoesdeep on Tue Sep 23 10:26PM
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Finally the Fat goose is gone!!
From bobejaan_no7 on Wed Sep 24 09:08AM
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He'll be sorely missed both for his cricket and his personality - he has been an inspiration to every young aspiring bowler, especially in Yorkshire, and it would be great if he could pass on his skills in the field of coaching. But, with luck, he might have a rethink and decide to carry on a bit longer - I very much hope so as he still has a great deal to offer his county and his country. Come on, Goughy, do a U turn - you'd be welcomed back with open arms.
From jeanniemort on Wed Sep 24 06:47PM
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Yeah, I think about a .... so but a ..... sin embargo ... ah nan m.e.r.d.e ça c'est de l'espagnol !
Where is Bryan ? ( ça c'est good )
From ozgur13om on Fri Sep 26 10:09AM
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bobejaan's a bobejaan
From jude_surf on Fri Sep 26 01:38PM
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davidwombell sums it ALL up. mr gough is a ture yorkshire gent, as was mr trueman and is mr boycott. well miss u darren. good luck with the pub team
From sussxowl74 on Sat Sep 27 11:07PM
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