Thank You To Brendan Taylor - I'll send him a book?
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brmtaylor.com admin
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Re: Thank You To Brendan Taylor - I'll send him a book?
I was hoping we'd have a few more responses, but I'll send the book with the comments we've got. Basically submissions will close as soon as I add my comment - at which point they'll be printed, bound and mailed.
Re: Thank You To Brendan Taylor - I'll send him a book?
Sorry I have been tardy - here is something if you haven't printed it already.
BRMT - Thank you for some quality cricket memories. Your test tons stand out most in my mind. What has stood out more over your career for Zimbabwe has been the way you have handled all of the many inconveniences involved with being a Zimbabwean cricketer. As a fan it has meant a lot to observe your patience and fortitude in the face of a lot of administrative nonsense. I hope to see you in Zim colours again during your thirties, but if not, thanks again for such a long period of effort for the game in Zim. God Bless. Jemisi.
BRMT - Thank you for some quality cricket memories. Your test tons stand out most in my mind. What has stood out more over your career for Zimbabwe has been the way you have handled all of the many inconveniences involved with being a Zimbabwean cricketer. As a fan it has meant a lot to observe your patience and fortitude in the face of a lot of administrative nonsense. I hope to see you in Zim colours again during your thirties, but if not, thanks again for such a long period of effort for the game in Zim. God Bless. Jemisi.
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brmtaylor.com admin
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Re: Thank You To Brendan Taylor - I'll send him a book?
I’ve been very tardy too. Oops, I better get around to sending this off! Submissions now closed!
BT, thanks for giving us hope and a reason to cheer no matter the match situation for the last 11 years. I’m sure I’m not the only supporter who always felt that regardless of how many runs we still needed, or how many wickets we had lost, however quickly the “Zimbabwe collapse” had happened - as long as BRM Taylor was still batting Zimbabwe were still in with a chance of victory. This faith was rewarded with many match winning efforts which will live on forever in Zimbabwe cricket folklore and I want to use this opportunity to reflect on the moments which I remember most fondly.
I have to mention the last ball 6 against Bangladesh in 2006 first up. The match when you announced yourself on the world stage. Unfortunately I didn’t see this match - living in Australia it wasn’t shown on TV and live online streams weren’t all that common then. But I managed to get the highlights soon after from some Bangladesh fans, highlights which I ended up putting on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYRMwvadmBM
It was the Twenty20 in Cape Town against Australia which prompted me to make www.brmtaylor.com as I knew a meteoric rise had begun in earnest - I stayed up until the early hours of the morning watching that game. As a proud Australian, I’m unashamed to say that I was thrilled about the result. And even though Zim (and BD) fans already knew you were capable of this sort of all-round performance, to do it against Australia would have gained the respect of many more cricket fans.
There’s many other great centuries I could talk about, but the comeback Test against Bangladesh in 2011 stands very tall. I’m pretty sure I watched every minute of that Test match, including times when it meant accessing Wi-Fi in some very unusual places! It was the true definition of a captains knock, with a wonderfully timed declaration to boot.
Even though it was in a losing cause, your counter-attacking Test hundred against NZ was truly special. I was at a party that night - well, technically I was there. In reality while the party was happening around me I was sitting at my mates computer watching an epic Test match come down to the wire - by the end of the night there were 3 or 4 other people watching with me.
As great as the twin centuries against Bangladesh in 2013 were, the win against Pakistan later that year deserves a mention. It was the bowlers which powered that win, but even though you “only” scored a half-century it still backs up the long known narrative that Zimbabwe plays well when Taylor plays well. I rate Mutumbami’s 29 as the difference between a defendable target and a non-defendable target on day 5, but to grind out 27 under those circumstances was also an invaluable contribution in the context of that match.
It was in August of 2014 that I fulfilled an ambition of mine - to see you bat on the hallowed turf of Harare Sports Club. It was lucky I didn’t wait another year, wasn’t it! So off I flew to Zimbabwe, just in time to watch the 3rd and 4th matches of the tri-series. I was treated to a Propser Utseya hat-trick and 5-fer in the first game, but sadly a (rare) BT duck soon followed. It was the events of August 31 which I count myself unbelievably fortunate to have been a part of though.
For the last decade, you and Michael Clarke have been my favourite players. So I am particularly saddened that in the space of just a few months, my two favourite players have both retired - and so early too. But on August 31, sitting in the stands of the HSC I got to see you play against each other and that is something that will always stay with me. And both of you played well, Clarke with 68* and you with an aggressive 32. A lofted drive you played down to the northern boundary is seared in my mind as I sat in the western stands. Although a classic Taylor match-winning unbeaten knock in that win would have been awesome, I got to see a textbook team-effort that day. Chigs guided the chase beautifully, and Prosper’s 30 was one of the most professional efforts you could ask for from a number 9. From the moment he hit that 6 on to the grassy banks, to walking outside the ground after the teams lap of honour - being part of the the singing and dancing on the streets… that sort of jubilation just doesn’t happen in Australian cricket. I am so blessed to have been in Harare on that day - although there were a few people who picked my Australian accent, who I’m sure were confused that I was celebrating an Australian defeat!
As I’ve been writing this and recalling these career highlights, it’s hard to believe that I’ve yet to mention what is arguably the pinnacle - that you retired on an absolute personal high, in scintillating form during the 2015 World Cup. It made me very happy to see you play live here in my home country of Australia, scoring plenty of runs no less! I was fortunate enough to meet you when you were here, so thank you for being generous with your time.
The final match against India contained possibly one of the greatest innings I have seen in terms of pure entertainment value. That 138 was carefree, attacking and fun. It looked like an innings from a man with the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders, free to play his natural game. It was unbelievable to watch and it felt to me like a celebration of your entire career. One final “Taylor special” for us fans.
Thank you again for the memories you have provided not only to me personally but to all supporters of Zimbabwean cricket. Good luck in England BT, I’m sure you’ll provide the fans of Notts the same sort of excitement and hope you have given to fans of Zimbabwe over the past decade.
BT, thanks for giving us hope and a reason to cheer no matter the match situation for the last 11 years. I’m sure I’m not the only supporter who always felt that regardless of how many runs we still needed, or how many wickets we had lost, however quickly the “Zimbabwe collapse” had happened - as long as BRM Taylor was still batting Zimbabwe were still in with a chance of victory. This faith was rewarded with many match winning efforts which will live on forever in Zimbabwe cricket folklore and I want to use this opportunity to reflect on the moments which I remember most fondly.
I have to mention the last ball 6 against Bangladesh in 2006 first up. The match when you announced yourself on the world stage. Unfortunately I didn’t see this match - living in Australia it wasn’t shown on TV and live online streams weren’t all that common then. But I managed to get the highlights soon after from some Bangladesh fans, highlights which I ended up putting on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYRMwvadmBM
It was the Twenty20 in Cape Town against Australia which prompted me to make www.brmtaylor.com as I knew a meteoric rise had begun in earnest - I stayed up until the early hours of the morning watching that game. As a proud Australian, I’m unashamed to say that I was thrilled about the result. And even though Zim (and BD) fans already knew you were capable of this sort of all-round performance, to do it against Australia would have gained the respect of many more cricket fans.
There’s many other great centuries I could talk about, but the comeback Test against Bangladesh in 2011 stands very tall. I’m pretty sure I watched every minute of that Test match, including times when it meant accessing Wi-Fi in some very unusual places! It was the true definition of a captains knock, with a wonderfully timed declaration to boot.
Even though it was in a losing cause, your counter-attacking Test hundred against NZ was truly special. I was at a party that night - well, technically I was there. In reality while the party was happening around me I was sitting at my mates computer watching an epic Test match come down to the wire - by the end of the night there were 3 or 4 other people watching with me.
As great as the twin centuries against Bangladesh in 2013 were, the win against Pakistan later that year deserves a mention. It was the bowlers which powered that win, but even though you “only” scored a half-century it still backs up the long known narrative that Zimbabwe plays well when Taylor plays well. I rate Mutumbami’s 29 as the difference between a defendable target and a non-defendable target on day 5, but to grind out 27 under those circumstances was also an invaluable contribution in the context of that match.
It was in August of 2014 that I fulfilled an ambition of mine - to see you bat on the hallowed turf of Harare Sports Club. It was lucky I didn’t wait another year, wasn’t it! So off I flew to Zimbabwe, just in time to watch the 3rd and 4th matches of the tri-series. I was treated to a Propser Utseya hat-trick and 5-fer in the first game, but sadly a (rare) BT duck soon followed. It was the events of August 31 which I count myself unbelievably fortunate to have been a part of though.
For the last decade, you and Michael Clarke have been my favourite players. So I am particularly saddened that in the space of just a few months, my two favourite players have both retired - and so early too. But on August 31, sitting in the stands of the HSC I got to see you play against each other and that is something that will always stay with me. And both of you played well, Clarke with 68* and you with an aggressive 32. A lofted drive you played down to the northern boundary is seared in my mind as I sat in the western stands. Although a classic Taylor match-winning unbeaten knock in that win would have been awesome, I got to see a textbook team-effort that day. Chigs guided the chase beautifully, and Prosper’s 30 was one of the most professional efforts you could ask for from a number 9. From the moment he hit that 6 on to the grassy banks, to walking outside the ground after the teams lap of honour - being part of the the singing and dancing on the streets… that sort of jubilation just doesn’t happen in Australian cricket. I am so blessed to have been in Harare on that day - although there were a few people who picked my Australian accent, who I’m sure were confused that I was celebrating an Australian defeat!
As I’ve been writing this and recalling these career highlights, it’s hard to believe that I’ve yet to mention what is arguably the pinnacle - that you retired on an absolute personal high, in scintillating form during the 2015 World Cup. It made me very happy to see you play live here in my home country of Australia, scoring plenty of runs no less! I was fortunate enough to meet you when you were here, so thank you for being generous with your time.
The final match against India contained possibly one of the greatest innings I have seen in terms of pure entertainment value. That 138 was carefree, attacking and fun. It looked like an innings from a man with the weight of the world lifted from his shoulders, free to play his natural game. It was unbelievable to watch and it felt to me like a celebration of your entire career. One final “Taylor special” for us fans.
Thank you again for the memories you have provided not only to me personally but to all supporters of Zimbabwean cricket. Good luck in England BT, I’m sure you’ll provide the fans of Notts the same sort of excitement and hope you have given to fans of Zimbabwe over the past decade.
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bavuma_rabada
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Re: Thank You To Brendan Taylor - I'll send him a book?
Submissions closed, so in case Google lands you on the last page as opposed to the OP...
Love always,
The Misunderstood one.
Love always,
The Misunderstood one.
Mighty Proteas: Sincuba, Zondo, Ramela, Bavuma, Tsolekile(c), Mosehle(wk), Gqamane, Rabada, Phehlukwayo, Phangiso, Tsotsobe (Coach: Toyana)