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Playing Role: All Rounder |
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Batting Style: One trick pony |
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Bowling Style: Fast spinners or slow seamers |
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Superstars Debut: 2013 |
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Official Roles: Committee Member |
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Career stats, as at the end of the 2015 Season |
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Caps |
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I |
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NO |
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Runs |
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Avge |
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50s |
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100s |
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HS |
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Ct |
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St |
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25 |
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20 |
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4 |
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127 |
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7.94 |
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- |
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- |
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22 |
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6 |
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- |
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O |
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M |
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R |
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W |
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Avge |
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Econ |
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S.R. |
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5wI |
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44.4 |
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1 |
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233 |
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13 |
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17.92 |
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5.22 |
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20.62 |
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- |
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A very regular appearance maker and team stalwart of the last few years,
Gary "Gaz" Plahe is an all rounder and all round good guy who always brings something to the Superstars party. Never
quite Sobers, but sometimes sober, sometimes what Gary brings is just the stumps. On a good day he may even have
a cheeky can of G&T or two in his bag and the spirit of the man is such that he is always willing to share his
spirits with his team mates, or at least his fellow bowlers while we watch the upper order do their thing. |
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Cricket wise, he's a massive cont, sorry contributor, too, being a
genuine all rounder in the sense that he bats as well as he bowls as well he fields. Actually, that's probably a
bit unfair on his batting and bowling, because fielding-wise the only thing he has in common with Gary Pratt is
his name. His first name, obviously. |
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On the field, Gary is identifiable by his short-sleeved lucky sweater,
worn whether the weather is Arctic April cool or oppressive August hot. Rumours that it remains unwashed throughout
the season are hopefully unfounded but not always entirely quashed by the aromas that can emanate from it during a
warm 40-over fielding session. Suffice to say there is a reason the skipper rarely asks Gary to field next to him at
first slip. As a bowler he is best described as a quick spinner, operating off a very short run that can generate
surprising pace and bounce - and sometimes it even turns. It can be expensive at times as lower order batsmen look
to take advantage in the second half of 2020 innings. But it can also be productive at times, as lower order batsmen
look to take advantage in the second half of 2020 innings. |
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At the crease Gary is identifiable not only by his lucky jumper
but by his lucky/unlucky shot. The hard-handed, horizontal-batted Plahe mow across his legs to the midwicket boundary
is both the source of all of his runs and all of his head-shaking, self-admonishing walks back to the pavilion,
his wagon wheel looking like a clock showing quarter to ten [Ed - quarter past 2?] and his mode of dismissal almost
always LB or caught at deep square leg (bar the odd comedy run out of course). Gary is well known not only to favour
this one shot but to rely so exclusively on it that any rare runs he ever hits through the offside are now always
greeted with ironic cheers from his (always supportive) teammates on the boundary. A smart captain would simply
position nine men on the leg, sit back and await the catch. But luckily captains are often too stupid, sorry too
sporting, to do that [perhaps that is why some have Gary as a potential future Superstars captain]. And while
he may have only this one shot in his locker, there's also more than one way of looking at this. One would
be that it's remarkable how many matches he can play and still have such limited batting . But the other would
be that it's remarkable how many runs he can score and still have such limited batting.
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However, on or off the field, the club would be a lot poorer a
place without him. Because whether he's supplying kit, equipment, tea or G&T; being the first guy to reply
to availability emails or the guy who's sending them out; the first man to get to the bar and the last guy to
leave it; or a man who can get you a quick 25 with the bat or a quick couple of wickets with the ball,
Gary is a veritable Mr Superstars who is well on his way to legends status already. |
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One of the Superstars "new breed" who will ensure a long and prosperous
future for the club - Gary may not yet in any of the club's main stats clubs, but more seasons like 2016 and
it won't be long. Plus some people, Flintoff, Gigg, Stokes, Gaught etc are worth more that stats alone. |
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