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13/05/2007
Silence of the Rosaneri!
Rosaneri have a reputation for keeping pace with innovation and the new wicket keeping mask sported by Yorkshire's keeper Simon Guy in a recent match against Lancashire is perhaps something they will be 'keeping' a close eye on!
Guy played with a face mask designed by Gray-Nicolls after suffering a fractured cheekbone earlier in his career.
He told Sky Sports: "The lads have dubbed it the 'Hannibal mask' after Hannibal Lecter. I don't have to wear it, it's just something myself and Gray-Nicolls are looking to work on. I use it mostly for one-day cricket. In one-day cricket you're standing up to guys who are bowling at 70 or 75 miles per hour. When you're standing up and batsman are playing all kinds of sweep shots you're going to take one in the face eventually."
Safety is something the Rossers take very seriously but resident keeper Mr Bell (who is prepared to stand up to speeds far in excess of a leisurely 70mph) is unlikely to feel the need to protect his good looks!
However, it could give Rosaneri a psychological advantage over the batsmen with "Hanni-Bell" Lecter lurking behind them.
Just imagine how unnerving it would be as Mat Freeman starts his approach to hear "I'm giving serious contemplation to eating your wife" from behind the stumps. We could even wheel him out on an upright trolley in a straight jacket to add the full effect!!
We could of course go one better than that and employ the services of the gimp mask sported by Mr Stuckey on his stag weekend last year. He wouldn't have to say a word to unnerve the batsman - even KP would struggle to build an innings!
Batsmen beware!
By
Nick Shewring
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Click on image to enlarge..
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Could be unnerving behind the stumps!
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Simon Guy spoting his new mask.
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