Deceased XI vs. Living XI

[Days of Grace]

Harry Truman playing for the dead???

Seriously, Ames in for Grout is a great idea.

 

[BhupinderSingh]

Marshall vs. Imran
Winner: The dead

 

[BhupinderSingh]

Imran is not better than Marshall while Barnes was a bigger freak than Murali is.

TBH,they're pretty close,I rate Mrshall the third ever which puts him behind Imran & Hadlee.

 

[Purple_Forg]

one word : bradman

 

[Lillian Thomson]

What joy. Another thread - which was presumbly intended as a bit of fun for Halloween - hijacked to pay homage to the great Imran Khan.

 

[Matt79]

Wonder how the living XI would have done in each of the era's that they missed that the dead XI played in. Murali playing 60 years ago, wonder how he would've done.

There would have been no biometric studies and no super slow-mo cameras, and hence he'd have been thrown out of the game as a chucker, under the standards of the time tbh...

 

[BhupinderSingh]

Dead XI:
Hobbs
Hutton
*Bradman
Headley
Trumper
Miller
+Ames
Davidson
Marshall
Barnes
O'Reilly

Living XI:

Hayden
Gavaskar
Lara
V.Richards
+Flower
Sobers
*Imran
Hadlee
Wasim
Muralitharan
McGrath

 

[Lillian Thomson]

I did an Identical thread a year ago (without the poll)

Heaven v Earth

 

[The Sean]

Would the biggest difference really be Bradman? I mean Ponting is a powerhouse if we're considering both at their peak, and it may be a cliche, but there is some truth in the saying bowlers win matches. If we take them all at their peak (eg. 93/4 Warne), I'd say with the explosive brilliance of Warne, Sobers and Gilchrist, I think I'd prefer the living.

Yes, he would.

I'm as big an admirer of Punter as just about anyone, but are you seriously saying Ponting at his best is comparable to Bradman?

 

[The Sean]

FWIW, my selections…

Dead:

Jack Hobbs
WG Grace
Don Bradman
Walter Hammond
George Headley
Keith Miller
Leslie Ames
Ray Lindwall
Malcolm Marshall
Sydney Barnes
Bill O’Reilly

Living:

Sunil Gavaskar
Barry Richards
Vivian Richards
Sachin Tendulkar
Brian Lara
Garry Sobers
Adam Gilchrist
Imran Khan
Richard Hadlee
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee

The dead have a stronger opening combination, and considering I left out Hutton, Trumper and Sutcliffe the dead’s 2nd XI would have a stronger one too. The dead’s middle order is better as well, on the basis that Bradman + 2 is better than any other 3. Sobers outranks Miller as a batsman however, and the living certainly bat a lot deeper.

Of the ‘keepers, I’d argue Ames the slightly better gloveman (though I rate Blackham above him, Ames getting the nod for team balance with his batting ability), Gilly the more devastating batsman – Gilly shading it for pure value to the team.

The bowling attack is interesting – very little in it in terms of the four specialists, with the living shading it, especially when you consider that I had to leave out Murali and Pidge. Miller, however, was a better bowler than Sobers (if not as varied) and so that goes some way to evening it up.

So who’d win? Nothing in it really, except for the Bradman factor - over the course of a five Test series I’d back Bradman to at least once produce something that no one else from either side could match. So it’s the dead FTW in a thriller.

 

[silentstriker]

Don't know how straight forward that is tbh.

Well you can never directly compare but in the end Barnes would end up taking more wickets at a lower average IMO.

 

[pasag]

Well you can never directly compare but in the end Barnes would end up taking more wickets at a lower average IMO.

Oops, I read it the other way. Apologies.

 

[Poker Boy]

Great topic! Couple of changes I'd make. This one's been mentioned before. For the deda XI put Les Ames in (the best WK batsman that is decesed). With Miller now in that gives them enough batting depth. As for the living XI sorry i'd put any of B Richards, Boycott, Grennidge or Haynes above Hayden. And (although this is more of a personal preference) Lillee over Mcgrath. Who'd win? the dead win in batting and IMO pace bowling (Truman Marshall and Miller would not be a stroll in the park) and I think that would prevail over the Living XI's advantage in spin bowling. Could anyone play the match on a computer ?

 

[Manee]

So who’d win? Nothing in it really, except for the Bradman factor - over the course of a five Test series I’d back Bradman to at least once produce something that no one else from either side could match. So it’s the dead FTW in a thriller.

Bradman can't handle the short stuff

 

[neville cardus]

Barnes and Bradman in the same side? I can't see many team's getting past this juggernaut.

 

[neville cardus]

Bradman can't handle the short stuff

Geddaway.

 

[neville cardus]

Great topic! Couple of changes I'd make. This one's been mentioned before. For the deda XI put Les Ames in (the best WK batsman that is decesed).

Jack Blackham sends his regards.

 

[silentstriker]

Bradman can't handle the sticky wickets. So I'd rather have Hayden on those.

 

[neville cardus]

Let's look at it position by position

Always fun...

Hobbs vs. Gavaskar
Winner: The dead

Comfortably.

Hutton vs. Hayden
Winner: The dead

That would depend on the era in which the game's being played.

Bradman vs Ponting
Winner: The dead

Without a whisper of a doubt.

Hammond vs. Lara
Winner: The dead

Again, Lara would be superior today, but Hammond would trounce him comfortably in yesteryear.

Headley vs. Tendulkar
Winner: The dead

I can't agree with that. Let's quarrel.

Barrington vs Sobers
Winner: The Living

Yip.

Grout vs. Gilchrist
Winner: The Living

Yes, but a better selection for the cadaverous crew would've defeated Gilchrist (in the solely wicket-keeping stakes) with something approaching ease.

Bowlers (not comparing in order)
Marshall vs. Imran
Winner: The dead

Not a chance. I'll leave Bhupinder to argue that one on my behalf.

Muralitharan vs. Barnes
Winner: The dead (we have to compare a spinner vs. a hybrid as the new team has more spinners than the old one)

Agreed.

Wane vs. O'Reilly
Winner: The living

O'course.

McGrath vs. Trueman
Winner: The living

Yes.

 

[neville cardus]

Bradman can't handle the sticky wickets.

Any basis for that?