Cricket team draft

[Simon]

Originally Posted by HeathDavisSpeed

Martin Crowe this time. New Zealand's greatest batsman of all time and his record would have been even greater if it weren't for a long string of injuries; which he often played in spite of.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Crowe was going to be my final pick, have to go and find some back up options now.

[chaminda_00]

Originally Posted by pskov

Well by a quick count on wikipedia, nearly 100 grounds have hosted test cricket since 1918, so I'd say you'll have a decent choice at the end.

Looks like it was a bit of miss understanding then. I thought we would be given random numbers and pick from that.

I know the two grounds that I want to play on. Have to research the other three now, as I don't want to be caught out.

Man Joe was making 10 minutes picks with me a couple hours back. Now he probably gone to bed. However I have to go to work, so I might not pick straight away either.

[G.I.Joe]

Glad my next pick survives this far.

Bill Johnston, Left-arm fast-medium, Slow left-arm orthodox, Left hand bat. Its a rarity to encounter two SLA bowlers in the same team. I'm hoping I'll pull this off.

In the early 1950s Bill Johnston was capable of bowling as vicious a bumper as just about any bowler in the world. The problem was it would usually be followed by a chuckle, not the traditional fast bowler's wicked laugh but a guffaw that told the batsman there was no malice intended. It was the kind of response which once caused Bill O'Reilly to lament: "As a bowler he has one failing - he hasn't a temper." Indeed, his friend and team-mate Neil Harvey recalled: "His happiness spread itself through the team." With a secure understanding of his bowling talent, he didn't need a temper. Former Test opener Jack Moroney once declared: "Bill Johnston could do things with a cricket ball that were beyond normal human beings." And Harvey called him "one of the best all-round bowlers in the history of cricket".



Team so far:

Virender Sehwag (RHB, 66 tests, 5617 runs @ 51.06, OS, 29 wickets @ 39.62)
Conrad Hunte (RHB, 44 tests, 3245 runs @ 45.06, RM, 2 wickets @ 55.00)
Donald Bradman (RHB, 52 tests, 6996 runs @ 99.94, LS, 2 wickets @ 36)
Kevin Pietersen (RHB, 45 tests, 4039 runs @ 50.48, OS, 4 wickets @ 107.75)
*
Clyde Walcott + (RHB, WK, 44 tests, 3798 runs @ 56.68, 64 dismissals, RFM, 11 wickets @ 37.09)
Wilfred Rhodes (RHB, 58 tests, 2325 runs @ 30.19, SLA, 127 wickets @ 26.96)
Andy Roberts (RHB, 47 tests, 762 runs @ 14.94, RF, 202 wickets @ 25.61)
Shane Bond (RHB, 17 tests, 139 runs @ 12.63, RF, 79 wickets @ 22.39)
Bill Johnston (LHB, 40 tests, 273 runs @ 11.37, SLA, LFM, 160 wickets @ 23.91)
Colin Croft (RHB, 27 tests, 158 runs @ 10.53, RF, 125 wickets @ 23.30)

[chaminda_00]

Write up late when I'm home from work

Went for two players that missed out on their peak of their careers due to politics and poor selections.

Harold Larwood and Norm O'Neil

[NUFAN]

Bill Johnson is who I would have went for if I were Jakester last turn.

[Matt79]

Haha. First team is complete. Well done y'all!

[Simon]

Originally Posted by chaminda_00

Write up late when I'm home from work

Went for two players that missed out on their peak of their careers due to politics and poor selections.

Harold Larwood and Norm O'Neil

Norm O'Neill is an absolute awesome pick, for a variety of reasons he never quite got to the top of the tree as far as batsman go but from what I know and heard people say about him he was about as good as any batsman to have ever played the game.
Was probably my next choice after Crowe.

[G.I.Joe]

Last and final pick: Patsy Hendren

Inexplicably under rated. The man with 170 FC centuries, second highest ever, and third highest tally of FC runs.

....Not always orthodox in style, this short, stockily-built batsman was celebrated for the power with which he invested his driving, for his cutting and for his courage in hooking fast bowlers. On pitches helpful to bowlers he used his feet with consummate skill. His ability as a deep fieldsman is illustrated to some extent by the number of catches he brought off.......Apart from being a great cricketer, and perhaps more important, he brought a tremendous amount of fun and happiness to everything associated with the game.....

Final Team

Virender Sehwag (RHB, 66 tests, 5617 runs @ 51.06, OS, 29 wickets @ 39.62)
Conrad Hunte (RHB, 44 tests, 3245 runs @ 45.06, RM, 2 wickets @ 55.00)
Donald Bradman (RHB, 52 tests, 6996 runs @ 99.94, LS, 2 wickets @ 36)
Patsy Hendren (RHB, 51 tests, 3525 runs @ 47.63, RS, 1 wicket @ 31)
Kevin Pietersen (RHB, 45 tests, 4039 runs @ 50.48, OS, 4 wickets @ 107.75)
Clyde Walcott + (RHB, WK, 44 tests, 3798 runs @ 56.68, 64 dismissals, RFM, 11 wickets @ 37.09)
Wilfred Rhodes (RHB, 58 tests, 2325 runs @ 30.19, SLA, 127 wickets @ 26.96)
Andy Roberts (RHB, 47 tests, 762 runs @ 14.94, RF, 202 wickets @ 25.61)
Shane Bond (RHB, 17 tests, 139 runs @ 12.63, RF, 79 wickets @ 22.39)
Bill Johnston (LHB, 40 tests, 273 runs @ 11.37, SLA, LFM, 160 wickets @ 23.91)
Colin Croft (RHB, 27 tests, 158 runs @ 10.53, RF, 125 wickets @ 23.30)

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Brendon McCullum as my last pick, saving Kanhai from the gloves. I'll shuffle around the order to use Kanhai at 3 and Crowe at 4, where they both had most success. McCullum adds impetus at the bottom of the order as well as being outstanding with the gloves and a right royal cock.

1. Graeme Smith LHB, Ave = 50.71, ROS - 8 wkts @ 100.12
2. Gordon Greenidge RHB, Ave = 44.72
3. Rohan Kanhai RHB, Ave = 47.53
4. Martin Crowe RHB, Ave = 45.36, RM - 14 wkts @ 48.28
5. Graeme Pollock LHB, Ave = 60.97, LBG - 4 wkts @ 51.00
6. Tony Greig RHB, Ave = 40.43, RM/ROS - 141 wkts @ 32.20
7. Brendon McCullum (wk) RHB, Ave = 31.58, 130 test dismissals
8. Peter Pollock RHB, Ave = 21.67, RF - 116 wkts @ 24.18
9. Johnny Wardle LHB, Ave = 19.78, SLA - 102 wkts @ 20.39
10. Curtly Ambrose LHB, Ave = 12.40, RF - 405 wkts @ 20.99
11. Frank Tyson RHB, Ave = 10.95, RF - 76 wkts @ 18.56

[Simon]

This is ridiculous, I pretty much had five middle order players on my list and three of them have been taken today, starting to scrape the bottom of the barrell. I'd say theres still eight batsman of similar standard available so I wont be too upset with any of them really.

[Simon]

Heath must have the only team without an Australian.

[Somerset]

Originally Posted by G.I.Joe

Last and final pick: Patsy Hendren

Inexplicably under rated. The man with 170 FC centuries, second highest ever, and third highest tally of FC runs.

Patsy was going to be my second choice if Stan McCabe wasn't taken, so McCabe for my final selection.

Bill Ponsford
Charlie Macartney
George Headley
Everton Weekes
Stan McCabe
Andy Flower
Mike Procter
Ian Botham
Shane Warne
Jeff Thomson
Lance Gibbs

[G.I.Joe]

I find it quite funny that I haven't picked a single South African (KP excepted). I've lined up a quality South African pick almost every round and he's always been snatched before my turn or lost out to another player at the moment of reckoning.

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Somerset

Patsy was going to be my second choice if Stan McCabe wasn't taken, so McCabe for my final selection.

Bill Ponsford
Charlie Macartney
George Headley
Everton Weekes
Stan McCabe
Andy Flower
Mike Procter
Ian Botham
Shane Warne
Jeff Thomson
Lance Gibbs

Lol, you won't believe this, but McCabe and Hendren were my choices on the last pick too. Almost went for the man who played the best innings Bradman had ever seen, but decided 170 FC centuries and a jolly nature had to count for something.

[G.I.Joe]

Originally Posted by Simon

This is ridiculous, I pretty much had five middle order players on my list and three of them have been taken today, starting to scrape the bottom of the barrell. I'd say theres still eight batsman of similar standard available so I wont be too upset with any of them really.

I'm guessing thats four taken after Somerset's pick?