Great fielders in each fielding position

[Monk]

Pretty slack day at work today, started thinking about great fielders. If you had to pick the XI best fielders in their best fielding positions, how would it look (doesn't need to be a balanced XI)?

I'll have a crack at an Australian fielding XI:


Wicketkeeper: Bert Oldfield

1st slip: Bob Simpson
2nd slip: Mark Waugh
3rd slip: Mark Taylor/Ian Chappell (both first slippers usually, but you generally put your best at 1st...)

Gully: Richie Benaud

Point: Ricky Ponting

Covers: Neil Harvey

Mid on: Andrew Symonds

Mid wicket: Allan Border

Square leg: Allan Davidson


I've probably missed guys, especially early era players, so if anyone knows of any...


anyone want to have a crack at a World XI?

[benchmark00]

Take out Border and put Boony into a bat pad.

[kyear2]

Actually I think you put your best slipper at 2nd, but I could be wrong.
Would take a while to do a All Time Fielding 11, but this is where everyone would field in my AT XI.

Hobbs- Gully/point
Hutton- Extra Cover/Cover
Bradman- Mid Off
Richards- 1st Slip
Tendulkar- Short Leg
Sobers- 2nd Slip
Gilchrist- Wicket Keeper
Imran- Mid Wicket
Marshall- Opening Bowler/Fine Leg
Warne- 3rd Slip
Mcgrath- Opening Bowler/Fine Leg

[benchmark00]

There's no hard and fast rule about where your best slipper should stand, as each position requires different type of skill. It's like the age old debate where should your best batsman bat... some say number three, but that's not always the case.

If you take a standard two slip cordon, you generally have the guy more athletic stand at second because he potentially has more ground to cover, whereas in first slip you just need good hands. Don't know the stats, but I'd say more catches come through first slip so you want your safest hands there, but if the guy with the safest hands is more likely to snare one whilst diving, then you need him at second.

That's why you saw Taylor at first and not Mark Waugh all those years.

[Top_Cat]

Ponting - anywhere.

[kyear2]

Ponting is extremely under rated everywhere in the field. He was superb in the covers, point and the gully, but was even better at second slip which he manned at a ATG level.

[Monk]

Originally Posted by benchmark00

Take out Border and put Boony into a bat pad.

Fine mate, but you better not bowl down the leg side then...

[uvelocity]

binga at fine leg

[Monk]

Originally Posted by kyear2

Actually I think you put your best slipper at 2nd, but I could be wrong.
Would take a while to do a All Time Fielding 11, but this is where everyone would field in my AT XI.

Hobbs- Gully/point
Hutton- Extra Cover/Cover
Bradman- Mid Off
Richards- 1st Slip
Tendulkar- Short Leg
Sobers- 2nd Slip
Gilchrist- Wicket Keeper
Imran- Mid Wicket
Marshall- Opening Bowler/Fine Leg
Warne- 3rd Slip
Mcgrath- Opening Bowler/Fine Leg

Forgetting a balanced team altogether, and just selecting the best world XI fielders, you'd have to look at something like this I reckon....



Keeper: Allan Knott

1st slip: Bob Simpson
2nd slip: Mark Waugh
3rd Slip: Garry Sobers

Gully: ????

Point: Ricky Ponting

Cover: Jonty Rhodes

Mid on: Andrew Symonds

Mid wicket: Viv Richards

Square leg: Clive Lloyd

Outfielder: Ian Botham (also a gun in slips)

[Monk]

Originally Posted by uvelocity

binga at fine leg

McDermott and Hughes were both really good outfielders, with strong accurate arms.

I think Jeff Thomson was ok as well.

[kyear2]

Wasn't Greg Chappell better than Mark at slip, and Marshall was exceptionally brilliant at fine leg.

[Riggins]

i have no appreciation for how someone could possible be a good "fine leg" fielder.

[uvelocity]

flat 80m throws itbt

[Monk]

Originally Posted by Riggins

i have no appreciation for how someone could possible be a good "fine leg" fielder.

Guys like Dean Jones were real guns at "sweeping", especially in one-dayers. Moved quickly, dived and slid and had massive throws.

[kyear2]

Look up some of his catches in the position, also he was fast in the out field and had an excellent arm.
One of the hall marks of the 80's W.I. team was the fielding ability of the fast bowlers. Garner was very good in the gully while Holding and Marshall were just excellent almost everywhere with Holding at time sliding up into the slips/ gully region and pulling off some good catches.