Best XI of each decade

[watson]

Everton Weekes was in supreme form in 1948 season when he made 5 consecutive Test Centuries. However it can be argued whether he can make 1950s XI; he hit 3 consecutive centuries and a double ton in 1950s.

Walcott's average in 1950s decade was 60.89 which was second best to Sobers 61.54

OK. It appears that Weekes 'leapt out of the blocks' but then suffered a slow decline in average. Walcott was the opposite because he increased his average (from around 40) once he gave up keeping.

I think that Walcott is the more consistent batsman of the two, but I don't know whether he was the better batsman, or played better under pressure, scored runs when they mattered, and so forth.

Can you really argue with 'second best to Sobers' though? Walcott by a whisker?

 

[Red]

The bowling attack looks perfect. I shall make some changes in the top 7. I rate Anwar higher than Slater, don't think Dravid was that awesome in the 90s overall (mainly because he made his debut as late as '96), and will probably bolster teh batting by picking Flower (though this is not something Im so sure of...might have gone with Healy some other day).

Flower is tempting as he makes the batting so much stronger, but Healy is the best gloveman I've ever seen, and therefore deserves his spot. I think of Flower as more of a backstop type keeper (adequate and serviceable), but Healy was pure genius as a gloveman.

 

[Dan]

1890-1899

1. Archie McLaren
2. Tom Hayward
3. Clem Hill
4. Ranjitsinhji
5. Joe Darling
6. Stanley Jackson - 5 (c)
7. George Lohmann - 2
8. Dick Lilley (wk)
9. Hugh Trumble - 4
10. Charlie Turner - 1
11. Tom Richardson - 3

1900-1914

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Victor Trumper
3. Clem Hill
4. Stanley Jackson - 7 (c)
5. Aubrey Faulkner - 5
6. Warwick Armstrong - 6
7. Monty Noble - 4
8. George Hirst - 2
9. Wilfred Rhodes - 3
10. Sydney Barnes - 1
11. Herbert Strudwick (wk)

Trumper and Hobbs opening and that bowling attack..


1918-1930

1. Jack Hobbs
2. Herbert Sutcliffe
3. Sir Donald Bradman
4. Charles Macartney - 7
5. Walter Hammond - 5
6. Jack Ryder - 6 (c)
7. Jack Gregory - 2
8. Maurice Tate - 1
9. Bert Oldfield (wk)
10. 'Tich' Freeman - 4
11. Clarrie Grimmett - 3

1930-1939

1. Bruce Mitchell - 7
2. Len Hutton
3. Donald Bradman
4. George Headley
5. Walter Hammond - 5
6. Stan McCabe - 6
7. Les Ames (wk)
8. Learie Constantine - 2
9. Harold Larwood - 1
10. Bill O'Reilly - 3
11. Clarrie Grimmett - 4

That middle order...

1940-1949

1. Len Hutton (c)
2. Arthur Morris
3. Donald Bradman
4. Denis Compton - 5
5. Everton Weekes
6. Dudley Nourse
7. Keith Miller - 2
8. Ray Lindwall - 1
9. Don Tallon (wk)
10. Alec Bedser - 3
11. Jack Cowie - 4

Half a bowler short, but the batting more than compensates

1950-1959

1. Len Hutton
2. Jackie McGlew
3. Clyde Walcott
4. Neil Harvey
5. Frank Worrell - 6
6. Garfield Sobers - 5
7. Keith Miller - 2
8. Richie Benaud - 4 (c)
9. Godfrey Evans (wk)
10. Fred Trueman - 1
11. Jim Laker - 3

Pretty well balanced IMO

1960-1969

1. Bob Simpson - 6
2. Bill Lawry (c)
3. Ken Barrington
4. Graeme Pollock
5. Ted Dexter
6. Garfield Sobers - 5
7. Denis Lindsay (wk)
8. Mike Procter - 2
9. Alan Davidson - 3
10. Derek Underwood - 4
11. Fred Trueman -1

Good all the way through

1970-1979

1. Sunil Gavaskar
2. Barry Richards
3. Javed Miandad
4. Greg Chappell - 6 (c)
5. Viv Richards - 7
6. Ian Botham - 4
7. Alan Knott (wk)
8. Imran Khan - 3
9. Dennis Lillee - 1
10. Michael Holding - 2
11. Derek Underwood - 5

One of the stronger XIs, IMO

1980-1989

1. Gordon Greenidge
2. Sunil Gavaskar
3. Viv Richards - 6
4. Javed Miandad
5. Allan Border - 7
6. Kapil Dev - 5
7. Imran Khan - 4 (c)
8. Jeff Dujon (wk)
9. Richard Hadlee - 2
10. Malcolm Marshall - 1
11. Joel Garner - 3

Best bowling attack IMO

1990-1999

1. Graham Gooch
2. Saeed Anwar
3. Brian Lara
4. Sachin Tendulkar - 6
5. Martin Crowe
6. Steve Waugh - 5 (c)
7. Andrew Flower (wk)
8. Wasim Akram
9. Shane Warne
10. Curtley Ambrose
11. Waqar Younis

Leaving out McGrath, Murali, Donald. That's how strong this bowling line-up is.

2000-

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Virender Sehwag
3. Ricky Ponting (c)
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Kumar Sangakkara
6. Jacques Kallis - 5
7. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
8. Shane Warne - 4
9. Dale Steyn - 1
10. Muttiah Muralitharan - 3
11. Glenn McGrath - 2

The best of the modern era

 

[weldone]

Flower is tempting as he makes the batting so much stronger, but Healy is the best gloveman I've ever seen, and therefore deserves his spot. I think of Flower as more of a backstop type keeper (adequate and serviceable), but Healy was pure genius as a gloveman.

I can agree with that. What do you think on the Anwar vs Slater issue? And on the lack of years of test cricket from Dravid in the 90s?

 

[watson]

1970-1979

Sunil Gavaskar
Geoff Boycott
Javed Miandad
Greg Chappell - 6 (c)
Viv Richards - 7
Ian Botham - 4
Alan Knott (wk)
Imran Khan - 3
Dennis Lillee - 1
Michael Holding - 2
Derek Underwood - 5
One of the stronger XIs, IMO

I don't think that Botham ever batted at No.6 in the 70s. If I remember rightly, Mike Brearley even had him batting after Geoff Miller in the order.

At his prime, Botham was a bowler who batted, not a batsman who bowled - No.7 or No.8 is more realistic I think;

http://www.espncricinfo.com/ci/engine/match/63291.html

 

[Red]

I can agree with that. What do you think on the Anwar vs Slater issue? And on the lack of years of test cricket from Dravid in the 90s?

You probably have a point with Dravid, although he played 34 tests in the 90s and averaged 50. Boon could also be a contender for that number 3 spot in the 90s.

Anwar vs Slater is pretty much down to personal preference I reckon. Very similar stats wise. Always liked the way Slater went about it. Saw a lot less of Anwar than Slater, so went for what I know.

 

[Red]

I don't think that Botham ever batted at No.6 in the 70s. If I remember rightly, Mike Brearley even had him batting after Geoff Miller in the order.

At his prime, Botham was a bowler who batted, not a batsman who bowled - No.7 or No.8 is more realistic I think;

3rd Test: England v Australia at Leeds, Jul 16-21, 1981 | Cricket Scorecard | ESPN Cricinfo

He batted at 6 more often than not in the 70s. 29 innings there out of 45 total.

I actually think of him as a pure all rounder. I think in his prime he'd have been selected for England as a batsman OR as a bowler. And if he hadn't bowled he'd have averaged a lot more as a batsman.

He was actually a very orthodox batsman, who hit bloody hard.

 

[watson]

He batted at 6 more often than not in the 70s. 29 innings there out of 45 total.

I actually think of him as a pure all rounder. I think in his prime he'd have been selected for England as a batsman OR as a bowler. And if he hadn't bowled he'd have averaged a lot more as a batsman.

He was actually a very orthodox batsman, who hit bloody hard.

Interesting, I thought that the ratio would gave been different. Funny how preconceived ideas can be all over the shop. Anyway, some numbers;

1977-92: No.6 = 29.23 (65 innings)
1977-92: No.7 = 40.27 (29 innings)

1977-80: No.6 = 30.44 (21 innings)
1977-80: No.7 = 61.55 (10 innings)

Question is - Is it OK for a number 6 batsman to average about 30?

I'm not convinced that Botham isn't out of his depth as a No.6 batsman. Especially if you compare him to the great Aussie and West Indian sides who preferred Walters, Border, Waugh, Lloyd etc

 

[Dan]

Interesting, I thought that the ratio would gave been different. Funny how preconceived ideas can be all over the shop. Anyway, some numbers;

1977-92: No.6 = 29.23 (65 innings)
1977-92: No.7 = 40.27 (29 innings)

1977-80: No.6 = 30.44 (21 innings)
1977-80: No.7 = 61.55 (10 innings)

Question is - Is it OK for a number 6 batsman to average about 30?

I'm not convinced that Botham isn't out of his depth as a No.6 batsman. Especially if you compare him to the great Aussie and West Indian sides who preferred Walters, Border, Waugh, Lloyd etc

You could probably make an argument for any of Botham, Khan or Knott to bat at 6, anyway.

 

[watson]

You could probably make an argument for any of Botham, Khan or Knott to bat at 6, anyway.

I suppose that the argument would be: "We need to win the Test match because we're 2-1 down with 2 to play. Therefore, we have to play the extra bowler."

 

[Jager]

Check Beefy's cumilative overall stats - with my halfway peak theory, he's just behind Miller as the best AR ever I believe

 

[kyear2]

OK. It appears that Weekes 'leapt out of the blocks' but then suffered a slow decline in average. Walcott was the opposite because he increased his average (from around 40) once he gave up keeping.

I think that Walcott is the more consistent batsman of the two, but I don't know whether he was the better batsman, or played better under pressure, scored runs when they mattered, and so forth.

Can you really argue with 'second best to Sobers' though? Walcott by a whisker?

Walcott got better and Weekes declined while dealing with injury and a bodyline attack in Australia in '51. Other than that had only one bad series. Walcott was probably more consistent in the 50's but Weekes was the better batsman in his prime in the 50's.

 

[watson]

Check Beefy's cumilative overall stats - with my halfway peak theory, he's just behind Miller as the best AR ever I believe

Yes, Botham is pretty close to being the best allround allrounder. So I guess we're saying that he is good enough to hold down the No.6 spot.

Record against West Indian fast bowlers though? Or does that not matter, because let's face it, most batsman failed against Lloyd's/Richard's fast bowlers.

 

[watson]

Walcott got better and Weekes declined while dealing with injury and a bodyline attack in Australia in '51. Other than that had only one bad series. Walcott was probably more consistent in the 50's but Weekes was the better batsman in his prime in the 50's.

Thanks for that kyear. 'Consistent' or 'better' (higher peaks but lower troughs) though?

 

[Flametree]

Sorry, mucked up the quote... but RDV posted :

1970-1979
Sunil Gavaskar
Geoff Boycott
Javed Miandad
Greg Chappell - 6 (c)
Viv Richards - 7
Ian Botham - 4
Alan Knott (wk)
Imran Khan - 3
Dennis Lillee - 1
Michael Holding - 2
Derek Underwood - 5

One of the stronger XIs, IMO

It may be one of the stronger XIs but it would be even stronger if you added Barry Richards and Mike Procter.

Imran's 1970s averages were about 25 with the bat and 30 with the ball. Definitely not worth a spot in the side ahead of Procter (not too mention Roberts and Garner).

Also not sure about Javed at number 3... Ian Chappell or Graham Pollock maybe?

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

I was thinking about best batsman by each decades

Best batsman by decades

1880s : W G Grace
1890s : K S Ranjitsinhji
1900s : Victor Trumper
1910s : Jack Hobbs
1920s : Donald Bradman
1930s : Donald Bradman
1940s : Donald Bradman
1950s : Garry Sobers
1960s : Garry Sobers
1970s : Viv Richards
1980s : Allan Border
1990s : Brian Lara
2000s : ???

For 1990s, I picked Lara ahead of Tendulkar due to more match winning and breath taking knocks by Lara across the decade e.g. 277 vs Aus, 375 vs Eng, 213 vs Aus, 153* vs Aus

For 2000s I can't really decide on Tendulkar, Lara, Ponting, Kallis or even Dravid, Sangakkara, Yousuf all in the contention

 

[Shri]

2010-19

1. David Warner
2. Phillip Hughes
3. Virat Kohli
4. Hashim Amla
5. Cheteshwar Pujara
6. AB de Villiers[+]
7. Ravi Ashwin
8. Stuart Broad
9. Vernon Philander
10. Dale Steyn
11. Morne Morkel

 

[kyear2]

Good job AZH, though it speaks volumes about the quicks of the '80's that Border (though great) was the best bat of the decade.

Bowlers list next Andy?

 

[Agent Nationaux]

2010-2019

Cook
Azhar
Amla
Clarke
Kohli
DeVilliers
De **** (wk)
Broad
Philander
Steyn
Ajmal

 

[Red]

2010-19

1. David Warner
2. Phillip Hughes
3. Virat Kohli
4. Hashim Amla
5. Cheteshwar Pujara
6. AB de Villiers[+]
7. Ravi Ashwin
8. Stuart Broad
9. Vernon Philander
10. Dale Steyn
11. Morne Morkel

Cummins to replace Broad in two years.