Cricinfo Best Test 11 from last 25 years

[trundler]

This thread got pretty dire over the last couple of pages. I cant always be awake and running this show, people.

 

[Engle]

Geoffrey Boycott plays for your club?

He did for awhile. But we dropped the beggar. He was just an ' average ' player

 

[Victor Ian]

Averaged over 40 until his last series in an era where 40 made you a very good player. Could play, but was shot by 84.

Rod Marsh retired the same year as GC and DK - 83/84. 12 months later Border was made skipper and Hughes left for SA with alderman and rackeman. Boon debuted in 84-85 but was inconsistent. Lawson came home from the 85 Ashes with stress fractures.

His vice captain was andrew hilditch ffs. The all rounder on the 85 tour was O’Donnell. The keeper was Wayne Phillips. Dirk Wellham was in the squad. They had no one.

85-86, with Lawson injured he had the night of Dave Gilbert, Chris Matthews, Tony Dodemaide, Simon Davis and Merv Hughes on debut to call on. Greg Ritchie was in the middle order and Greg Dyer then Tim Zoehrer kept. Dean Jones batted three and was the myth he always was, only younger. Steve Waugh debuted that year and wasn’t ready. The allrounder was Greg Matthews who, tbf, had a great couple of years and was actually a test class batsman, albeit batting seven.

Put simply, it was a horrible, horrible side.

Such forgettable names. That's a marvelous effort to be able to recall so many. I loved Greg Ritchie but it was never for his batting. From this era, you could make a really poor 11 of names that most people would question 'who the ****'. I still recall the new broadcast announcing Waugh, O'Donnell and McDermott to be making a debut for something (maybe test, maybe ODI) and them all looking so young and full of hope to be playing and me hoping it would help Australia turn the corner. By chance, can you remember what game that was for?

 

[TheJediBrah]

1st Match, Benson & Hedges World Series Cup at Melbourne, Jan 6 1985 | Match Summary | ESPNCricinfo

O'Donnell and McDermott debuted in the same ODI game

Steve Waugh didn't come around til the next year

 

[Burgey]

Dud Australian XI of the 80s, except for TOTAB:

Andrew Hilditch
Steve Smith (not that one)
Dirk Wellham
TOTAB
Greg Ritchie
Simon O'Donnell
Tim Zoehrer/ Greg Dyer
Peter Sleep
Tony Dodemaide
Simon Davis
Chris Matthews

There's some serious merde there.

 

[cnerd123]

There's some serious merde there.

Just like your posts

 

[TheJediBrah]

There's some serious merde there.

Honorary Chennai XI

 

[Burgey]

I should add that if there was a turning deck I would bring in the great Murray Bennett or Dutchy Holland and reluctantly omit the once-in-a-generation talent of Simon Davis.

Likewise, if it was a seaming wicket and we really wanted to take the Windies head-on, I'd sub out Sounda and bring in the mighty Dave Gilbert.

 

[Red]

Dud Australian XI of the 80s, except for TOTAB:

Andrew Hilditch
Steve Smith (not that one)
Dirk Wellham
TOTAB
Greg Ritchie
Simon O'Donnell
Tim Zoehrer/ Greg Dyer
Peter Sleep
Tony Dodemaide
Simon Davis
Chris Matthews

There's some serious merde there.

This is the first cricket I watched.

I always thought Tony Dodemaide had a lot of talent and he might have been better in a stronger XI. Simon O'Donnell was an early hero of mine and I thought he was a lot better than he actually was. He was a good ODI all rounder though. Wellham was not quite good enough at the very top level but I think they wanted him as leadership back up. Greg Richie obviously a huge influence on Mark Cosgrave's career.. The other bowlers and batters are all just so meh.