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Cricket stuff that doesn't deserve its own thread

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peterhrt

U19 Cricketer
AndrewB said:
He was also in Derek Lodge's "Rest of the World - no Tests" XI in "Figures on the Green" from 1982 (Tarilton, Trimble, Bill Alley, Thompson, Carmody, Tarrant, Smith, King, Sismey, Walsh, Massie).
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Interesting that Tarilton makes this team but not the West Indian one.

Derek Lodge was a brilliant cricket statistician - perhaps the best. His write-ups really made the numbers come to life.
 
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peterhrt

U19 Cricketer
The Sean said:
That's a fascinating selection - it's extraordinary to me that in 1957 Everton Weekes wouldn't be selected for an all time West Indian XI.

Do you have any of the discussion or narrative around that selection? It would be interesting to know when in 1957 that team was picked, specifically if it was after that year's tour of England, where Weekes made just 195 runs at 19.5. Or if it was simply that among certain observers of his time he was actually rated third of the Ws.
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There was quite a lot of narrative around the selection.

The book claims to be the first-ever history of West Indian cricket. It was written by Christopher Nicole who is still alive and has written over 200 novels under various pseudonyms, including Peter Grange, Robin Cade and Alison York. The book was published in early 1957 before the tour to England. Later that year Nicole moved from the Caribbean to Guernsey where he still lives.

A key part of his selection thought process comes early on:

"Goddard has to remain as captain, for a top-class captain is the most valuable player on any side, and this means that either Weekes or Walcott must go, for I would not suggest leaving out Worrell or Headley."

The West Indian captaincy was highly political at the time. Goddard had just been brought back as captain, an unpopular move. His full-time predecessor Stollmeyer promptly retired. Denis Atkinson had stood in for Stollmeyer. All three were white, but it may have been just as significant that they were all amateurs. The West Indian board was even keener than MCC on amateur captains.

The Three Ws were all excellent tacticians who often decided the tactics on the field, in a similar way that Hobbs and Rhodes used to for England. Walcott had just led British Guiana to the domestic championship as captain. All three Ws had been paid professionals in the Lancashire League. None were on particularly good terms with Goddard.

Coming back to Nicole's team, he could easily have accommodated Weekes had he wanted to. Stollmeyer was regarded by most teammates as a better tactician and man-manager than Goddard, who was not otherwise worth his place in the side. Keeper Barrow could have opened the batting. Walcott could have kept wicket (the author in any case thought Cyril Christiani the best wicket-keeper to date). Nicole and/or his publishers appear to have been in the pro-Goddard camp.

Pre-Test and Post-Test era teams were also selected:

Pre-Test: Challenor, Tarilton, Ince, Percy Goodman, Lebrun Constantine, Austin*+, Joe Small, Sydney Smith, Snuffy Browne, Clifford Goodman, George Francis.

Post-Test: Stollmeyer, Barrow+, Headley, Worrell, Weekes, Walcott, Goddard*, Learie Constantine, Martindale, Ramadhin, Valentine.

Apologies for the long post. West Indian posters here may know more of the background.
 
honestbharani

honestbharani

Whatever it takes!!!
RossTaylorsBox said:
Yeah that's what I was trying to describe. Is it legal for them to start near the boundary as long as they're inside the crease line.
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I think there should be (or at least, I guess there would be) some verbiage that indicates they have to be in the umpire's eyeline or something. Of course, the runners used to run from the square side and I seem to recall some non-strikers standing well away to help with the calling when there was a runner situation going on.

But with the RONSBU effect etc., I dont think the umpire's would allow the players to stand too far away and ensure they be in reasonable distance from the umpires themselves.

I do remember Bairstow and a few other English batsmen annoying the **** out of AshWIN by standing way too closer to the stumps as non-strikers. For some reason, it seemed to put him off during his action. :laugh:
 
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WICFan

U19 Captain
Paul Stirling missing the upcoming test matches and probably also the test against England in June due to rest and then play for Warwickshire until Maxwell arrives after the IPL.
 
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