Decade/Country test draft

[Red]

Clive Lloyd

 

[Fuller Pilch]

Courtney Walsh to finish

 

[Fuller Pilch]

WG Grace 1880s E * 32.29; 26.22
Matthew Hayden 1990s A 50.73
Everton Weekes 1940s WI 58.61
Wally Hammond 1920s E 58.45; 37.80
Martin Donnelly 1930s NZ 52.90
Andy Flower 1990s Z + 51.54; (C/S) 151/9
Mushtaq Mohammed 1950s P 39.17; 29.22
Ravi Ashwin 2010s I 28.73; 25.36
Peter Pollock 1960s SA 21.27; 24.18
Dennis Lillee 1970s A 13.71; 23.92
Courtney Walsh 1980s WI 7.54; 24.44

Actually ended up with 10 decades (Hayden and Flower from the 90s, but the rest different).

Amazing batting and bowling depth.

 

[morgieb]

Johnny Briggs, ENG, 1880's

 

[mr_mister]

Ill go Murray Goodwin from Zim

 

[JOJOXI]

Tough final pick between the England pacers remaining but I'll go with George Lohmann, Eng, 1880s

 

[AndrewB]

Frank Tyson (Eng 1950s)

Barry Richards (SA 1970s)
Hanif Mohammad (PK 1950s)
Kumar Sangakkara+ (SL 2000s)
Vijay Hazare (Ind 1940s)
Steve Waugh* (Aus 1980s)
Shivnarine Chanderpaul (WI 1990s)
Aubrey Faulkner (SA 1900s)
Learie Constantine (WI 1920s)
Frank Tyson (Eng 1950s)
Jack Cowie (NZ 1930s)
Sydney Barnes (Eng 1900s)

 

[mr_mister]

Gordon Greenidge
Arthur Morris
Charlie MaCartney
Sachin Tendulkar
Graeme Pollock
Murray Goodwin
Brendon Mccullum +
Wasim Akram
Harold Larwood
Hedley Verity
Colin Croft

 

[Line and Length]

Perhaps a major criticism of this side would be the relative inexperience of the two openers who have played just 21 Tests between them. However, their performances have been stellar as their averages indicate. There is plenty of batting to follow if they failed. Having Nurse at # 3 is a bonus as he averages 86.22 when batting there. The next two need no introduction and make a powerful middle order. Mathews is selected more for his batting but can add variety to a strong bowling attack. Ames is a fine keeper/batsman and Pollock an often under-rated all-rounder. The side has century makers in the first 8 positions and the final 3 aren't 'bunnies'.

Player	Batting	Bowling
Stewie Dempster	65.73 incl 2 centuries
Mayank Agarwal	57.29 incl 3 centuries
Seymour Nurse	47.60 incl 6 centuries
Steve Smith (c)	62.84 incl 26 centuries
Javed Miandad	52.57 incl 23 centuries
Angelo Mathews	45.31 incl 10 centuries	33 w @ 52.88
Leslie Ames (w/kp)	40.57 incl 8 centuries
Shaun Pollock	32.32 incl 2 centuries	421 w @ 23.12
Shane Warne	17.33	708 w @ 25.42
Fred Trueman	13.82	307 w @ 21.58
Ian Bishop	12.15	161 w @ 24.29

 

[trundler]

Jack Hobbs
Saeed Anwar
Younus Khan
Greg Chappell
Virat Kohli
Dave Houghton+
Chris Cairns 3
Richie Benaud* 5
Malcolm Marshall 1
Hugh Tayfield 4
Brian Statham 2

 

[Teuton]

VVS Laxman

 

[JOJOXI]

Jack Hobbs
Alistair Cook
Younus Khan
Greg Chappell
Virat Kohli
Dave Houghton+
Chris Cairns 3
Richie Benaud* 5
Malcolm Marshall 1
Hugh Tayfield 4
Brian Statham 2

That makes three England players if I'm not mistaken? Hobbs, Cook and Statham?

 

[Teuton]

Victor Trumper	Aus	1890s
Eddie Barlow	SA	1960s
George Headley	WI	1930s
Mahela Jayawardene	SL	1990s
VVS Laxman	Ind	1990s
Allan Border c	Aus	1970s
MS Dhoni	Ind	2000s
Richard Hadlee	NZ	1970s
Alec Bedser	Eng	1940s
Jim Laker	Eng	1940s
Waqar Younis	Pak	1980s

 

[mr_mister]

Top shelf bowling as per

 

[Red]

Red Hill CC

Len Hutton ENG: 1930s
Bruce Mitchell SA: 1920s
Ricky Ponting AUS: 1990s
Joe Root ENG: 2010s
Bert Sutcliffe NZ: 1940s
Clive Lloyd WI: 1960s *
Kapil Dev IND: 1970s
Tatenda Taibu: ZIM: 2000s +
Alan Davidson: AUS: 1950s
Saeed Ajmal: PAK: 2000s
Joel Garner: WI: 1970s

 

[JOJOXI]

JOJOXI

Player Name	Nationality	Decade	Batting Average	Bowling Average
Sunil Gavaskar	IND	1970s	10122 runs @ 51.12
Bob Simpson (captain)	AUS	1950s	4869 runs @ 46.81	71 wickets @ 42.26
Rahul Dravid	IND	1990s	13288 runs @ 52.31
Marnus Labuschagne	AUS	2010s	1459 runs @ 53.43	12 wickets @ 38.66
Clyde Walcott	WI	1940s	3798 runs @ 56.68	11 wickets @ 37.09
Saleem Malik	PAK	1980s	5768 runs @ 43.69
BJ Watling (keeper)	NZ	2000s	3658 runs @ 38.50	241 catches/8 stumpings
Mike Proctor	SA	1960s	226 runs @ 25.11	41 wickets @ 15.02
Andy Roberts	WI	1970s	762 runs @ 14.94	202 wickets @ 25.61
George Lohmann	ENG	1880s	213 runs @ 8.87	112 wickets @ 10.75
Muttiah Muralitharan	SL	1990s	1261 runs @ 11.67	800 wickets @ 22.72

Pretty happy with how squad ended up - might have went with Waqar Younis over Proctor in hindsight and try and get a stronger number 6 batsman but Saleem Malik has played over 100 Test matches so an experienced batsman who averages 56.82 in 36 innings at number 6. Happy with top 5 who have all been prolific in Test match cricket and have in Murali someone I'd argue is the standout spinner (along with Warne).

Watling isn't a Gilchrist or Flower but is a solid fighter who when he scores runs they tend to be big runs digging a side out of a hole. Also frees up Clyde Walcott who averages 40 with the gloves but 64 as a specialist batsman.

Better pace attacks around in this draft but I'm pretty happy with mine. Andy Roberts a top fast bowler and Mike Proctor averaging 15 with the ball in his 7 Tests against the Aussies combined with his FC record makes him good enough as a fast bowler alone, his batting capabilities a bonus I'd argue. Last pick I was torn between Lohmann and Snow but even factoring in the fact that cricket now and in the late 1800s are likely to have been poles apart he has a great record and we have pace in Roberts and Proctor so the drop off in pace isn't the worst thing in my view.

Bob Simpson with his leggies would fill in any overs needed as would Marnus Labuschagne and if on a spinning deck they could play a slightly bigger role accompanying the main man Murali.

 

[honestbharani]

Javed Miandad

 

[Shri]

John Wright (NZ 1970s)

1. John Wright (NZ 1970s)
2. Bill Ponsford (Aus 1920s)
3. Viv Richards * (WI 1970s)
4. Jacques Kallis (SA 1990s)
5. Ab de Villiers (SA 2000s)
6. Vinoo Mankad (Ind 1940s)
7. Prasanna Jayawardene + (SL 2000s)
8. Pat Cummins (Aus 2010s)
9. Derek Underwood (Eng 1960s)
10. Wes Hall (WI 1950s)
11. Shoaib Akhtar (Pak 1990s)

 

[Line and Length]

Javed Miandad

Already taken

 

[honestbharani]

Younis Khan