Quick World ATG XI draft- No Bradman

[watson]

He's already batting 5 for KK team.

 

[Dan]

He's already batting 5 for KK team.

WAC

Comes in after making us wait an entire day, then picks someone who's already been picked.

 

[smash84]

damn.......David Boon then

 

[kingkallis]

LMAO, lemme plan a new draft and I'll make sure Smali sits out with Bradman!

- No Bradman. No Smali.

 

[kingkallis]

z --> monk --> rvd

 

[zaremba]

Bruce Reid

So here's my XI.

Graham Gooch
Len Hutton
Ricky Ponting
Jacques Kallis
Archie Jackson
Shiv Chanderpaul
Matt Prior (w)
Mike Procter
Wilfred Rhodes
Malcolm Marshall
Bruce Reid

Reid a bit left-field maybe, but I wanted someone who was tall and could hit the seam - I didn't feel I needed another swing bowler alongside Marshall, Procter and Kallis.

I'll give my team a little write-up when we've picked our 12th men.

 

[AndyZaltzHair]

Nice team zaremba, Shiv's giving balance there

 

[Red]

I'm taking Ian Chappell. Highly underrated (as a batsman) because his average was closer to 40 than 50.

Chappelli batted at #3 in an era of absolutely brutal pace bowling, and succeeded. He was a fine player of both pace and spin, and in my XI he'll bat at 5. He will also be the captain, being Australia's best captain of all time (along with Armstrong, Woodful, Bradman, Benaud ad Taylor). Finally, he'll strengthen our slip cordon no end.

Abbot's XI

1. Bill Ponsford
2. Bill Lawry
3. Kumar Sangakkara
4. Wally Hammond
5. Ian Chappell (c)
6. Neil Harvey
7. Les Ames (wk)
8. Kapil Dev
9. Richard Hadlee
10. Allan Donald
11. Bill O'Reilly

 

[Red]

Bruce Reid

So here's my XI.

Graham Gooch
Len Hutton
Ricky Ponting
Jacques Kallis
Archie Jackson
Shiv Chanderpaul
Matt Prior (w)
Mike Procter
Wilfred Rhodes
Malcolm Marshall
Bruce Reid

Reid a bit left-field maybe, but I wanted someone who was tall and could hit the seam - I didn't feel I needed another swing bowler alongside Marshall, Procter and Kallis.

I'll give my team a little write-up when we've picked our 12th men.

Great looking team.

Only advice i'd give is make your 12th man a pace bowler, because Reid will CERTAINLY break down in the warm up.

Great bowler Reid, real shame his body never held together for long. Definitely not out of place in ATG discussions like this.

 

[watson]

Ian Chappell is an inspired choice. However, Chappell was a 'street-fighter' who enjoyed taking on the new ball and hence is best suited to No.3. Indeed all his best innings were scored high up in the order.

I think that Kumar's elegance with the bat would appreciate an older ball.

With Chappell at first drop I think that the Abbott XI has the strongest and most adaptable batting line-up of the 9 teams selected thus far!

My only question mark is Bill Ponsford's reported lack of footwork and ability against fast bowling. Contemporary reports say that Larwood made him look very ordinary. Indeed, he was dropped more than once during his Test career and only just made the 1930 tour of England at the expence of Jack Ryder.

 

[zaremba]

Yep, Chappelli's record at 3 is outstanding, I'd certainly play him there. Sanga could bat anywhere.

 

[Red]

I bow to your ideas! Also, I like a captain that bats at 3.

Abbot's (revised) XI

1. Bill Ponsford
2. Bill Lawry
3. Ian Chappell (c)
4. Wally Hammond
5. Kumar Sangakkara
6. Neil Harvey
7. Les Ames (wk)
8. Kapil Dev
9. Richard Hadlee
10. Allan Donald
11. Bill O'Reilly

 

[watson]

Ian Chappell averaged over 50 runs at No.3 for Australia, and mostly against hostile bowling from John Snow and the Windies. Damned good effort.

Here is an interesting newspaper article from that 1930 tour;

LARWOOD GETS PONSFORD AGAIN

AUSTRALIA FIELDS WEAKEST TEAM OF TOUR (SPECIAL TO 'THE MAIL') LONDON, July 5.

Larwood. the fast Test bowler, seems to have a 'hoodoo' on Pons ford, whose finger he broke in Australia last year. Today, after sending the first ball over Ponsford's head, he bowled the Victorian for six in the match which began at Trent Bridge between Australia and Nottingham. McCabe, who has been showing great form lately, again played a fine innings.

05 Jul 1930 - LARWOOD GETS PONSFORD AGAIN AUSTRALIA FIELDS WEA...

 

[Red]

Ian Chappell averaged over 50 runs at No.3 for Australia, and mostly against hostile bowling from John Snow and the Windies. Damned good effort.

Here is an interesting newspaper article from that 1930 tour;

In the Ashes of 1930 in England, Ponsford averaged 55 against an English team containing Larwood with scores of 3, 39, 81, 14, 83 and 110 in the tests (although Larwood missed a few tests, but the 110 was against him)

 

[Dan]

I'm torn on who to select here, there's so many ATG wicketkeepers still available.
No offense to Bari, Oldfield, Tallon, Blackham et al. but I'll select the greatest English wicketkeeper of all time:

Godfrey Evans

1. Sir Jack Hobbs
2. Barry Richards
3. Charlie Macartney (6)
4. Javed Miandad
5. Douglas Jardine*
6. Frank Woolley (5)
7. Clive Rice (3)
8. Godfrey Evans+
9. Ray Lindwall (1)
10. Harold Larwood (2)
11. Muttiah Muralitharan (4)

12th man TBD

 

[kyear2]

I bow to your ideas! Also, I like a captain that bats at 3.

Abbot's (revised) XI

1. Bill Ponsford
2. Bill Lawry
3. Ian Chappell (c)
4. Wally Hammond
5. Kumar Sangakkara
6. Neil Harvey
7. Les Ames (wk)
8. Kapil Dev
9. Richard Hadlee
10. Allan Donald
11. Bill O'Reilly

Excellent middle order, openening bowlers, spinner and slip cordon, just think Dev is a weak link as your first change bowler.

 

[watson]

Excellent middle order, openening bowlers, spinner and slip cordon, just think Dev is a weak link as your first change bowler.

Good point. But I think that an early eighties Dev, say 1983, would go OK. He's not quick, but he did swing the ball a long way. Some batsman don't like that.

 

[kingkallis]

10 mins guys..

 

[watson]

In the Ashes of 1930 in England, Ponsford averaged 55 against an English team containing Larwood with scores of 3, 39, 81, 14, 83 and 110 in the tests (although Larwood missed a few tests, but the 110 was against him)

Can't argue with those numbers. Like Bob Simpson he probably improved over time. From memory he was Wisdon Cricketer of the year in 1935, or what is 1936?

 

[Red]

Excellent middle order, openening bowlers, spinner and slip cordon, just think Dev is a weak link as your first change bowler.

I don't disagree with that actually, although Kapil is undisputedly India's greatest ever quick bowler. I'll try an explain why I think he is fine as 1st change here.

I think that considering Kapil opened the bowling for India, his figures are somewhat skewed. If you look at his stats in Australia (average of 24) and the West Indies (average of 23) you get a more accurate picture of the quick bowler he was in environments that were conducive to pace bowling. Add to that the fact that he mastered bowling in India (averaged 26, SR 55) and it indicates a very good pace bowler.

I think his figures against the WIs (best team of his era) overall in that era indicate best how good he actually was. In 25 tests against them, he had an average of 25 and a SR of 52. When you analyse that data, you see what a good bowler he was.

I know I'm being a bit selective defending my man here, but I really think he's another guy whose figures don't reflect his ability.

Finally, coming in to the attack after Hadlee (miserly master bowler) and Donald (attacking venom), he can tie down an end effectively with Hammond until O'Reilly comes on to destroy the rest!