Sheep Draft Version 2.0

[Blakus]

My team:

B.O.S (Balls of Steel)
1.Barry Richards - 508 runs @ 72.57
2.Vinoo Mankad - 2109 runs @ 31.47, 162 wickets @ 32.32
3.Rahul Dravid - 11256 runs @ 53.60
4.Javed Miandad - 8832 runs @ 52.57
5.Ernest Tyldesley - 990 runs @ 55.00
6.Colin Bland - 1669 runs @ 49.08
7.Imran Khan* - 3807 runs @ 37.69, 362 wickets @ 22.81
8.John Waite+ - 2405 runs @ 30.44, 124 catches, 17 stumpings
9.Hugh Trumble - 851 runs @ 19.79, 141 wickets @ 21.78
10.Wes Hall - 818 runs @ 15.73, 192 wickets @ 26.38
11.Ian Bishop - 632 runs @ 12.15, 161 wickets @ 24.27

 

[Michaelf7777777]

Charter 77 Final XI (With Statistics)

1. Bert Suttcliffe LHB (42 Tests, 2727 runs @ 40.10)
2. Herbie Collins (VC) RHB (19 Tests, 1352 runs @ 45.06)
3. Keith Miller (C) RHB, RF (55 Tests, 2958 runs @ 36.97, 170 wickets @ 22.97)
4. Saleem Malik RHB (103 Tests, 5768 runs @ 43.69)
5. Jack Ryder LHB RM (20 Tests, 1394 runs @ 51.62, 17 wickets @ 43.70)
6. Billy Murdoch RHB WK (19 Tests, 908 runs @ 31.31)
7. Monty Noble RHB OS (42 Tests, 1997 runs @ 30.25, 121 wickets @ 25.00
8. Albert Trott RHB LS (5 Tests, 228 runs @ 38.00, 26 wickets @ 15.00)
9. Fazal Mahmood RHB RFM (34 Tests, 620 runs @ 14.09, 139 wickets @ 24.70)
10. Tom Richardson RHB RFM (14 Tests, 177 runs @ 11.06, 88 wickets @ 25.22)
11. JJ Ferris RHB LM (9 Tests, 114 runs @ 8.76, 61 wickets @ 12.70)

12. Hansie Cronje RHB RM (68 Tests, 3714 runs @ 36.41, 43 wickets @ 29.95)

 

[honestbharani]

Will list with Stats soon.. Absolutely stoked to have gotten Frank Worrell.. Fills in a space at no.5 while giving me another solid bowling option.


1. Bob Simpson - 4869 runs @ 46.81, 71 wickets @ 42.26, 3 4W hauls, 2 5W hauls.
2. Lawrence Rowe - 2047 runs @ 43.55
3. VVS Laxman - 6997 runs @ 45.50
4. Frank Worrell (c) - 3860 runs @ 49.48, 69 wickets @ 38.72, 2 4W hauls, 2 5W hauls.
5. Allan Lamb - 4656 runs @ 36.09
6. Eddie Barlow - 2516 runs @ 45.74, 40 wickets @ 34.05, 1 5W haul. (FC bowling avg. 24, didnt play much tests)
7. Kapil Dev - 5248 runs @ 31.70, 434 wickets @ 29.64, 17 4W hauls, 23 5W hauls.
8. Brendon Kuruppu(wk) - 320 runs @ 53.33 (FC avg of 37)
9. Willie Bates - 656 runs @ 27.33, 50 wickets @ 16.42, 2 4W hauls, 4 5W hauls.
10. Ron Archer - 713 runs @ 24.58, 48 wickets @ 27.45, 2 4W hauls, 1 5W haul.
11. Alec Bedser - 714 runs @ 12.75, 236 wickets @ 24.89, 11 4W hauls, 15 5W hauls.


12th Man - Ravindra Pushpakumara (YAY!!!)



Extremely satisfied with my team. Solid battin gaverages throughout. 7 good bowling options. 2 all timers with the ball alone and a beast of an off spinner, 3 all time all rounders. Hate that I ended up with Kuruppu as the keeper but it could have been worse. Really awesome that I had only one sheep all through and I got to replace him now.

 

[fredfertang]

Fred's fertangs in batting order

1. Graham Gooch

20 Test centuries and a man who carried the England batting for years – Headingley ’91 innings against the WIndies one of the best ever played

2. Charles Bannerman

Dominated the first ever Test match – his record of scoring the highest percentage of a team’s runs still, I believe, stands 133 years on – 165* - next best Aussie score over the two innings was 20

3 George Gunn

“A whimsical artist, George Gunn was capable of making runs against any attack, orthodox or unorthodox, as the mood took him. His record in a long career is outstanding..................." Averaged 40 in 15 Tests

4 Stan McCabe

Averaged 48 over 39 Tests – most underrated batsman in the history of the game – by common consensus the man who played three of the greatest innings in Test history.

5 Eddie Paynter

Cant argue with his stats – averaged 84 in his 7 Tests against the Oz

6 Aubrey Faulkner

First great South African – bowled LBG and batted – averaged 40 with the bat and 26 with the ball despite playing only against Australia and England without any average boosting Tests against South Africa

7 Stanley Jackson

Have to have a Yorkshireman – topped England batting and bowling averages in the 1905 Ashes – batting average overall more than 48 – fine fast medium bowler

8 Harold Larwood

Greatest fast bowler who ever drew breath – simple as

9 Moin Khan

Got a bit desperate for a keeper at the end but Moin is perfectly capable and a decent bat as well

10 Alan Donald

330 Test wickets at 22 – magnificent pace bowler – he and Larwood will decimate the opposition whoever they are

11 Bishen Bedi

Puts the slow in slow left arm - a true artist – 266 Test wickets at 28 apiece for a team without any pace bowlers


Twelfthers - Jason Gallian - ask KP about him!

 

[G.I.Joe]

If I'd known GI Joe was going to select Walcott I'd have gone for Andy Flower or Les Ames, but at least I've got a wicket keeper now so shouldn't really complain about having Knott as part of my team.

Once you went for Gilchrist despite having Knott, I figured you really wanted a batting keeper. Chances were you'd go for Andy Flower next, so I went for Walcott to avoid the repeat clash. Would have gone Ames, but needed the extra bit of batting Walcott provides.


Final eleven:

Michael Vaughan

RHB, 5719 runs at 41.44​

Grant Elliott

RHB, 86 runs at 10.75​

Victor Trumper

RHB, 3163 runs at 39.04​

Sachin Tendulkar (vc)

RHB, 12970 runs at 54.72, LB, OS, 44 wickets at 52.22​

Doug Walters

RHB, 5357 runs at 48.26, RM, 49 wickets at 29.08​

Clyde Walcott +

RHB, 3798 runs at 56.68, RFM, 11 wickets at 37.09, 53 catches, 11 stumpings​

Warwick Armstrong (c)

RHB, 2863 runs at 38.68, LB, RFM, 87 wickets at 33.59, Captaincy - 10 matches, 8 wins, 2 draws​

Andrew Flintoff

RHB, 3845 runs at 31.77, RF, 226 wickets at 32.78​

Len Butterfield

RHB, 0 runs at 0, RFM, 0 wickets at 0​

Frank Tyson

RHB, 230 runs at 10.95, RF, 76 wickets at 18.56​

Glenn McGrath

RHB, 641 runs at 7.36, RFM, 563 wickets at 21.64​

Openers: The men with the huge foreheads, Michael Vaughan and Grant "sheep" Elliott.

Middle Order: One of the best ever. Trumper, Tendulkar, Walters and Walcott. 'nuff said. Alongwith Vaughan, the upper order combines aesthetics and efficiency.

All Rounders: Two of the bestest ever. Armstrong and Flintoff.

Bowling lineup: McGrath and Tyson to open. McGrath to do what he's all too well known for, while Tyson blows 'em away from the other end. You guys better stock up on adult diapers for your batsmen.
Flintoff to bowl quick and strike at first change, with Armstrong to bowl either his leg breaks or medium pace depending on the situation.
Tendulkar to bowl his leg breaks or off spinners.
Butterfield to carry the mints and jellybeans. Averaged 19 with the ball at FC level, so not a bad sheep to have at all.

Think tank (see what I did thar?): Warwick Armstrong led his Australian side to 8 wins and 2 draws in 10 tests. The smallest margin of victory in his 8 wins was 119 runs, or 8 wickets. Speaks for itself. Tendulkar to deputise and provide his valuable inputs for a side that can actually follow his instructions, for a change.

Strengths: Batting down to 8. 7 guys who can roll their arm over. 5 genuine all time greats, 2 excellent all rounders.

 

[G.I.Joe]

110 centuries and 40 Five-fors in test cricket by the team.

 

[stephen]

Full side:

1. Matthew Hayden
2. Kepler Wessels
3. Viv Richards
4. Mark Waugh
5. Shiv Chaderpaul
6. Tony Greig
7. MS Dhoni
8. Anil Kumble
9. Fanie de Villiers
10. Waqar Younis
11. Brett Schultz

I love this team. Has the right balance of flair and grit in the batting, is well balanced and has an excellent bowling attack, though perhaps lacking a top shelf quick (Waqar and de Villiers though are almost there). One of the top contenders.

My team:

B.O.S (Balls of Steel)
1.Barry Richards - 508 runs @ 72.57
2.Vinoo Mankad - 2109 runs @ 31.47, 162 wickets @ 32.32
3.Rahul Dravid - 11256 runs @ 53.60
4.Javed Miandad - 8832 runs @ 52.57
5.Ernest Tyldesley - 990 runs @ 55.00
6.Colin Bland - 1669 runs @ 49.08
7.Imran Khan* - 3807 runs @ 37.69, 362 wickets @ 22.81
8.John Waite+ - 2405 runs @ 30.44, 124 catches, 17 stumpings
9.Hugh Trumble - 851 runs @ 19.79, 141 wickets @ 21.78
10.Wes Hall - 818 runs @ 15.73, 192 wickets @ 26.38
11.Ian Bishop - 632 runs @ 12.15, 161 wickets @ 24.27

I was thinking that your bowling looked a shade weak until your round 12 pick. This team is very excellent though perhaps lacking a little experience given it's an all time team. I'm sure Imran's leadership though would make up for that. What a great team.

1. Bob Simpson - 4869 runs @ 46.81, 71 wickets @ 42.26, 3 4W hauls, 2 5W hauls.
2. Lawrence Rowe - 2047 runs @ 43.55
3. VVS Laxman - 6997 runs @ 45.50
4. Frank Worrell (c) - 3860 runs @ 49.48, 69 wickets @ 38.72, 2 4W hauls, 2 5W hauls.
5. Allan Lamb - 4656 runs @ 36.09
6. Eddie Barlow - 2516 runs @ 45.74, 40 wickets @ 34.05, 1 5W haul. (FC bowling avg. 24, didnt play much tests)
7. Kapil Dev - 5248 runs @ 31.70, 434 wickets @ 29.64, 17 4W hauls, 23 5W hauls.
8. Brendon Kuruppu(wk) - 320 runs @ 53.33 (FC avg of 37)
9. Willie Bates - 656 runs @ 27.33, 50 wickets @ 16.42, 2 4W hauls, 4 5W hauls.
10. Ron Archer - 713 runs @ 24.58, 48 wickets @ 27.45, 2 4W hauls, 1 5W haul.
11. Alec Bedser - 714 runs @ 12.75, 236 wickets @ 24.89, 11 4W hauls, 15 5W hauls.

12th Man - Ravindra Pushpakumara (YAY!!!)

Extremely satisfied with my team. Solid battin gaverages throughout. 7 good bowling options. 2 all timers with the ball alone and a beast of an off spinner, 3 all time all rounders. Hate that I ended up with Kuruppu as the keeper but it could have been worse. Really awesome that I had only one sheep all through and I got to replace him now.

This team is a very solid one. Having said that I think the lack of modern players might mean that many miss just how good it is. I like it a lot, even without the "star power" of more high profile players.

Fred's fertangs in batting order

1. Graham Gooch

20 Test centuries and a man who carried the England batting for years – Headingley ’91 innings against the WIndies one of the best ever played

2. Charles Bannerman

Dominated the first ever Test match – his record of scoring the highest percentage of a team’s runs still, I believe, stands 133 years on – 165* - next best Aussie score over the two innings was 20

3 George Gunn

“A whimsical artist, George Gunn was capable of making runs against any attack, orthodox or unorthodox, as the mood took him. His record in a long career is outstanding..................." Averaged 40 in 15 Tests

4 Stan McCabe

Averaged 48 over 39 Tests – most underrated batsman in the history of the game – by common consensus the man who played three of the greatest innings in Test history.

5 Eddie Paynter

Cant argue with his stats – averaged 84 in his 7 Tests against the Oz

6 Aubrey Faulkner

First great South African – bowled LBG and batted – averaged 40 with the bat and 26 with the ball despite playing only against Australia and England without any average boosting Tests against South Africa

7 Stanley Jackson

Have to have a Yorkshireman – topped England batting and bowling averages in the 1905 Ashes – batting average overall more than 48 – fine fast medium bowler

8 Harold Larwood

Greatest fast bowler who ever drew breath – simple as

9 Moin Khan

Got a bit desperate for a keeper at the end but Moin is perfectly capable and a decent bat as well

10 Alan Donald

330 Test wickets at 22 – magnificent pace bowler – he and Larwood will decimate the opposition whoever they are

11 Bishen Bedi

Puts the slow in slow left arm - a true artist – 266 Test wickets at 28 apiece for a team without any pace bowlers


Twelfthers - Jason Gallian - ask KP about him!

I like this team, however I think that it is perhaps a little overreliant on all rounders to provide the bowling firepower. Still, Donald and Larwood are going to run through most teams before the 10th over is done. A very good team in many ways.

Once you went for Gilchrist despite having Knott, I figured you really wanted a batting keeper. Chances were you'd go for Andy Flower next, so I went for Walcott to avoid the repeat clash. Would have gone Ames, but needed the extra bit of batting Walcott provides.


Final eleven:

Michael Vaughan

RHB, 5719 runs at 41.44​

Grant Elliott

RHB, 86 runs at 10.75​

Victor Trumper

RHB, 3163 runs at 39.04​

Sachin Tendulkar (vc)

RHB, 12970 runs at 54.72, LB, OS, 44 wickets at 52.22​

Doug Walters

RHB, 5357 runs at 48.26, RM, 49 wickets at 29.08​

Clyde Walcott +

RHB, 3798 runs at 56.68, RFM, 11 wickets at 37.09, 53 catches, 11 stumpings​

Warwick Armstrong (c)

RHB, 2863 runs at 38.68, LB, RFM, 87 wickets at 33.59, Captaincy - 10 matches, 8 wins, 2 draws​

Andrew Flintoff

RHB, 3845 runs at 31.77, RF, 226 wickets at 32.78​

Len Butterfield

RHB, 0 runs at 0, RFM, 0 wickets at 0​

Frank Tyson

RHB, 230 runs at 10.95, RF, 76 wickets at 18.56​

Glenn McGrath

RHB, 641 runs at 7.36, RFM, 563 wickets at 21.64​

Openers: The men with the huge foreheads, Michael Vaughan and Grant "sheep" Elliott.

Middle Order: One of the best ever. Trumper, Tendulkar, Walters and Walcott. 'nuff said. Alongwith Vaughan, the upper order combines aesthetics and efficiency.

All Rounders: Two of the bestest ever. Armstrong and Flintoff.

Bowling lineup: McGrath and Tyson to open. McGrath to do what he's all too well known for, while Tyson blows 'em away from the other end. You guys better stock up on adult diapers for your batsmen.
Flintoff to bowl quick and strike at first change, with Armstrong to bowl either his leg breaks or medium pace depending on the situation.
Tendulkar to bowl his leg breaks or off spinners.
Butterfield to carry the mints and jellybeans. Averaged 19 with the ball at FC level, so not a bad sheep to have at all.

Think tank (see what I did thar?): Warwick Armstrong led his Australian side to 8 wins and 2 draws in 10 tests. The smallest margin of victory in his 8 wins was 119 runs, or 8 wickets. Speaks for itself. Tendulkar to deputise and provide his valuable inputs for a side that can actually follow his instructions, for a change.

Strengths: Batting down to 8. 7 guys who can roll their arm over. 5 genuine all time greats, 2 excellent all rounders.

If it wasn't for the two sheep, this would have been easily the best team. With the two sheep I think it can be competative, but is probably a shade behind some of the other sides. Tyson and McGrath would be a devastating combination I would have loved to watch bowl together.

 

[Matt79]

I'll post properly tonight when I finish work. The hard choice for me is whether I drop Bopara and go with only five specialist bats, or Hughes and have a sheep in my batting line up and only four specialist bowlers (which would be ok given one of them is Murali). I'm going to back Hughes to contribute more than Bopara and make Ravi 12th man.

 

[Shri]

Time to do one of those heavily cliched and bad write ups.

1. Matthew Hayden
If you are not an express fast bowler or a great medium pacer, you might as well consider yourself dead against this Queenslander. The greatest opener of the 00s. Enough said.

2. Kepler Wessels
Was good enough to open for Australia in the 80s and he was also the guy who lead RSA when they made their return in the 90s. Was good enough to score well against the then West Indian fast bowlers. Not as aggressive as Hayden and should compliment his style of play well by not giving his wicket away in the other end.

3. Viv Richards
You knew when he was coming. The outgoing batsman would already have disappeared into the pavilion, and the expectation of what was to follow filled the air. Viv kept you waiting ... time to ponder. Then he appeared, sauntering, swaggering, arms windmilling slowly. He would take guard, and then, head tilted back slightly and cudding his gum, he would walk a few paces down the pitch to tap it while looking the bowler in the eye. It was calculated menace and magnificent theatre from arguably the most devastating batsman of all time. How to bowl to him? Get him to the other end, perhaps.(Ripped from his cricinfo profile)

4. Mark Waugh
One word - stylish. And, unstoppable when in full flow. Next.

5. Shiv Chaderpaul
The second best West Indian batsman of the modern era after Brian Lara. Always steps up and performs when his team is in dire straits. Handles test pressure like few others can at the moment in the game.

6. Tony Greig
The link man in the side. Scored good runs for his side and bowled well enough to be considered a very good all rounder. Can score runs against all types of bowlers in any given conditions. Provides solid balance to the side. Was also a charismatic leader of his side when he captained 'em.

7. MS Dhoni +
The wicket keeper of the side. Doesn't look like scoring runs when he bats in test matches if he defends but is one of the best counter attacking batsmen in the world at the moment. Can add quick runs to the lead or total when the situation arises.

8. Anil Kumble (C)
Work horse leg spinner who can bowl all day long when conditions don't suit bowlers without giving too many runs. Can run through sides and rip them apart if there is uneven bounce and a bit of turn. Can also tough it out at times as a batsman. Only the second bowler in test match history to take all 10 wickets in an innings.

9. Fanie de Villiers
Very accurate fast bowler who could both take wickets and maintain a good economy. Did not fade away as a bowler even after he lost a bit of pace as he got old. Genuinely good swing bowler.

10. Waqar Younis
One of the gretest fast bowlers to come out of Pakistan. Could rattle the very best of batsmen when on song with pace and swing. Arguably the greatest pace bowler of the 90s along with the likes of Donald and Akram. Dangerous reverse swinger with the old ball too.

11. Brett Schultz
Left arm pace bowler whose career was cut off by injuries. Devastatingly quick through the air but had the tendency to be wayward at times. Explosive pacer who could add flair to the boling line up.

 

[Matt79]

My final XI:

Len Hutton* (6971 @ 56.67, 19 100s)
Conrad Hunte (3245 @ 45.06, 8 100s)
Ted Dexter (4502 @ 47.89, 9 100s. 66 wks @ 34.93, 1.1 wpm)
Greg Chappell (7110 @ 53.86, 24 100s)
Seymour Nurse (2523 @ 47.60, 6 100s)
Jack Gregory (1146 @ 36.96, 2 100s, 85 wks @ 31.15, 3.5 wpm, 4 5w)
Rashid Latif+ (1381 @ 28.77, 1 100. 119 cts, 11 st)
Ray Lindwall (1502 @ 21.15, 2 100s. 228 wkts @ 23.03, 3.7 wpm, 12 5w)
Merv Hughes (1032 @ 16.64, 212 wks @ 28.38, 4 wpm, 7 5w)
Bill Johnston (160 wks @ 23.91, 4 wpm, 7 5w)
Muttiah Muralitharan (792 wks @ 22.71, 6 wpm, 66 5w)

My team includes 71 centuries, and 96!! 5 wicket hauls (although more than 2/3 of those come from Murali alone!)

Quite happy with the final combination of my XI. Murali is obviously my greatest weapon and match winner, although he's dominance/centrality to the attack will be lesser than in real life as part of a five man attack of such depth, variety and quality. That said, he'll do what he does, which he does better than anyone else is history.

Lindwall and Gregory to take the new ball, with Hughes to come on as change with the breeze and Johnston to bowl probing spells into the wind. Having four quicks, AND the small matter of Murali to tie down an end for long spells, all my pace bowlers can bowl flat out seeking to strike, although all, esp. Lindwall, Johnston and Hughes can bowl long, tight spells as well if needed. Johnston as a leftie provides variety, the other three are all genuinely fast, and Lindwall was as crafty and dangerous a quick as ever has been.

My batting is slightly shorter in terms of top-notch quality than would be ideal. Gregory is a dangerous all-rounder but 6 is maybe one spot too high for him. That said, he has a higher average than my other choice (Bopara), and Latif and Lindwall are quality numbers 7 and 8.

Quite pleased to have Latif. My earlier attempts to get a wicket keeper had been frustrated and Latif, to quote Cricinfo, is the best gloveman Pakistan has had since Wasim Bari. Averaging nearly 30 with the bat, he's a useful lower order contributor as well. Plus he can always 'manufacture' a catch if required.

Hutton and Chappell are the two pillars of my batting. One is, IMO, the equal 2nd best opener ever after Hobbs (tied with Sunny), the other is clearly the second best Australian batsman of all time, ahead of names like Ponting, Waugh, Border etc, and can sensibly be considered as a candidate for the second best batsman of all time. Chappell played cricket for the best part of a decade and a half, facing the great Windies attacks, Botham, Imran and Hadlee in their bowling pomp, missing a couple of years of 'official' cricket at his peak. No-one he played with or against in a Test finished their career with a better batting average.

Hunte and Nurse are today, one suspects, two vastly underrated Windies players who were crucial parts of Worrell and Sobers' teams. They will be solid rocks. Dexter is a great number three, and a useful back up seamer should one of my bowlers go down.

The difficult choice I had at the end was whether to strengthen my batting line up by leaving Bopara in and replacing Hughes with Lindwall. This was very tempting as I firmly believe that with a spinner the quality of Murali, a four man attack is enough given the number of overs that spinner will bowl, and given my preference for Gregory to be at 7 rather than 6. That said, Bopara simply isn't good enough - inserting another guy who averages 30 with the bat isn't going to make a massive difference, and what I lose in batting by keeping Hughes above Bopara I get back in spades in terms of my bowling depth and what that would mean in terms of the ability for all four quicks to go flat out. In the final estimation, Hughes adds more in terms of helping to win matches in most circumstances than Bopara would.

 

[NUFAN]

Awesome write ups and teams. I think we are just waiting on Marcuss and kof98 to name their teams..

We'll do voting once we have everyone's XI's.

 

[Matt79]

btw, my team's name is "Underwater Attack Tigers". Yes, they're really THAT cool!

 

[Blakus]

Everyone else is doing write-ups so I'm gonna join in. Can't let my team go without good advertising

Barry Richards
Almost unanimously considered the greatest opener SA have ever produced despite his limited test appearances, Richards will ensure that my team gets of to great starts..

Vinoo Mankad
Arguably India's greatest allrounder, don't let his statistics fool you. As an opener he averaged 40 and scored all 5 of his tons. Also gives the team a fantastic second spin option.

Rahul Dravid
The 'Wall' combines watertight defense, an unmatched ability to form partnerships and over 11000 test runs to make the perfect number 3. Undoubtedly one of the best batsmen of his generation.

Javed Miandad
Pakistan's greatest batsman and one of crickets ultimate street fighters. Along with Dravid, he's the backbone of my batting. He guarantees that I'll always have a competitive total.

Ernest Tyldesley
One of those batsmen who can consider themselves unlucky to have not played more tests. If a batting average of 55 from 14 test doesn't show his skill, then his 103 first class centuries do.

Colin Bland
His brilliant fielding often clouds the excellence of his batting. A hard hitting batsman with an average of just over 49, he rounds out a brilliant middle-order.

Imran Khan
The ultimate superstar of my side. One of the greatest ever fast bowlers, a dangerous lower order batsman and an outstanding captain. They don't come much better than this.

John Waite
My personal choice for the SA all time XI. A wonderful competitor with the bat, at number 8 he caps of an obscenely long batting line-up. With the gloves he is both safe and skilled.

Hugh Trumble
Australia's finest off-spinner and one of only 3 men to have taken 2 test hat-tricks. Crafty and capable on flat pitch, on a spinners track he becomes a genuine terror. With Mankad, he forms one of the best spin partnerships going around.

Wes Hall
The first of the great West Indies pace bowlers. A hostile and fast new ball bowler, he makes a perfect partner for Imran opening the bowling.

Ian Bishop
A fantastic bolwer before injuries curtailed his career, Bishop makes the perfect first change. With his fast outswingers batsmen can't rest easy

All in all I'm delighted with the way my team has turned out. I don't really see any weaknesses with it and it has plenty of strengths. A powerful and secure top 6, deep lower order batting and a well rounded bowling attack, capable of taking advantage of any surface.

 

[Matt79]

Yeah, that's a pretty sweet side. Amazing what the last minute inclusion of Imran does to this team. Funny thing is though, that Gubby Allen was hardly a slouch with ball or bat either. Am I right in thinking you're the only one who avoided a sheep for the entire draft?

 

[honestbharani]

Yeah, that's a pretty sweet side. Amazing what the last minute inclusion of Imran does to this team. Funny thing is though, that Gubby Allen was hardly a slouch with ball or bat either. Am I right in thinking you're the only one who avoided a sheep for the entire draft?

He got Rahul Dravid for a sheep!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Damn metallics!!!

 

[honestbharani]

My final XI:

Len Hutton* (6971 @ 56.67, 19 100s)
Conrad Hunte (3245 @ 45.06, 8 100s)
Ted Dexter (4502 @ 47.89, 9 100s. 66 wks @ 34.93, 1.1 wpm)
Greg Chappell (7110 @ 53.86, 24 100s)
Seymour Nurse (2523 @ 47.60, 6 100s)
Jack Gregory (1146 @ 36.96, 2 100s, 85 wks @ 31.15, 3.5 wpm, 4 5w)
Rashid Latif+ (1381 @ 28.77, 1 100. 119 cts, 11 st)
Ray Lindwall (1502 @ 21.15, 2 100s. 228 wkts @ 23.03, 3.7 wpm, 12 5w)
Merv Hughes (1032 @ 16.64, 212 wks @ 28.38, 4 wpm, 7 5w)
Bill Johnston (160 wks @ 23.91, 4 wpm, 7 5w)
Muttiah Muralitharan (792 wks @ 22.71, 6 wpm, 66 5w)

My team includes 71 centuries, and 96!! 5 wicket hauls (although more than 2/3 of those come from Murali alone!)

Quite happy with the final combination of my XI. Murali is obviously my greatest weapon and match winner, although he's dominance/centrality to the attack will be lesser than in real life as part of a five man attack of such depth, variety and quality. That said, he'll do what he does, which he does better than anyone else is history.

Lindwall and Gregory to take the new ball, with Hughes to come on as change with the breeze and Johnston to bowl probing spells into the wind. Having four quicks, AND the small matter of Murali to tie down an end for long spells, all my pace bowlers can bowl flat out seeking to strike, although all, esp. Lindwall, Johnston and Hughes can bowl long, tight spells as well if needed. Johnston as a leftie provides variety, the other three are all genuinely fast, and Lindwall was as crafty and dangerous a quick as ever has been.

My batting is slightly shorter in terms of top-notch quality than would be ideal. Gregory is a dangerous all-rounder but 6 is maybe one spot too high for him. That said, he has a higher average than my other choice (Bopara), and Latif and Lindwall are quality numbers 7 and 8.

Quite pleased to have Latif. My earlier attempts to get a wicket keeper had been frustrated and Latif, to quote Cricinfo, is the best gloveman Pakistan has had since Wasim Bari. Averaging nearly 30 with the bat, he's a useful lower order contributor as well. Plus he can always 'manufacture' a catch if required.

Hutton and Chappell are the two pillars of my batting. One is, IMO, the equal 2nd best opener ever after Hobbs (tied with Sunny), the other is clearly the second best Australian batsman of all time, ahead of names like Ponting, Waugh, Border etc, and can sensibly be considered as a candidate for the second best batsman of all time. Chappell played cricket for the best part of a decade and a half, facing the great Windies attacks, Botham, Imran and Hadlee in their bowling pomp, missing a couple of years of 'official' cricket at his peak. No-one he played with or against in a Test finished their career with a better batting average.

Hunte and Nurse are today, one suspects, two vastly underrated Windies players who were crucial parts of Worrell and Sobers' teams. They will be solid rocks. Dexter is a great number three, and a useful back up seamer should one of my bowlers go down.

The difficult choice I had at the end was whether to strengthen my batting line up by leaving Bopara in and replacing Hughes with Lindwall. This was very tempting as I firmly believe that with a spinner the quality of Murali, a four man attack is enough given the number of overs that spinner will bowl, and given my preference for Gregory to be at 7 rather than 6. That said, Bopara simply isn't good enough - inserting another guy who averages 30 with the bat isn't going to make a massive difference, and what I lose in batting by keeping Hughes above Bopara I get back in spades in terms of my bowling depth and what that would mean in terms of the ability for all four quicks to go flat out. In the final estimation, Hughes adds more in terms of helping to win matches in most circumstances than Bopara would.

for mine, yours is the best side... u got any sheep btw?

 

[Matt79]

Ravi Bopara.

If it's true that Blakus got Dravid for a sheep (cbf going back and checking) that's ****ed and whoever did that may have handed him the win...

EDIT: It's not true. Blakus got Dravid in Round 10B. After that, but before the final results for Round 10, Metallics nominated Dravid to be a sheep, however Blakus had already selected him at that point. If I'm reading it properly. Would have ruled Blakus out for my vote if he'd got Dravid as a sheep tbh.

 

[honestbharani]

Ravi Bopara.

If it's true that Blakus got Dravid for a sheep (cbf going back and checking) that's ****ed and whoever did that may have handed him the win...

EDIT: It's not true. Blakus got Dravid in Round 10B. After that, but before the final results for Round 10, Metallics nominated Dravid to be a sheep, however Blakus had already selected him at that point. If I'm reading it properly. Would have ruled Blakus out for my vote if he'd got Dravid as a sheep tbh.

oh.. got it wrong then... sorry metallics..



Anyways, was in jest, even though I know it is hard to believe...

 

[honestbharani]

wanna do a write up but stuck in work all day. Will post one tomorrow if u guys dont mind the delay..

 

[kof98]

----------------------------Runs--------Ave--------Wickets--------Average--------Cts
1 Michael Slater ------5312--------42.83--------1----------------10----------------33
2 Herchelle Gibbs-----6167--------41.95--------0----------------N/A----------------94
3 Ricky Ponting--------11561------54.79--------5----------------48.40----------------162
4 Jacques Kallis-------10633------54.80--------259----------------31.36----------------151
5 Ijaz Ahmed------------3315--------37.67--------2----------------38.50----------------45
6 Allan Border-----------11174------50.56--------39----------------39.10----------------156
7 R. Kaluwitharana----1933--------26.12--------0----------------N/A----------------93(26)
8 Shane Warne---------3154--------17.32--------708----------------25.41----------------125
9 Harbajhan Singh-----1525--------16.75--------343----------------30.82----------------39
10 Geoff Lawson--------894--------15.96--------180----------------30.56----------------10
11 Andy Caddick-------861--------10.37--------234---------------- 29.91----------------21

The batsmen

With Slater and Gibbs opening the innings is sure to get off to the proverbial flyer. The batsman from 3 to 6 have amassed a total of 36,683 runs, including 110 centuries and 177 half centuries, between them. Even if one of the openers slashes at a wide one and nicks off early, at number 3 is Ricky Ponting who is surely the best number three batsman that the game of cricket has seen since the turn of the century. Jacques Kallis prefers batting at 4 due to the possible workload of bowling but is not far behind Ponting in terms of batting ability. Both of these batsmen will ensure that damage is minimised should the openers be removed and will be able to score the runs when they are most difficult to get. Ijaz Ahmed averages below 40 however he has a tremendous conversation rate and has scored as many test match hundreds as he has fifties. He will not be giving it away after the great platform provided by the earlier batsmen. In home and away matches against Australia (the dominant team in his career), he has scored 1085 runs at an average of 47.17 with six hundreds and one fifty. Clearly he is a player who has big match temperament. The captain of the team is in next with suitable qualifications as proven while captaining Australia.

The bowlers

It doesn’t matter that no one below 6 is a recognised batsmen as the top order should be able to get all the runs that will be required. Having said that none of these players are a slouch with the bat and will be able to slog some handy runs towards the end of an innings or keep one of the batsman company. Opening the bowling will be Andy Caddick and Geoff Lawson. Neither has any claim to being the best bowler of their respective era but what they do bring to the team is the experience of playing against teams that were usually much stronger than their own. Jacques Kallis will be the first change bowler and resident expert on swing bowling.

The strength of the team’s bowling lies in the spinners. Harbhajan Singh and Shane Warne provide the dream choice for anyone who insists on variety in a bowling attack. One is a wily legspinner who is able to thrive on pitches that should favour the faster bowlers while the other is a tall offspinner that would terrorise any batsmen on the dustbowls of the subcontinent. In terms of variations of deliveries, all of them will be on display. There will be the offspinner, the legspinner, the doosra, the wrong ‘un, the top spinner, the flipper and many other deliveries whose names will be made up purely for psychological value.

Wicketkeeper and fielding

Romesh Kaluwitharana will be taking up the gloves. He is a wicketkeeper rather than a wicketkeeper/batsman and it is the former that will be most valuable to this team. His expertise in keeping up to spinners will no doubt be more useful than any runs scored down the order.

In the field the team boasts several outstanding close catchers, athletic fielders and a few strong throwing arms too.

Overall, this is a team that you would not want to lose the toss against because the game could be over before it has begun. As that old saying goes, if you win the toss and the wicket is good bat first. If you’re not sure what to do, think about it for a few seconds and bat first anyway.