Draft: Best to never play Test cricket | Draft Part 2 underway...

[CerealKiller]

James Mackay aka 'Sunny Jim'

I remember him from your Olympics league, great pick.

 

[Aislabie]

Overall Pick #16: Jimmy Boucher

Profile
Long before Ireland's "golden generation" propelled them on an improbably journey that led to bowling England out for 85 in the first session of their Lord's Test match, Ireland's best-ever cricketer had given them decades of devoted service well away from the limelight. James Chrysostom Boucher of Dublin bowled his off-breaks to great effect on both sides of the Second World War, playing the vast majority of his cricket for the Phoenix Cricket Club, mere yards from where he was born; for them, he took over 1,300 wickets, to go with his hundreds of wickets for Ireland. His great success and devotion to his skill was all the more remarkable for the face that he never considered a career in cricket. Instead, he stuck with the greater security of his career with the Electrical Supply Board.

First-class statistics
625 runs @ 13.58 (best 85) and 168 wickets @ 14.04 (18 5WI, best 7/13) in 28 matches

Finest Performances
On 11th September 1937, Ireland hosted New Zealand for a first-class match in Dublin. Though New Zealand eventually prevailed by eight wickets, Boucher's Day One spell of twelve overs, five maidens, seven wickets for thirteen runs was truly outstanding. In the second innings, things could have been entirely different had Ireland's slip fielder (which could not be the usually velcro-handed Boucher as he was bowling) not shelled a catch that would have reduced New Zealand to three wickets down without a run on the board.

Role in the Team
Alongside Frank Tarrant, Boucher forms a twin spin threat of enviable skill.

Overall Pick #17: Karl Schneider

Pictured here with "Big Ship" Warwick Armstrong​

Profile
(Marginally) before there was Bradman, there was Archie Jackson. And before there was Jackson, there was Karl Schneider. First selected as a slight seventeen-year-old for the mighty Victorian cricket team, his debut would go down in history as the match in which Bill Ponsford hit 429 out of Victoria's first-class record total of 1,059. Schneider's contribution was 55 out of a partnership of 158 with Ponsford before he was run out. However, a team with Ponsford, Woodfull, Armstrong and so many who would go down as legend was a difficult one for a young batsman to break into. He therefore relocated to South Australia whilst still barely into his twenties, and was the star batsman as South Australia won the 1926-27 Sheffield Shield, the first time they hadn't finished in last place since the 1913 season. Clearly, a batting luminary had arrived, so it was particularly tragic that he would have to leave so soon: Karl Joseph Schneider would be dead of Lukaemia before he turned 24.

First-class statistics
1,509 runs @ 48.67 (6 centuries, best 146) and 10 wickets @ 35.50 (best 2/10) in 20 matches

Finest Performances
Although he arguably batted better the following year, to average 54.22 in your first season at a new state, which was also your first season as a Sheffield Shield opening batsman, and to be a pivotal figure in an unlikely Shield triumph has to be the outstanding performance for any player. To do so at the age of 21 is ridiculous.

Role in the Team
Karl Schneider will open the batting. At only 5' 2", his adept back-foot play will come to the fore. He may also be called upon as a back-up spin bowler; though not used often in the Shield, his left-arm spin was more than competent as he once took 139 wickets in a season for Xavier College 1st XI.

Aislabie's XI so far:
1. Karl Schneider (Pick #17)
2.
3.
4. Shantanu Sugwekar (Pick #9)
5.
6. Frank Tarrant (Pick #6)
7.
8.
9. Vince van der Bijl (Pick #3)
10. Jimmy Boucher (Pick #16)
11.

Next pick:
@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

I'm sticking with Ceylon/Sri Lanka for now, and going for their great batsman MAHADEVAN SATHASIVAM

Mahadevan Sathasivam was a cavalier on and off the field. A batsman of great elegance described by Sobers as "the greatest batsman ever on earth" and by Frank Worrell as the best he'd ever seen, he was something of a play boy and dilettante off it. He batted wearing a silk shirt and a cravat, and was rumoured to occasionally have a G&T brought out at the drinks break. With the alcoholic and sexual appetite of James Bond and the elegance at the crease of a right-handed David Gower, "Satha" would have got into any team in the world at his peak. Even the legendary 1948 Australians couldn't get him out (ok, he was on 6* when rain curtailed the match).

Satha holds the distinction of being the only person to captain 3 international teams - Ceylon, Singapore, and Malaysia.

He played just 11 First Class matches, scoring 753 runs at 41.83, with 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries. His high score was 215 made vs South India and rated one of the best innnings ever played in Madras/Chennai.

Satha slots in at number 4 in the order.

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. Mahadevan Sathasivam
5. 
   
6. Clive Rice (C)
   
7. 
   
8. Gamini Goonasene
9. Garth Le Roux
10. Charles Kortright

@VC the slogger your turn next

 

[Aislabie]

With the alcoholic and sexual appetite of James Bond

I believe another common trait is that both of them killed people? Not 100% sure on Satha, but pretty sure he did

 

[blockerdave]

I believe another common trait is that both of them killed people? Not 100% sure on Satha, but pretty sure he did

Nope - he was accused of murdering his wife, but acquitted.

 

[Aislabie]

Nope - he was accused of murdering his wife, but acquitted.

Ah, that could be worse then. One of my planned picks tried to murder his wife too, but he probably won't crop up until the last round

 

[CerealKiller]

I'm sticking with Ceylon/Sri Lanka for now, and going for their great batsman MAHADEVAN SATHASIVAM

Mahadevan Sathasivam was a cavalier on and off the field. A batsman of great elegance described by Sobers as "the greatest batsman ever on earth" and by Frank Worrell as the best he'd ever seen, he was something of a play boy and dilettante off it. He batted wearing a silk shirt and a cravat, and was rumoured to occasionally have a G&T brought out at the drinks break. With the alcoholic and sexual appetite of James Bond and the elegance at the crease of a right-handed David Gower, "Satha" would have got into any team in the world at his peak. Even the legendary 1948 Australians couldn't get him out (ok, he was on 6* when rain curtailed the match).

Satha holds the distinction of being the only person to captain 3 international teams - Ceylon, Singapore, and Malaysia.

He played just 11 First Class matches, scoring 753 runs at 41.83, with 3 centuries and 3 half-centuries. His high score was 215 made vs South India and rated one of the best innnings ever played in Madras/Chennai.

Satha slots in at number 4 in the order.

1. 
   
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. Mahadevan Sathasivam
5. 
   
6. Clive Rice (C)
   
7. 
   
8. Gamini Goonasene
9. Garth Le Roux
10. Charles Kortright

@VC the slogger your turn next

My no.3 is gone

 

[VC the slogger]

Ken McEwan, who scored the second highest number of centuries (74) for a non-Test player and was one of the best middle-order batsmen in county cricket in the 1980s. Will do the full writeup later.[DOUBLEPOST=1565516528][/DOUBLEPOST]@CerealKiller

 

[CerealKiller]

Tom Pritchard
Bradman's Invincibles, who didn't lose a single match on their 1948 tour of England, reckoned that Tom Pritchard was the fastest bowler they faced. They didn't have to face him in Tests, as he was a New Zealander. His country of origin generally didn't select anyone who played abroad, which was their loss, as Pritchard finished with 818 FC wickets at 23 runs apiece. 695 of them came for Warwickshire, where he played for 10 years. Before moving to England, he came close to a Test call-up, but the Second World War denied him a cap. He was selected once again in 1949, but turned it down, as he didn't want to undermine his professional contract with Warwickshire. He actually said in later interviews that he was glad to never have played for his country, as he wouldn't have met his wife if he moved back from England.

CerealKiller's XI
1.
2.
3.
4. Amol Muzumdar
5. David Hussey
6. Franklyn Stephenson
7.
8.
9.
10. Tom Pritchard
11. Don Shepherd

@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

SURENDRA BHAVE

Staying in Asia for now, and selecting my first opener. Bhave was in the same Maharastra side as Segukwar selected by @Aislabie, and suffered the same prejudice against Pune batsmen as making "easy" runs. He was also not exactly out of school of "princely" Indian batting, being more of a sub-continental Boycott.

He made 7,971 runs at 58.18 with a high score of 292, making 28 hundreds and 27 half-centuries - a conversion rate that was testament to his determination never to waste a good start.

He opens the batting.

1. Surendra Bhave
2. 
   
3. 
   
4. Mahadevan Sathasivam
5. Clive Rice (C)
   
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. Gamini Goonasene
9. Garth Le Roux
10. Charles Kortright

@Aislabie - your go

 

[Aislabie]

Overall Pick #22: Michael Di Venuto

Profile
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, there was a slew of great Australian opening batsmen who suffered as a result of not being Michael Slater, Matthew Hayden or Justin Langer. Chief amongst them was the excellent Michael Di Venuto, who gave sustained and excellent service to Tasmania, Derbyshire and Durham without receiving national honours amounting to more than a few One-Day Internationals in which he showed a great deal of potential, and was therefore never seen again. Indeed, his only international honours in the 21st Century came in the very twilight of his playing career for Italy. For Tasmania, he scored 10,177 runs at 41 including 19 centuries; for Derbyshire, he scored 7,256 runs at 49 including another 19 centuries, and for Durham he scored 6,547 runs at 53, but with only a mere 18 centuries. This record demonstrates the sustained high standards he delivered across his career, for any team lucky enough to benefit from his services.

First-class statistics
25,200 runs @ 45.90 (60 centuries, best 254*) and 5 wickets @ 96.80 (best 1/0) in 336 matches

Finest Performances
Durham's 2009 County Championship was won on the back of Di Venuto's runs at the top of the order. Across the seasons he amassed 1,601 runs at 80.05, including his career-best unbeaten 254.

Role in the Team
My second opener; a more aggressive player than Schneider, he will be allowed to give free rein to his talents.

Aislabie's XI so far:
1. Karl Schneider (Pick #17)
2. Michael Di Venuto (Pick #22)
3.
4. Shantanu Sugwekar (Pick #9)
5.
6. Frank Tarrant (Pick #6)
7.
8.
9. Vince van der Bijl (Pick #3)
10. Jimmy Boucher (Pick #16)
11.

Next pick:
@VC the slogger

 

[VC the slogger]

Bert Kortlang, a cricketing globetrotter in the truest sense before anyone even knew what the term meant, and man who was good enough to average a staggering 131.20 in his maiden Shield season in 1909/10 after having only played in American club cricket up to that point. He also scored an unbeaten double ton aged 46 and could have ended up playing for any one of Australia, USA or New Zealand had the First World War not intervened or had NZ gained Test status a few years sooner. He finished with a very impressive FC batting average a shade below 50.

VC's XI

1. George Patterson
2. Sunny Jim Mackay
3. Bert Kortlang
4. Ken McEwan
5.
6.
7. Ryan Campbell
8. Bart King
9.
10.
11.


I have a huge piece in the works for both these guys especially Kortlang who I believe is one of the most underrated non-Test batsmen in cricketing history, but it'll have to wait until after Wednesday 'cause I've got my hands full at the moment.

@CerealKiller

 

[CerealKiller]

Ryan ten Doeschate is my pick. Apart from having the highest ODI average for anyone with over 30 matches, the Dutch international scored more than 10000 runs at an average of 46, playing mainly for Essex, which he captained, but also plying his trade in domestic cricket in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia. He is also a very handy medium pacer with more than 200 wickets at a respectable average of 33.

CerealKiller's XI
1.
2.
3. Amol Muzumdar
4. Ryan ten Doeschate
5. David Hussey
6. Franklyn Stephenson
7.
8.
9.
10. Tom Pritchard
11. Don Shepherd

@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

STEVE TIKOLO

Most of his "standout" preformances would have been in ODIs, such as his 65 vs India, 29 (top score) vs West Indies, and 96 vs Sri Lanka in the 1996 World Cup, with further 50s against England and India again in 1999. But this simply show he had the ability to prosper at the highest level, and 4,728 first class runs at 48.24 with 11 hundreds proves he had the game for the longer format too.

Tikolo was the stalwart of the fine Kenyan line up, he was called "the Black Botham" as in addition to his swashbuckling batting he bowled handy briskish medium, although over time this slowed down to gentle off spin. But whereas Beefy was more a bowler, there's no doubt batting was Tikolo's strongest suit.

I'm asking him to bat at three. If the openers get us off to a start he can accelerate, setting things up for Satha. Watching them in full flow together would be a treat. If we lose an early wicket Tikolo can bat within himself.

1. Surendra Bhave
2. 
   
3. Steve Tikolo
4. Mahadevan Sathasivam
5. Clive Rice (C)
   
6. 
   
7. 
   
8. Gamini Goonasene
9. Garth Le Roux
10. Charles Kortright

@Aislabie again (deja vu!)

 

[Aislabie]

Overall Pick #26: Bill Alley

Profile
Few players have enjoyed a more interesting career than Somerset legend Bill Alley. His sporting career began as a middleweight boxer and amateur cricketer in Sydney Grade Cricket. He amassed a professional record of 28 wins and no losses in the era before boxing careers were built on the back of journeymen who are in effect professional losers. A severe blow to the head from a cricket ball stopped his boxing career in its tracks however, and led to him adopting the latter as a second career. After a relatively late first-class debut as a 26-year-old, he made a running start to his New South Wales career with three hundreds in his first dozen Shield matches, which earned him and average in the forties and meant he was tipped for a Baggy Green by none other than Don Bradman.

However, his career changed course when he landed the most lucrative job in cricket: the professional at Blackpool Cricket Club in the golden age of the Lancashire League. This resulted in a ten-year absence from first-class cricket while he set records in the League that wouldn't be matched by players like Conrad Hunte, Garry Sobers and Hanif Mohammad. In the end, he only made his way into county cricket as a result of Somerset promising him a secure income for the next five years. So put this into context: Somerset were so impressed by Alley (who by now was English qualified, though still exceedingly Australian) that they offered a five-year contract to a 38-year-old seam-bowling all-rounder who had not played first-class cricket for a decade. And not only did he do well, but he represented the county with complete distinction for eleven years, not retiring until the end of the 1968 season, well into his 50th year.

First-class statistics
19,612 runs @ 31.88 (31 centuries, best 221*) and 768 wickets @ 22.68 (30 5WI, best 8/65) in 400 matches

Finest Performances
With the bat, Alley's best year was 1961 (aged 42). He scored 3,019 first-class runs at an average of 56.96. This included eleven centuries and his career-best unbeaten 221. As a bowler though, he didn't perform at his very best until 1962 (aged 43), when he took 112 wickets at 20.74, including six five-fors and his career-best 8 for 65. Just imagine what he would have achieved in the county game if he'd been picked up at a far younger age?

Role in the Team
Bill Alley slots into my team as an excellent batsman, who slots in at number seven so as to allow him to flourish in his other role as first-change seamer.

Aislabie's XI so far:
1. Karl Schneider (Pick #17)
2. Michael Di Venuto (Pick #22)
3.
4. Shantanu Sugwekar (Pick #9)
5.
6. Frank Tarrant (Pick #6)
7. Bill Alley (Pick #26)
8.
9. Vince van der Bijl (Pick #3)
10. Jimmy Boucher (Pick #16)
11.

Next pick:
@VC the slogger