Budget Draft: 10 Test Centuries

[Yash.]

My pick would be Stewie Dempster

Arguable, the greatest batsman from New Zealand, ever.
With 723 runs from 10 tests at an average of 60, he holds one of the highest averages in Test crucket putting a 10 inning cutoff. Also, he made 2 centuries in test cricket.

He was a cosistent and dependable no. 4 in county cricket with over 12000 runs at an average of 45. He'll bat no. 4 in my team and follow up from the big platform set by Barnes and Kirsten.[DOUBLEPOST=1588709912][/DOUBLEPOST]@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

Another "old faithful" pick for me, Stuart Law. FC average over 50 for the cost of 0 centuries, yes please.

over to @ahmedleo414

 

[ahmedleo414]

I'm going with Dale Steyn... yes I promise, he will be my last bowler (specialist)...

Stats|Matches|Wkts| Ave|Econ|BBI|BBM|5w/10w
First-Class |141|618|23.57|3.21|8/41|?|35/7
Test |93|439|22.95|3.24|7/51|11/60|26/5

here is his bio from wiki:

"He is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers of all time. During the 2007/08 season Steyn achieved a tally of 78 wickets at an average of 16.24, and was subsequently rewarded with the ICC 2008 Test Cricketer of the Year Award. He was named one of the Wisden Cricketers of the Year in 2013, and Wisden Leading Cricketer in the World for the year 2013 in 2014’s Wisden Cricketers' Almanack.

Steyn dominated the number one spot in the ICC Test rankings during the peak of his career, for a record 263 weeks between 2008 and 2014. Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan sits next on the list with 214 weeks. In terms of days, Steyn has spent 2,356 days at the top as of 6 October 2016, the most by any bowler since World War II. In October 2012, former South African test cricketer Allan Donald called the South African pace attack, which Steyn was part of, alongside Vernon Philander and Morne Morkel, the best South Africa has ever produced. In December 2018, during the first Test against Pakistan, Steyn became the leading wicket taker for South Africa in Test cricket, previously held by all-rounder and former-captain Shaun Pollock."



My Team:

1.
2. Wilfred Rhodes (2 centuries)
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8. Shane Warne (0 centuries)
9. Dale Steyn (0 centuries)
10. Waqar Younis (0 centuries)
11. Jimmy Anderson (0 centuries)

Centuries used: 2/10

@blockerdave back to you

 

[Master Bates]

. Shane Warne (0 centuries)
9. Dale Steyn (0 centuries)
10. Waqar Younis (0 centuries)
11. Jimmy Anderson (0 centuries)

 

[ahmedleo414]

I am really really happy with that bowling attack, if I can get the rest of my picks, I really feel like my team will be unstoppable

 

[blockerdave]

My next selection is IFTIKHAR ALI KHAN - NAWAB OF PATAUDI.

The only Test cricketer to have played for both England and India, Pataudi scored a hundred on his Test Debut, the first test of the bodyline series at the SCG. He played only one more test on the tour, before being dropped due to his refusal to support bodyline and field in bodyline positions. He never played for England again, but would play for India later, captaining them on their tour to England in 1946, but by this time he was well past his best, which is why he averages just 19.90 from 6 tests.

His first class average of 48.61 with 8,750 runs and 29 hundreds is much more a measure of his quality. He uses up 1 hundred of my budget.

1. Jimmy Cook
3. Nawab of Pataudi
5. Stuart Law
7. Mike Procter

@Yash. is next.

 

[Yash.]

I’ll go with Michael Bevan.



One of the best ever players of the limited overs game, Michael Bevan was not too bad as a First Class player. In 237 Matches, he made over 19000 runs at an average of 57.32 with 68 centuries. Add to that, his game awareness, the sharp fielding, and some handy chinaman bowling, and you’ve got a complete package.

Also, costs me 0 centuries.

@Na Maloom Afraad

 

[Aislabie]

Ravindra Jadeja

Test stats: 1,869 runs @ 35.26 (1 century, best 100*) and 213 wickets @ 24.62 (9 5WI, best 7/48) in 49 matches
First-class stats: 5,799 runs @ 47.14 (10 centuries, best 331) and 423 wickets @ 24.19 (27 5WI, best 7/31) in 102 matches

And here is the man who was my first choice realistic all-rounder. India's greatest Test all-rounder (fight me Kapil Dev) has been used mostly as a bowler, but his lower-order hitting has been extremely effective at Test level. He's a better batsman than a seven or eight though - his first-class triple centuries are well known, but what's less well known is that he averages nearly 70 at Test level batting at number six. Batting isn't his strong suit though - his strong suit is his fearsomely accurate left-arm spin, which brings him over four wickets per match at a cost of under 25 apiece. I'm really happy to get a key member of my planned team.

@Aislabie's XI:
1. Barry Richards (2)
2. Archie Jackson (1)
3.
4. Douglas Jardine (1)
5. Lee Irvine (1)
6. Ravindra Jadeja (1)
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.

Centuries: 6/10

@VC the slogger / @Na Maloom Afraad has a late pick

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

Apologies, I'll get to it in a bit.

 

[VC the slogger]

David Steele and Martin Donnelly to complete my top six. Both scored a century apiece, leaving me just one to play with.

@Aislabie

 

[Aislabie]

Wasim Akram

Test stats: 2,898 runs @ 22.64 (3 centuries, best 257*) and 414 wickets @ 23.62 (25 5WI, best 7/119) in 104 matches
First-class stats: 7,161 runs @ 22.73 (7 centuries, best 257*) and 1,042 wickets @ 21.64 (70 5WI, best 8/30) in 257 matches

Is this a massive flex? Well, yes it is. But I've been planning it from the very beginning of the draft and I'm very glad the picks have fallen in such a way as to allow me to do it. The greatest left-arm seamer in cricketing history by pretty much every metric that matters, but surely his three lower-order centuries would make him unattainable? I figured not if I managed to get five out of a selection of maybe ten possible players. Jadeja was the fifth one, and so I'm going to go for it and bring him in to bat at eight.

@Aislabie's XI:
1. Barry Richards (2)
2. Archie Jackson (1)
3.
4. Douglas Jardine (1)
5. Lee Irvine (1)
6. Ravindra Jadeja (1)
7.
8. Wasim Akram (3)
9.
10.
11.

Centuries: 9/10

@Na Maloom Afraad

 

[ahmedleo414]

Wasim Akram

damn.. there goes my world domination plan....

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

NMA's 10-TEST CENTURY XI

WG Grace (2)
Pieter van der Bijl† (1)
KS Duleepsinhji (3)
Courtney Walsh (0)
Dennis Lillee (0)
Glenn McGrath (0)

KS Duleepsinhji and Dennis Lillee.

You're up @Yash.

 

[Yash.]

I’ve had enough batting already. Now for the bowling.

Malcolm Marshall

Statistics

Tests: 376 Wickets @ 20.94 (22 5WI, BBI 7/22)
First Class: 1651 Wickets @ 19.10 (85 5WI, BBI 8/71)

Malcolm Marshall was perhaps the finest of West Indies' many formidable fast bowlers of the 1980s, endowed with fierce pace, swing, cut, a vicious bouncer, and above all, the ability to outthink any batsman.[DOUBLEPOST=1588957546][/DOUBLEPOST]@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

I’ve had enough batting already. Now for the bowling.

Malcolm Marshall

Statistics

Tests: 376 Wickets @ 20.94 (22 5WI, BBI 7/22)
First Class: 1651 Wickets @ 19.10 (85 5WI, BBI 8/71)

Malcolm Marshall was perhaps the finest of West Indies' many formidable fast bowlers of the 1980s, endowed with fierce pace, swing, cut, a vicious bouncer, and above all, the ability to outthink any batsman.[DOUBLEPOST=1588957546][/DOUBLEPOST]@blockerdave

Marshall was on my list for sure. Goat level bowling, fine batter yet no centuries.