Budget Draft: 10 Test Centuries

[Yash.]

Sir Richard Hadlee

The finest cricketer New Zealand has produced, Richard Hadlee was a bowler of devastating control and intelligence: the first to 400 Test wickets; and one of the four great allrounders of the 1980s...

Costs me just 2 centuries, concludes my fast bowling quartet, and also gives some batting at the end.

1. Sid Barnes (3)
   
2. Peter Kirsten (1)
   
3. ?
4. Stewie Dempster (2)
5. Michael Bevan (0)
   
6. Jock Cameron (0)
   
7. Richard Hadlee (2)
8. Fred Trueman (0)
   
9. Malcolm Marshall (0)
   
10. Joel Garner (0)
    
11. Muttiah Muralidaran (0)

@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

As I'm on something of a "streak" of picking Zimbabweans right now, I am going to pick HEATH STREAK.

A stalwart of Zimbabwean cricket, capable of decent pace when he ramps it up but even more capable of a nagging line and length and long accurate spells, Streak will, along with Faulkner and Goddard, give me the ability to bowl Holding and Procter in short bursts of maximum pace and hostility.

Streak was also a very useful lower order batsman, capable of both obdurate defence or big hitting. He scored 1990 runs at 22.35 with 1 century and 11 half centuries. Slotting in at number 8, he completes a very powerful batting line up, as well as completing my allocation of centuries.

1. Jimmy Cook (0)
2. Trevor Goddard (1)
3. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi (Nawab of) (1)
4. Murray Goodwin (3)
5. Stuart Law (0)
6. Aubrey Faulkner (4)
7. Mike Procter (0)
8. Heath Streak (1)
9. Bob Taylor (0)
10. Michael Holding (0)

@ahmedleo414 it's your go now

 

[blockerdave]

I'm a little uncertain as to the role of my next pick. Had Verity still been available, I'd have been picking him now and leaving Streak till last; when Verity went the intention was to pick Barnes as a spinner and again leave Streak till last.

I'm now torn between either finding another spinner, adding a third express pacer - and have someone in mind who's perhaps more of an "old ball" fast bowler - or possibly even a 0 century opener I have in mind and slotting Goddard down in the middle order: except I think Procter and Streak would be wasted 1 down.

 

[ahmedleo414]

My next pick is Abdul Kardar

Stats|Matches|Runs|HS|Ave|100s/50s
First-Class |174|6,832|173|29.83|8/32
Test |26|927|93|23.76|0/5

here is his bio from cricinfo:

"Kardar, Abdul Hafeez, who died on April 21, 1996, aged 71, may be regarded as the father figure of Pakistani cricket and, as such, an important character in the history of the country as a whole. He captained Pakistan in their First Test match in 1952 and was at the forefront of events from then until he resigned from the Pakistani Board in 1977 in protest against Government interference. But he was a Test cricketer before Pakistan even existed, playing for India on the 1946 tour of England under the name Abdul Hafeez. After the tour he added the family name Kardar, stayed in England and went to Oxford to read PPE and enhance his reputation as an idiosyncratic and fearless cricketer: a left-handed batsman, whose response to any bowler or situation was to dance down the track first ball and slam it back over the bowler's head, and a left-arm medium-paced bowler, economical on a good pitch, devastatingly effective on a bad one. Kardar had a couple of productive seasons with Warwickshire, where his successes included marrying the club chairman's daughter, then returned to Pakistan to take on the captaincy. He had learned well under Martin Donnelly and Tom Dollery and, as Test cricket's newcomers, Pakistan at once made themselves worthy of respect rather than anyone's sympathy. In 23 matches as captain, Kardar led his team to victory over all the then Test-playing countries except South Africa, whom they never met. He then became chairman of selectors, and president of Pakistan's Board of Control from 1972 to 1977. In all his positions of authority, he was inclined to be dictatorial and quickly angered, especially by any hint of criticism. In some ways, his prickly brilliance has become characteristic of his country's cricket. But he was also a visionary. He ruthlessly modernised the organisation of the Pakistani game, and many of the themes he was advocating in the 1970s have become common currency among modern administrators: the need to do away with unwieldy committees, to break the post-imperial dominance of Lord's, and to expand the game in Asia. He was an early advocate of neutral umpires. Little of this was well received by his colleagues on ICC at the time. In later years he removed himself from cricket and his last public role was as Pakistan's ambassador to Switzerland. Diplomacy may not have come easily to him. Imran Khan said: After Kardar's retirement, Pakistan cricket was thrown to the wolves, the cricket bureaucrats whose progeny still rule the game."

I am giving the captaining responsibilities to Abdul Kardar, and have Pollock, focus on his game, this might change again with my next pick

ahmedleo414 XI:

1. Wilfred Rhodes (2 centuries)
2. Chetan Chauhan (0 centuries)
3. Ed Joyce (0 centuries)
4. ?
5. / Abdul Kardar (0 centuries)
6. Deryck Murray (0 centuries)
7. Shaun Pollock (2 centuries)
8. Shane Warne (0 centuries)
9. Dale Steyn (0 centuries)
10. Waqar Younis (0 centuries)
11. Jimmy Anderson (0 centuries)

Centuries used: 4/10

@VC the slogger you have the next pick

 

[Yash.]

@Aislabie you can pick.

 

[Aislabie]

George Lohmann

Test stats: 213 runs @ 8.87 (best 62*) and 112 wickets @ 10.75 (9 5WI, best 9/28) in 18 matches
First-class stats: 7,247 runs @ 18.67 (3 centuries, best 115) and 1,841 wickets @ 13.73 (176 5WI, best 9/28) in 293 matches

So I've gone and picked another player who died before his time, bit before succimbing to tge tuberculosis he'd battled throughout his playing days, George Lohmann had one of the all-time great careers. His stats look too good to be true, and yet they were: he is one of only two seamers I've so far tested with 100 wickets at a VARP of over +100%, the other was Glenn McGrath. That's the calibre of bowler and bowling attack we're looking at here: three of the five bowlers I've so far found with a VARP of over 100 are in my bowling attack; my other two bowlers are Akram and Ambrose.

Additionally, despite the hundreds budget, I have at eight, nine and ten a man with a Test 257 and two others who could bat well enough to be selected to open the batting in Tests for England.

@Aislabie's XI:
1. Barry Richards (2)
2. Archie Jackson (1)
3. Tip Foster (1)
4. Douglas Jardine (1)
5. Lee Irvine (1)
6. Ravindra Jadeja (1)
7.
8. Wasim Akram (3)
9. Hedley Verity (0)
10. George Lohmann (0)
11. Curtly Ambrose (0)

Centuries: 10/10

@Na Maloom Afraad

 

[Na Maloom Afraad]

NMA's 10-TEST CENTURY XI

WG Grace (2)
Pieter van der Bijl† (1)
KS Duleepsinhji (3)
Mayank Agarwal (3)
Ken Mackay (0)
Lala Amarnath (1)
Madan Lal (0)
Rashid Khan (0)
Courtney Walsh (0)
Dennis Lillee (0)
Glenn McGrath (0)

Centuries: 10/10

Madan Lal is my final pick. He can bowl as well as bat. Costs me zero centuries, which is good because I have none left to play with.

"For many years, one of the leading utility players in the country, Madan Lal proved his value to the side both with his courageous middle-order batting and his nippy medium-pace bowling. He was useful both in Test cricket - as he proved while bowling India to victory over England at Bombay in 1981 or by rescuing the country by scoring a gallant 74 against Pakistan at Bangalore in 1983 - and in the one-day game - he was one of the heroes of the 1983 World Cup-winning side and earned his name by his spell of three quick wickets that broke the back of the West Indies batting in the final."

"He was first picked for the 1974 tour of England based largely on some outstanding performances around the domestic circuit. He remained an integral part of the Indian team till the 1977-78 tour of Australia. Then for some inexplicable reason, he was out of the side till he was brought back for the series against England in 1981-82."

"He performed commendably, proving that he had received a raw deal from the selectors for three years, and was then a regular member of the team till 1985. Replaced by younger medium pacers, Madan Lal was brought back for two Tests in England in 1986 - he wasn't a member of the touring squad but was playing in league cricket - and again did well."

"At the domestic level, Madan Lal was both a prolific run getter and regular wicket-taker, frequently rescuing his team from a bad start or by taking some quick wickets. His all round record in the Ranji Trophy - 5270 runs and 351 wickets - is one of the best in the national competition."[DOUBLEPOST=1589803666][/DOUBLEPOST]Back to you @Aislabie

 

[Aislabie]

Niroshan Dickwella

Test stats: 1,921 runs @ 30.98 (best 83) and 110 dismissals (87 ct, 23 st) in 37 matches
First-class stats: 5,732 runs @ 36.50 (11 centuries, best 209) and 270 dismissals (217 ct, 53 st) in 95 matches

And finally, the wicketkeeper I've been planning on picking the whole time: Dickwella Patabendige Dilantha Niroshan Dickwella's lack of Test centuries most definitely isn't down to a lack of ability. If anything, it's down to a lack of patience - Dickwella isn't happy unless he's scoring at a minimum of five runs an over, which can be a bit of an issue in Test cricket. However, he will link up with Ravindra Jadeja to perform exactly that role in my team: an aggressive lower-order player who will score 40 runs out of a 50 partnership with Douglas Jardine.

That completes the team, and it's definitely my best team I've managed in a draft - although my Worst of ODI Cricket XI does give it a run for its money, but in the reverse direction.

@Aislabie's XI:
1. Barry Richards (2)
2. Archie Jackson (1)
3. Tip Foster (1)
4. Douglas Jardine (1)
5. Lee Irvine (1)
6. Ravindra Jadeja (1)
7. Niroshan Dickwella (0)
8. Wasim Akram (3)
9. Hedley Verity (0)
10. George Lohmann (0)
11. Curtly Ambrose (0)

Centuries: 10/10

@VC the slogger to finish his team

 

[Yash.]

Niroshan Dickwella

Test stats: 1,921 runs @ 30.98 (best 83) and 110 dismissals (87 ct, 23 st) in 37 matches
First-class stats: 5,732 runs @ 36.50 (11 centuries, best 209) and 270 dismissals (217 ct, 53 st) in 95 matches

And finally, the wicketkeeper I've been planning on picking the whole time: Dickwella Patabendige Dilantha Niroshan Dickwella's lack of Test centuries most definitely isn't down to a lack of ability. If anything, it's down to a lack of patience - Dickwella isn't happy unless he's scoring at a minimum of five runs an over, which can be a bit of an issue in Test cricket. However, he will link up with Ravindra Jadeja to perform exactly that role in my team: an aggressive lower-order player who will score 40 runs out of a 50 partnership with Douglas Jardine.

That completes the team, and it's definitely my best team I've managed in a draft - although my Worst of ODI Cricket XI does give it a run for its money, but in the reverse direction.

@Aislabie's XI:
1. Barry Richards (2)
2. Archie Jackson (1)
3. Tip Foster (1)
4. Douglas Jardine (1)
5. Lee Irvine (1)
6. Ravindra Jadeja (1)
7. Niroshan Dickwella (0)
8. Wasim Akram (3)
9. Hedley Verity (0)
10. George Lohmann (0)
11. Curtly Ambrose (0)

Centuries: 10/10

@VC the slogger to finish his team

I had almost gone for him over Jock Cameron, owing to his hitting ability (and also the fact that I really like his batting). I almost had a writeup ready for him, but then found Cameron.

 

[Aislabie]

I had almost gone for him over Jock Cameron, owing to his hitting ability (and also the fact that I really like his batting). I almost had a writeup ready for him, but then found Cameron.

When you did your Cameron write-up, I looked at it and thought "huh, he sounds a bit like Dickwella"

 

[Yash.]

@ahmedleo414 can pick. 24hrs up

 

[ahmedleo414]

My final pick goes to Imran Khan

Stats|Matches|Runs|HS| Ave|100s/50s|Wkts| Ave|Econ|BBI|BBM|5w/10w
First-Class |382|17,771|170|36.79|20/93|1,284|22.32|2.64|8/34|?|70/13
Test |88|3,807|136|37.69|6/18|362|22.81|2.54|8/58|14/116|23/6

here is his bio from cricinfo

"Imran Khan is indisputably the greatest cricketer to emerge from Pakistan, and arguably the world's second-best allrounder after Garry Sobers. He took a mediocre side and transformed them into world-beaters, leading them to the World Cup title in 1992. Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. As such he and TV completed the popularisation of the game in his country which Hanif Mohammad and the radio had begun. Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. He played hardly any domestic cricket in Pakistan: instead he just flew in for home series from Worcestershire or Sussex, or rather from the more fashionable London salons. His averages (37 with the bat, 22 with the ball) put him at the top of the quartet of allrounders (Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others) who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s. And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last 10 years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley. After retirement he remained a high-profile figure, with his marriage - and subsequent split with - the socialite Jemima Goldsmith and a move into the labyrinthine world of Pakistan politics."

As you can clearly see, I've built my team around the best of the best bowling attack. I am still trying to see who I would want to lead the team between Imran Khan or Abdul Kardar, both have experience leading underdog teams to greatness, with Imrans crowning achievement being the 1992 world cup and Kardar's being that he lead a newly formed Pakistan test team to victory over all test playing nations at that time, except South Africa... For now I have kept Kardar as the captian but that could change...

Otherwise, I feel like I have the best bowling attack of any team, and that I should be able to chase any target with my batting as well, since the target I am hoping would be low.

That's not too say my team can't bat. Wilfred and chethan can bat for a long time and occupy the crease. Ed and Imran have also been shown to be great with the bat. Abdul kardar and deryck Murray is where by team falls a bit short with the bat, but I selected Kardar to lead and Murray for his fast hands behind the wicket for my place bowlers

ahmedleo414 XI:

1. Wilfred Rhodes (2 centuries)
2. Chetan Chauhan (0 centuries)
3. Ed Joyce (0 centuries)
4. Imran Khan (6 centuries)
5. / Abdul Kardar (0 centuries)
6. Deryck Murray (0 centuries)
7. Shaun Pollock (2 centuries)
8. Shane Warne (0 centuries)
9. Dale Steyn (0 centuries)
10. Waqar Younis (0 centuries)
11. Jimmy Anderson (0 centuries)

Centuries used: 10/10

@blockerdave you can finish off you team next

 

[blockerdave]

My final pick goes to Imran Khan

Stats|Matches|Runs|HS| Ave|100s/50s|Wkts| Ave|Econ|BBI|BBM|5w/10w
First-Class |382|17,771|170|36.79|20/93|1,284|22.32|2.64|8/34|?|70/13
Test |88|3,807|136|37.69|6/18|362|22.81|2.54|8/58|14/116|23/6

here is his bio from cricinfo

"Imran Khan is indisputably the greatest cricketer to emerge from Pakistan, and arguably the world's second-best allrounder after Garry Sobers. He took a mediocre side and transformed them into world-beaters, leading them to the World Cup title in 1992. Few would dispute that Imran was the finest cricketer Pakistan has produced, or the biggest heartthrob. Suave, erudite and monstrously talented, he gave cricket in the subcontinent real sex appeal in the 1970s and 1980s. As such he and TV completed the popularisation of the game in his country which Hanif Mohammad and the radio had begun. Thousands, if not millions, who had never dreamt of bowling fast on heartless baked mud suddenly wanted to emulate Imran and his lithe bounding run, his leap and his reverse-swinging yorker. He also made himself into an allrounder worth a place for his batting alone, and captained Pakistan as well as anyone, rounding off his career with the 1992 World Cup. He played hardly any domestic cricket in Pakistan: instead he just flew in for home series from Worcestershire or Sussex, or rather from the more fashionable London salons. His averages (37 with the bat, 22 with the ball) put him at the top of the quartet of allrounders (Ian Botham, Richard Hadlee and Kapil Dev being the others) who dominated Test cricket in the 1980s. And whereas Botham declined steadily, Imran just got better and better: in his last 10 years of international cricket he played 51 Tests, averaging a sensational 50 with the bat and 19 with the ball. He gave no quarter during some memorable battles with West Indies - Pakistan drew three series with them at a time when everybody else was being bounced out of sight - and he led Pakistan to their first series victory in England in 1987, taking 10 for 77 with an imperious display in the decisive victory at Headingley. After retirement he remained a high-profile figure, with his marriage - and subsequent split with - the socialite Jemima Goldsmith and a move into the labyrinthine world of Pakistan politics."

As you can clearly see, I've built my team around the best of the best bowling attack. I am still trying to see who I would want to lead the team between Imran Khan or Abdul Kardar, both have experience leading underdog teams to greatness, with Imrans crowning achievement being the 1992 world cup and Kardar's being that he lead a newly formed Pakistan test team to victory over all test playing nations at that time, except South Africa... For now I have kept Kardar as the captian but that could change...

Otherwise, I feel like I have the best bowling attack of any team, and that I should be able to chase any target with my batting as well, since the target I am hoping would be low.

That's not too say my team can't bat. Wilfred and chethan can bat for a long time and occupy the crease. Ed and Imran have also been shown to be great with the bat. Abdul kardar and deryck Murray is where by team falls a bit short with the bat, but I selected Kardar to lead and Murray for his fast hands behind the wicket for my place bowlers

ahmedleo414 XI:

1. Wilfred Rhodes (2 centuries)
2. Chetan Chauhan (0 centuries)
3. Ed Joyce (0 centuries)
4. Imran Khan (6 centuries)
5. / Abdul Kardar (0 centuries)
6. Deryck Murray (0 centuries)
7. Shaun Pollock (2 centuries)
8. Shane Warne (0 centuries)
9. Dale Steyn (0 centuries)
10. Waqar Younis (0 centuries)
11. Jimmy Anderson (0 centuries)

Centuries used: 10/10

@blockerdave you can finish off you team next

Good lord that’s some bowling!

 

[blockerdave]

I will take DEREK UNDERWOOD. "Deadly" Derek was unfairly labelled as someone effective on rain-affected pitches, but his career went well past the era of uncovered pitches, and he remained effective to the end.

Bowling left-arm spin at a medium to medium-fast pace, and with an arm-ball that was actually an in-swinger. Underwood took test 297 wickets at 25.83 and an economy rate of just 2.10 with 17 5-fers.

1. Jimmy Cook (0)
2. Trevor Goddard (1)
3. Iftikhar Ali Khan Pataudi (Nawab of) (1)
4. Murray Goodwin (3)
5. Stuart Law (0)
6. Aubrey Faulkner (4)
7. Mike Procter (0) (c)
8. Heath Streak (1)
9. Bob Taylor (0) (wk)
10. Michael Holding (0)
11. Derek Underwood (0)

This finishes off what I think is a complete team. World class batting and bowling with all bases covered - express pace, awkward angles (Procter right arm around), accurate workhorse seam from Goddard and Streak, 2 world class spinners, and a fantastic keeper.[DOUBLEPOST=1589922589][/DOUBLEPOST]@VC the slogger still has a late pick, and @Yash. can go.

 

[Yash.]

To finish it off, I’ll take Rusi Modi to be my no. 3.

He is the batsman to the right.

Statistics
Tests: 736 Runs @ 46.00 (1 century, Best 112) in 10 Matches
First Class: 7529 Runs @ 53.02 (20 centuries, Best 245*) in 105 Matches

To be honest, I had my eyes on him since I took Peter Kirsten. I stopped till the end for him, because I thought that no one would go for him, and it was true. Rusi Modi was a wristy strokeplayer, who just piled and piled on runs in the Ranji Trophy for the Bombay team. He was the first person to cross the 1000 run mark in a season. He is the only man to hit 5 successive centuries in Ranji cricket.

Also, he showed his class many times, including a 215 against the Europeans in Bombay Pentagular series, then followed it up with a 203 not out against an Australian Services Team. In the 1946 tour to England, he made 1196 Runs at an average of 38 and also, held the Indian record for most runs in a Test series, when he made 560 runs against the West Indies in 1961.

1. Sid Barnes (3)
   
2. Peter Kirsten (1)
   
3. Rusi Modi (1)
   
4. Stewie Dempster (2)
5. Michael Bevan (0)
   
6. Jock Cameron (0)
   
7. Richard Hadlee (2)
8. Fred Trueman (0)
   
9. Malcolm Marshall (0)
   
10. Joel Garner (0)
    
11. Muttiah Muralidaran (0)

12th Man: Anil Kumble (1) (should the pitch demand playing another spinner)

So that’s my team, 10 centuries used, when you include the 12th man.
I have a pretty solid four man pace attack, not to forget one of the world’s best bowlers ever in Muralidaran. Michael Bevan can roll his arm over, just to give the bowlers some rest, and also brings some variety with his chinaman.

As for the batting, I have 3 players in my top y with batting averages in first class cricket crossing 52. The other two, Dempster and Kirsten are also really great batsmen, and would provide solid support. Jock Cameron can provide the ending flourish, hitting balls to the boundary at ease. With some resistance in Hadlee and Trueman, its gonna be hard to beat this team, especially on a green wicket.

@Aislabie Fin.