DRAFT! Ashes history...

[Sulaiman7]

Just a remainder that I have done the write-up of all my players. You can scroll up to have a look.



I am picking players who plays with flare and can change the game on their own and especially hates their opponent.

Every player hates the rivalry team(s') players.

 

[Fenil]

Bob Willis

Ashes Record

The world remembers the 1981 Ashes as Botham series but there was man, not Botham, who ripped apart Kim Hughes' Australian side to make his mark. A good bowler overall, he was extremely difficult to play on the pitches that generate uneven bounce. His prime weapon was the short ball and one of his short ball to Pakistan's Iqbal Qasim back in 1978 ended the opposition of the introduction of helmet in cricket. Given that he spent a great amount of time with crippling knee injuries and that he had a test career that lasted in excess of 12 years is a clear credit to him. Had Willis been fully fit for more of his career, he would have been one of the best bowlers of the game.​

Fred Trueman

Ashes Record

World's first workhorse quick bowler, Trueman is easily one of the best bowlers ever. First man to take 300 wickets, Trueman had the accuracy with pace that could both the best of his time and his action was a treat to watch. Not many bowlers with that sort of action can stay for long but Trueman was the one to do that with great aplomb.
​

 

[Umair7]

Bill Ponsford

Ashes Stats:
1558 runs at the average of 44.51


Bill Ponsford was born on October 19, 1900. He was the best ever opener Australia have ever produced. He made his debut against England in 1924 scoring a century in the first innings. In December 1927 , he made a FC world record by scoring 437 against Queensland. He was also the first player to exceed 1000 runs in a domestic season. Alongside Cricket he also played Baseball. He died on April 6, 1991

Ian Chappell

Ashes Stats:
2138 runs at the average of 41.11


Ian Chappell "a cricketer of effect rather than the graces". He was the youngest member of the South Australian team that won the Sheffield Shield in 1963?64 season. In his first Ashes series he managed to scored just 36 runs at the average of 18. He scored just 4 centuries in 30 matches against ENGLAND. He captained Australia between 1971 and 1975. Under his captaincy Australia won 19, lost 14 and 16 matches ended in a draw. In his last ever Ashes series he scored 152 runs at the average of 50.66.
​

 

[Aislabie]

Great pick on Ponsford there.

I'm going with Stan McCabe, the most courageous batsman of all time, and Mike Brearley, the greatest tactician and man-manager to have graced the Ashes.

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Stan McCabe
The most courageous Ashes batsman.

Stan McCabe broke into the Australian team as a teenager, and made a batting berth his own until the war cut his career short. A man who relished facing the quickest and most hostile of bowlers, he counter-attacked Douglas Jardine's bodyline attack with courageous hook shots that did not miss. Unquestionably courageous, he gave everything with his daring batting, and could also turn his arm over with more than useful cutters. A fantastic cricketer who is often overlooked from that golden era of Australian batting.
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Mike Brearley
The greatest captain of them all.

As a Test batsman, Mike Brearley was little more than ordinary. He had to wait until his mid-thirties for a Test cap, and did little to warrant holding onto his place as a player. However, his captaincy, in particular his novel ideas and perfect man-management are the stuff of legend. Indeed, he had retired from Test cricket when England, behind the eight-ball in the '81 Ashes, turned to him to overturn the impossible. And he did.
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WL Murdoch
SJ McCabe
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A Flintoff
JM Brearley
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JR Thomson
-​

 

[Aalay]

Every player hates the rivalry team(s') players.

It really depends on which team and which player you are looking at.

 

[War]

^Agree with ya, loved Slats! He was a great player to watch. The 176 he scored on day 1 of the 94/95 Ashes still sticks out in my mind. It was a great 'tone setter' for the whole series, plenty of boundaries and all the English bowlers suffered. There was a big Slater/Mark Waugh partnership that day, two of my favourite ever batsmen.

Ye Slats was a beauty (no homo). His hundred 123 out of AUS 189 @ SCG 99 & him hitting 17 (i think) of Gough's 1st over in the 2001 Edgbaston test were two other moments of his that always stands out for me.

 

[sifter132]

^Yep, Slat's played a couple of gems. I couldn't remember where when that 17 run over was, but vs Gough - it's coming back now (looked it up eventually. It was 18 runs -Goughie had a couple of no balls...4 boundaries) Shame he never got going in ODIs, cricket lovers deserved to see more of him.

I wondered if someone would go for Brearley! The specialist captain, only lost 1 of his 15 Ashes Tests
Also, Stan McCabe - nice one Just been watching through the mini-series on Bodyline (starring Hugo Weaving as Jardine), and I'm up to the first Test of 32/33 where McCabe counter-attacked brilliantly, as Author's pointed out. Hooked his first ball from Larwood for 4.

 

[cricket_icon]

My picks Frederick Spofforth and Frank Tyson, write ups in just a bit

 

[cricket_icon]

Frederick "The Demon" Spofforth
Matches: 18 Wickets: 94 BBI: 7/44 BBM: 14/90 Avg: 18.41 Econ: 2.48 SR: 44.5 4w: 6 5w: 7 10w: 4

Known as "The Demon", Spofforth is often regarded as Australia's first true fast bowler but he was more than that. Not quite out and out pace, Spofforth relied heavily on outsmarting the batsman and being as accurate as possible. All of his matches were against England so he is the consummate "Ashes" cricketer, his match haul of 14/90 coming in the infamous Oval test, which lead to the mock obituary and the rest, shall we say, is history.

To this day, that match haul still stands as the second best bowling performance by an Aussie in test cricket history. He's in my team not only because he defines Ashes cricket but because he was an extremely skilled pre-war bowler, who's rapidity of wickets would be too much to handle for most teams.

FS is the 4th from the left in the back row, the touring side of 1882 "Birth of the Ashes"

Frank "The Typhoon" Tyson
Matches: 8 Wickets: 32 BBI: 7/27 BBM: 10/130 Avg: 25.31 Econ: 2.81 SR: 53.8 5w: 2 10w: 1

A true fast bowler with one of the best nick names ever, Tyson was, according to Benaud, the fast bowler he had ever seen, now that's high praise. How accurate that statement is, we will never know but at the peak of his powers he was definitely a tearaway, ripping through the Aussies at Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, after a horrendous start to the series.

It was the famous '54 Ashes, when Tyson had been controversially picked ahead of the great Fred Trueman, and although he started off badly, he soon got into his stride and each time he performed well on tour, England would win. His bowling average in won Ashes test was a smidgen over 14, that's 11 less than his overall Ashes career and the SR was a remarkable 33.

It's true that his Ashes career wasn't as long or quite as remarkable as some of the other bowlers picked here but in bursts he was probably the most dangerous Ashes bowler outside of Dennis Lillee. Fiery, accurate, skilled and a fan of Shakespeare, what more could I want?

"TYPHOON' TYSON'S TEST MATCH - British Path?
Great link to a video by British Pathe on Tyson's match winning haul

My team so far:

1. J Hobbs
2.
3. DI Gower
4.
5.
6. R Benaud (C)
7.
8.
9.
10. F Tyson
11. F Spofforth

 

[Fenil]

Writeup done.

 

[KrishnamurthiN]

My Pick : Ray Lindwall and Cyril Washbrook...writeup will be done later....

 

[sifter132]

^Yay, Ray Lindwall got picked! Been waiting for him to go all round to be honest. At least that makes my choice easier.

I was tossing up which all-rounder to pick out of Monty Noble and Wilfred Rhodes. Now I'll just take both!

Both Noble and Rhodes have imposing Ashes records. They each have 100 plus Ashes wickets, averaging a touch under 25. Both have over 1500 Ashes runs, both averaging a tad over 30. Both have batted at most positions in the batting the order, and both have even done well opening the batting - despite being known more for their bowling. I don't know where they'll end up in my batting order, but it gives me fantastic flexibility. Rhodes will be a nice spin partner for Jim Laker, turning the ball the opposite way, while Noble will bowl his fast medium swingers/swervers/cutters as my 3rd seamer.

More info on them tomorrow...

Cricket icon is up again to start round 5.

EDIT:
Monty Noble

Ashes stats:
Tests: 39
Runs: 1905
Average: 30.72
Wickets: 115
Average: 24.86
Best series: 1903/04 in Australia. Noble made 417 runs @ 59.57, and took 16 wickets @ 20.5. Australia lost the Ashes though...Could argue for his 1901/02 series where he was the leading wicket taker for the series with 32 wickets @ 19, but made far less runs (138 @ 15.33).

While looking through some stats to find an Ashes all-rounder who might slip under the radar, Noble's influence caught my eye. I found this nugget: only 3 all-rounders in Ashes history have had multiple series where they've made 200 runs, taken 10 wickets, and had a batting average greater than their bowling average. Miller, Botham and Noble have done that 3 times each - no one else has done it more than once. If you extend that to 300 runs and 10 wickets, then Noble is out on his own ahead of Botham and Miller. Can't argue with the man's production. It's obvious how valuable he was to Australia too. When Noble had a forgettable 1905 series (averaging only 19 with bat and taking only 6 wickets @ 68), Australia didn't win a Test.

Noble's batting was versatile, able to change depending on game situation. Generally known as an attacking player back home in Australia, he made two stonewalling half-centuries at Manchester in 1899 to ensure Australia held on for a draw after following on. Noble batted everywhere from 1-9 over his career, most innings at #4,5 or opening. It didn't seem to worry him: in the 1899 series for example, he made 367 runs @ 52 for the series, and made 50s while in 3 different positions: opening; #3 and #5.

His bowling was interesting. Noble was a fast-medium spinner. Sounds like a contradiction in terms, but it was a genuine mixture of pace and spin, sometimes combined with a bit of swing. Noble was a pioneer of this 'swerve' bowling. It was a technique that the Australians picked up on a trip to Philadelphia on the way home from the 1899 Ashes tour. Noble (and other Aussies) then used these techniques to great effect in the 1901/02 Ashes series, where Noble was the leading wicket-taker. He took 7/17 and 13/77 for the match to destory England at the MCG in that series. It's said that even the great Sydney Barnes approached Noble for help:
"Barnes said he once asked Noble: 'if he would care to tell me how he managed to bring the ball back against the swerve.'"
Interesting article about it here:
Amol Rajan on the forgotten art of medium-pace spin | Cricinfo Magazine | ESPN Cricinfo

Noble was valuable in the field and dressing room too. According to various sources his captaincy was bold, astute and effective, winning 8 of his 15 Ashes Tests in charge (5 losses, only 2 draws). Wisden also noted him as "a superb field at point-quick, agile and fearless".

Was fun finding out more about him, definitely deserves a little bit more love from Aussie fans (and cricket fans in general).


Wilfred Rhodes

Ashes stats:
Tests: 41
Runs: 1706
Average: 31.01
Wickets: 109
Average: 24.00
Best series: Depends...with the bat it was 1911/12 tour of Australia where he made 463 runs @ 57.87 opening with Hobbs, with the ball it was 1903/04 when he took 31 wickets @ 15.74

Started out as a specialist bowler, a crafty left arm spinner who was happy to throw the ball up. Yet by the time he'd reached the midway point of his career he was opening the batting for England with "The Master" Jack Hobbs! Doing pretty well too. Hobbs and Rhodes opened 18 times in Ashes Tests for 1101 partnership runs (61.17 avg). After WW1 he started bowling again, but by then he was well into his 40s and past his best. Not sure he ever got both disciplines working at their peak at the same time (a bit like Imran Khan perhaps), but it showed that Rhodes had the talent to switch from emphasising his batting to his bowling almost at will, depending on what the team required.

His career was particularly remarkable because he played Test cricket over 31 years! (1899-1930, still the record). During his career he played an innings at every position in the batting order. Rhodes holds a buttload of records in English county cricket too eg. most matches played, most wickets, most seasons of 1000 runs + 100 wickets (16 - will NEVER be beaten) etc.

Best Ashes performances? Took 15/124 for the match at the MCG in the 1903/04 series. Also took 7/17 in the 1902 series at Edgbaston to dismiss Australia for just 36 - their lowest ever score. The wicket was good, England had just made 376 on it. A 3rd performance on note would be when Rhodes and Hobbs put on 323 while opening the batting in 1911/12 to pass the Australian score of 191 without losing a wicket.

I've got no idea of batting orders right now, Rhodes and Noble can bat anywhere...
1
2 Wilfred Rhodes
3 Sir Donald Bradman (c)
4 Ken Barrington
5
6
7
8 Monty Noble (vc)
9 Jim Laker
10
11

 

[KrishnamurthiN]

Due to personal reasons I won't be able to continue posting here.... Thanks for the encouragement and sorry for leaving all of a sudden... Hope you guys will understand...

 

[cricket_icon]

My picks bring this thread right into the modern age:
Alastair Cook & Alec Stewart

Alastair Cook
Matches: 19 Innings: 34 Runs: 1482 HS: 235* Avg: 44.90 SR: 47.37 100S: 4 50S: 6

Picking Alastair Cook brings me right up to the modern day and with so many players in my team from a bygone era, I thought it was about time some of the whipper snappers got a look in. Still only 29, Cook is already playing in his 4th Ashes series and has become one of England's most important batsmen. His skill, patience and elegance at the crease has allowed him to play impressive innings first up, none more so than his 235 in Brisbane. If there was ever a rearguard needed, it was in that first test, where Siddle and co. managed to rock England to 260 all out. That left England chasing a decent target and while others scored centuries, none were as long or as important as the double by Cook. The young man took initiative and got England into a position from where they could not lose.

Cook will never have the flash of a Botham, the swagger of a KP or the mercurial brilliance of Flintoff but if a man held a gun to my head and said I needed to pick one batsman to bat for my life, I'd pick Cook, every single time. Oh and he has one of the most attractive cover drives in the game.

Alec Stewart
Matches: 33 Runs: 1810 HS: 107 Avg: 30.67 100s: 1 Catches: 82 Stumpings: 2

The gutsiest English cricketer I've ever seen, a British Bulldog if ever there was one. He wasn't the most outstanding keeper batsman there has ever been, although when he really got going, boy could he rip into a side and he did it a fair few times against the Aussies. He only scored one century but there were a fair few innings of substance, quite a few coming at pace against terrific Australian bowling units. There wasn't just the batting fluency, there was real substance and grit, if need be, he could grind out a day or subdue a bowler with sheer bloody mindedness.

But it's not his batting alone that gets him in my team, the key point here is his keeping, with 76 catches in 26 games as keeper for England. It may have been more if he had better bowlers charging in from the other end, no offense to that generation of English pace bowlers and finger twirlers. Stewart was a safe, reliable pair of hands behind the stumps and an excellent, never say never type with the bat.
​

My XI Thus Far:
1. J Hobbs
2. A Cook
3. DI Gower
4.
5.
6. A Stewart
7. R Benaud (C)
8.
9.
10. F Tyson
11. F Spofforth

Can't seem to get the YouTube links to work, so here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhi1-c9ipG4, it's Akram talking about the toughest batsmen to bowl to.

 

[Sulaiman7]

Alec Stewart

I had him in my mind....