Generation Draft - COMPLETED!!

[StinkyBoHoon]

I'd rather change my pick. 4 openers is too much indeed and I agree with the Boycott part, his career went into the 80's so it might be unfair to pick him in this round. Give me a minute, I'll make another pick.

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Ken Barrington is my pick.

an infinitely better choice.

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Yeah it's tough to make it a rule, because in the last round or 2 your best pick might be an opener when you've already got 2, that kind of thing. I think I mentally tend to penalise a team though - I think, hey he's not an opener or whatever and that can make me judge a team more negatively. So really if someone wants to play 5 openers then they should be allowed to, just don't expect to have as many fans that's all.

agree with this. while obviously no one is rating these teams with any hard fast rules I would probably say to someone that had a no.3 opening, or something like that, that this counts against the quality of their team.

 

[swacker]

Clarrie Grimmett and Sir Leonard Hutton

Grimmett - a revelation when he first came on the scene. Having said that, and to re-iterate, he, who was a great Australian cricketer. If his batting and bowling were up to the same level he would have been one of the greatest cricketers of all time. There is no doubt that he was an extremely talented bowler. By all accounts many of people connected to Cricket have said so. He may even be the most talented player as a bowler. Flayed everyone in home conditions and all circumstances where the rule/spirit of the game were followed.

These players were a product of their times and they played the game as it was meant to be played at that time. No criticism or praise for one another.

Stats: (33 matches ; 216 wickets ; 24.21 average)

Wisden Cricketer of the Year - 1931
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame 1996


Faced great bowlers, on uncovered bowling-friendly pitches, no helmets etc, yet still dominated everyone. Leonard Hutton is not only the greatest cricketer of all time, but statistically the greatest athlete in all of ball sports in history. They played on the flattest of flat wickets, the pitches are completely covered from the elements, the outfields are by and large extremely fast, perhaps the game has ever seen. It's for that reason that I have gone for Hutton.

The man was a genius with the willow. It wasn't just those world record scores though, it was his whole game, his demeanor, his attitude. And I say that knowing that Hutton was more than a bit of an amazing cricketer in real life. An immortal on the field, but very mortal of off it.

Stats: (79 matches ; 6971 runs ; 56.67 average)

Knighted for services to cricket 1956
Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1938

 

[sifter132]

Hmm I think you might be pushing it with these picks. See what Papa (and others) think. Grimmett might be OK. He certainly took most of his Test wickets in the early 30s, but he did play a lot of first class cricket before he was selected in the mid 20s, so you could argue that most of his cricket was pre-1928 - it was just state cricket not Tests. But I don't think you can make that argument for Hutton though, his FC career started in 1934, so that's a lot of years before you get to the 1951 window that the pick is meant to be from.

 

[War]

Round 2: 1900 -1927 & 1951 - 1970, Jack Gregory and Bobby Simpson


Gregory is probably the most underated all-rounder that has played for Australia if you think about it.

When people talk about AUS all-rounders the names that traditionally role of the tongue are Keith Miller, Alan Davidson, Monty Noble and Richie Benaud - even Shane Watson in recent times I would say has gotten more hype than Gregory.

Gregory was one of the better fast-bowlers in the 1920s era where quality fast-bowlers was virtually non-existent.

Bobby Simpson for me is All-time XI quality for the Australian team. Picking an opener for Australia's ATXI is a very tricky task since that's one area historically where a fair few blokes are forged great careers.

But along with Hayden i've always been of the few Simpson has the most convincing case IMO. After starting his career in the 1950s as average middle-order batsman who bowled leg-spin and was excellent in the field.

Simpson between the 1960 home series vs Windies until retirement in 1968 facing top quality new-ball attacks of Hall/Griffith, Trueman/Statham, P Pollock/Procter along with famous Indian spin trio of Bedi/Chandra/Prasanna - Simpson's aggregate stand at 46 tests, 3995 runs @ 51.

1. Bobby Simpson
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7. Jack Gregory
8.
9.
10. Jack Blackham
11. John Snow

 

[Gaurav_7]

Rhodes is picked by Smurf.

 

[shravi]

Don't know when Grimmett played but Hutton is pushing it because otherwise, I would have picked him or at least would have known that I could.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

while obviously no one is rating these teams with any hard fast rules I would probably say to someone that had a no.3 opening, or something like that, that this counts against the quality of their team.

Yeah, ok. That sounds a lot more sensible as well.

Clarrie Grimmett and Sir Leonard Hutton

I'm definitely going to ask you to change the Hutton pick. He made his debut in '37 - 10 years after the last year of this round. And I'm going to ask you to change Grimmett as well - he only played 4 Tests in this time period. And despite when he made his FC debut, this is a Test draft.

Wilfred Rhodes and Bobby Simpson

Noooooooooo. First Russell and now Simpson. The openers I was hoping to snatch in the later rounds are all going. Good pick

I've already picked Rhodes though. So you'll have to pick someone else. Can I ask you to postpone your pick until Swacker's made his new picks?

 

[swacker]

What about Fred Trueman and Neil Adcock?

 

[Papa_Smurf]

What about Fred Trueman and Neil Adcock?

Both played in the same period ('51-'70). Trueman's already been selected by Shravi, but you can have Adcock

That just leaves your '00-'27 pick.

 

[swacker]

Frank Woolley then, please.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Good pick.

And thanks for changing

 

[sifter132]

Who's your 1900-1927 guy War? Edit: Ah I see, Jack Gregory - like that one

And Frank Woolley, real legend at county level and solid Test player. Was hoping he'd slip through the cracks to me somehow

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Haha, nice pick again. All the guys I was thinking I might be able to snatch in the later rounds are being picked early. Will be interesting to see who gets picked up later on.

Round 3 should be an easy one. So many greats to pick from, and with us now having some rough idea of where our teams are heading, most of us should be able to get who we want. Your welcome.

 

[Papa_Smurf]

Bobby Simpson for me is All-time XI quality for the Australian team. Picking an opener for Australia's ATXI is very tricky task since that one area historically where a fair few blokes are forged great careers.

I agree completely. Especially with the latter sentence - so many great openers. Proven by the fact you could have chosen another Aussie opener in this round, regarded by many as Australia's greatest opener ever, and he never even played a Test with Simpson! I like you went for Simpson though - as you said, he faced some quality bowlers when he opened the innings.

 

[Gaurav_7]

I will pick my players when I come on via LT. Just thought I would let you guys know.