The Budget Draft: Project 200

[blockerdave]

I choose Baron Constantine, of Marvel in Trinidad and Tobago, and of Nelson, in the County Palatine of Lancaster.

Learie Constantine’s test numbers (19 with bat, 30 with ball) are steady if unspectacular but he was carrying a fairly weak West Indies side of the late 20s, and played just 18 tests as he moved to the UK and played mostly league cricket and some first class. His first class numbers (nearly 4.5k runs at 24 with bat, 439 wkts at 20 with ball) give more of an indication of his class.

A sensational fielder and a quality bowler, and a handy if unorthodox batsman, and one of the early West Indian greats: all this, for 19 off the budget? I’ll have some of that my lord.


So my team now looks like this:

1. Jimmy Cook (cost 17)
2. Andy Lloyd (cost 0)
3. -
4. -
5. Stuart Law (cost 0)
6. Alec Stewart (39)
7. Learie Constantine (cost 19)
8. -
9. George Lohmann (cost 8)
10. Sydney Barnes (cost 8)
11. -

91 used, 109 to go.

Taking a nice shape I think. @DalePlaysCricket is up next

 

[Ed Smith]

Ah Eric Tindill. Averages 30 in First Class. But only 9 in 5 test innings. Underrated by all accounts and should have had a much better test average. World War seemingly getting in the way. Will open the batting and keep wicket. Having never played as just a specialist batsman. Turns out McIntyre did play 1 test without the gloves, so hes relieved of his keeping duties here.

1. Eric Tindill (9)
2.
3. Nasser Hussain (38)
4.
5.
6.
7.Aurthur McIntyre (3)
8. Terry Alderman (7)
9. Chris Martin (2)
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (12)
11. James Anderson (10)


Budget: 81/200[DOUBLEPOST=1583260521][/DOUBLEPOST]@Aislabie

 

[Aislabie]

Without Fred Spofforth, it's entirely possible that the Ashes wouldn't have existed at all. What WG Grace was to nineteenth-century batting, Spofforth was to nineteenth-century bowling: he played 18 of the first 25 Test matches ever played, and he dominated them: no fewer than four times he took ten wickets in a match, none of them more famous or consequential than his all-conquering 14 for 90 at The Oval which helped Australia to defend their tiny target of 85. He's not an express pace bowler, which should complement the outright gas of Schultz and Bumrah quite nicely; he was however unremittingly accurate. He was also a mostly inauspicious batsman, with the exception of a famous and aggressive half-century at the MCG in 1885 which marked the first time a number eleven had ever top-scored in a Test innings. So, unlike most tailenders in this draft, he could actually bat a bit.

Test Stats (9 matches)
9 runs @ 1.50 (best 6)
37 wickets @ 20.24 (2 5WI, best 5/48)

1. WG Grace (Cost: 32)
2.
3.
4.
5. Syd Gregory (Cost: 24)
6. Richie Benaud (Cost: 24)
7.
8. Fred Spofforth (Cost: 9)
9. Jasprit Bumrah (Cost: 2)
10. Jack Iverson (Cost: 0)
11. Brett Schultz (Cost: 1)

Budget remaining: 108

@ahmedleo414

my choice is Alec Stewart. Averaging a tick under 40 and so costing me 39, Stewie will bat 6 and keep wicket

Also, I probably shouldn't mention it, but this would be a huge misuse of a world-class player. As a specialist batsman, he averaged almost 47 with a century every ten innings. As a keeper, he averaged just under 35 with a century every 24 innings. I'd personally look to get him up the order and have someone else keep

 

[blockerdave]

View attachment 230371

Without Fred Spofforth, it's entirely possible that the Ashes wouldn't have existed at all. What WG Grace was to nineteenth-century batting, Spofforth was to nineteenth-century bowling: he played 18 of the first 25 Test matches ever played, and he dominated them: no fewer than four times he took ten wickets in a match, none of them more famous or consequential than his all-conquering 14 for 90 at The Oval which helped Australia to defend their tiny target of 85. He's not an express pace bowler, which should complement the outright gas of Schultz and Bumrah quite nicely; he was however unremittingly accurate. He was also a mostly inauspicious batsman, with the exception of a famous and aggressive half-century at the MCG in 1885 which marked the first time a number eleven had ever top-scored in a Test innings. So, unlike most tailenders in this draft, he could actually bat a bit.

Test Stats (9 matches)
9 runs @ 1.50 (best 6)
37 wickets @ 20.24 (2 5WI, best 5/48)

1. WG Grace (Cost: 32)
2.
3.
4.
5. Syd Gregory (Cost: 24)
6. Richie Benaud (Cost: 24)
7.
8. Fred Spofforth (Cost: 9)
9. Jasprit Bumrah (Cost: 2)
10. Jack Iverson (Cost: 0)
11. Brett Schultz (Cost: 1)

Budget remaining: 108

@ahmedleo414


Also, I probably shouldn't mention it, but this would be a huge misuse of a world-class player. As a specialist batsman, he averaged almost 47 with a century every ten innings. As a keeper, he averaged just under 35 with a century every 24 innings. I'd personally look to get him up the order and have someone else keep

ah, Fred Spofforth... my first loss of a first-choice player!

you’re absolutely right about Stewie, and that is still something I’m potentially considering and that the loss of Spofforth oddly might indeed facilitate

as a Jack Russell devotee a big part of me hates myself for putting Stewie there!

 

[ahmedleo414]

Wasim Bari quite possibly the best wicketkeeper Pakistan has ever produced. Having played as an opener, I have him batting at #2

1366 runs @ 15.88 (best 85)
201 catches 27 Stumps

1.
2. Wasim Bari (Cost: 15)
3.
4.
5.
6. Wasim Akram (Cost: 22)
7. Fred Titmus (Cost: 22)
8. Ian Bishop (Cost: 12)
9. Danish Kaneria (Cost: 7)
10. Courtney Walsh (Cost: 8)
11. Lance Gibbs (Cost: 7)


Budget remaining: 107

@CerealKiller you have the next two

 

[CerealKiller]

My next two picks are two Englishmen who had unfortunate Test careers, as shown by their respective averages, 14 and 15, but their FC averages of 40+ over hundreds of matches show the class they could’ve showcased if given more chances at the top level. Rob Bailey and Tim Curtis.

CerealKiller’s XI
1.
2. Tim Curtis (Cost: 15)
3.
4. Rob Bailey (Cost: 14)
5.
6. Mike Procter (Cost: 25)
7. Prasanna Jayawardena (Cost: 29)
8. Waqar Younis (Cost: 10)
9. Allan Donald (Cost: 10)
10. Glenn McGrath (Cost: 7)
11. Bert Ironmonger (Cost: 2)

Budget remaining : 88

@ahmedleo414

 

[Aislabie]

4. Rob Bailey (Cost: 14)

This makes me happy. I didn't create this draft with Bailey in mind, but I'm very happy to see him around.

There's a story about one of the games he played for Northants Academy where he opened the batting as the non-striker; when he reached his century, his opening partner was 2*. Have personally met three people who were present that day and attest to Bailey's absurd talent.

 

[blockerdave]

Good picks, Rob bailey especially.

 

[ahmedleo414]

With the end of the draft near, i figured it was time to go for the big guns. So I pick Ricky Ponting as not only my opener but also as the captain

13378 runs @ 51.85 (best 257)
5 wickets @ 55.20 (best 1/0)

1. Ricky Ponting (Cost: 51)
2. Wasim Bari (Cost: 15)
3.
4.
5.
6. Wasim Akram (Cost: 22)
7. Fred Titmus (Cost: 22)
8. Ian Bishop (Cost: 12)
9. Danish Kaneria (Cost: 7)
10. Courtney Walsh (Cost: 8)
11. Lance Gibbs (Cost: 7)


Budget remaining: 56

@Aislabie

 

[Aislabie]

Where do you look when you need a proper Test opener on a budget? In the very worst Test teams, I'd have thought. And that's exactly where I found Javed Omar Belim. He certainly wasn't the most gifted batsman, nor the most exciting, but he was as stubborn as they come - always prepared to stonewall in the hope of supporting the more gifted batsmen to a better total. But this was Bangladesh: they didn't have other batsmen.

Test Stats (40 matches)
1,720 runs @ 22.05 (1 century, best 119)
no wickets

1. WG Grace (Cost: 32)
2. Javed Omar Belim (Cost: 22)
3.
4.
5. Syd Gregory (Cost: 24)
6. Richie Benaud (Cost: 24)
7.
8. Fred Spofforth (Cost: 9)
9. Jasprit Bumrah (Cost: 2)
10. Jack Iverson (Cost: 0)
11. Brett Schultz (Cost: 1)

Budget remaining: 86

@DalePlaysCricket

 

[Ed Smith]

Team needs an all rounder, and Fred is pretty cheap considering what he brings to the team.

1. Eric Tindill (9)
2.
3. Nasser Hussain (38)
4.
5.
6. Andrew Flintoff (32)
7. Arthur McIntyre (3)
8. Terry Alderman (7)
9. Chris Martin (2)
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (12)
11. James Anderson (10)


Budget: 113/200

@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

Sir Ivan Vivian Alexander Richards.

Costs 50, worth every penny (point?).

1. Jimmy Cook (cost 17)
2. Andy Lloyd (cost 0)
3. -
4. Viv Richards (cost 50)
5. Stuart Law (cost 0)
6. Alec Stewart (39)
7. Learie Constantine (cost 19)
8. -
9. George Lohmann (cost 8)
10. Sydney Barnes (cost 8)
11. -

order subject to change... @DalePlaysCricket - back to you

 

[Ed Smith]

So, I need 3 batsmen with an average of 29 or so each, and I need an opener, soooooooooo lets go with Mo. Averages 29 on the nose, and offers a handy spin option alongside Murali

1. Eric Tindill (9)
2. Moeen Ali (29)
3. Nasser Hussain (38)
4.
5.
6. Andrew Flintoff (32)
7. Arthur McIntyre (3)
8. Terry Alderman (7)
9. Chris Martin (2)
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (12)
11. James Anderson (10)


Budget: 142/200[DOUBLEPOST=1583330065][/DOUBLEPOST]@Aislabie

 

[blockerdave]

So, I need 3 batsmen with an average of 29 or so each, and I need an opener, soooooooooo lets go with Mo. Averages 29 on the nose, and offers a handy spin option alongside Murali

1. Eric Tindill (9)
2. Moeen Ali (29)
3. Nasser Hussain (38)
4.
5.
6. Andrew Flintoff (32)
7. Arthur McIntyre (3)
8. Terry Alderman (7)
9. Chris Martin (2)
10. Muttiah Muralitharan (12)
11. James Anderson (10)


Budget: 142/200[DOUBLEPOST=1583330065][/DOUBLEPOST]@Aislabie

Lohmann, Barnes, Constantine, and Mr A. N. Other are licking their lips.

 

[Master Bates]

Mr A. N. Other

What?