The debut game

[Toxic Muffin]

Apologies if one of these exists already.


I got very bored, so I thought I'd set myself a cricketing style test team challenge.

Basically you start off with one player, of which you have any choice past or present. However your next player must have played in the test debut of the first player (for either team). The third player you chose must then have played in the second player's debut test. You do this until you get a full team.

Obviously you don't have to do the batting order in order, so you can literally pick the player you think was best in that test.

The challenging part is picking Bradman first, because it means everyone who you then pick must have their debut earlier than 1928.

As such, it would make sense to get the balance between best/most recent for the first player, so I've chosen Brian Lara. I'm actually doing this as I type, so it'll be interesting to see where I end up.


1. Sunil Gavaskar
2. Everton Weekes
3. George Headley
4. Brian Lara
5. Viv Richards
6. Garfield Sobers
7. Les Ames (w)
8. Maurice Tate
9. Courtney Walsh
10. George Geary
11. Jim Laker

I can't say I spent much time on the 8-11 of the batting order so that might be in the right order.

I can't say that ended up quite as strong as I wanted it, although the WI selections are wonderful.

I'm sure if I try again, I'll be able to get a better team though.

So can you beat my crew?

 

[sifter132]

OK I'll give it a shot working backwards from Glenn Donald McGrath and ending with Sir Jack Hobbs:

1 Jack Hobbs (played in Sutcliffe's debut, 1924)
2 Herbert Sutcliffe (played in Hammond's debut, 1927)
3 Wally Hammond (played in Compton's debut, 1937)
4 Sachin Tendulkar (played in Warne's debut, 1991)
5 Denis Compton (played in Sobers' debut 1954)
6 Garfield Sobers (played in Underwood's debut, 1966)
7 Allan Knott (played in Imran's debut, 1971)
8 Imran Khan (played in Tendulkar's debut, 1989)
9 Shane Warne (played in McGrath's debut, 1993)
10 Derek Underwood (played in Knott's debut, 1967)
11 Glenn McGrath

 

[ZoraxDoom]

Oooh, sounds fun.

I'll try this later. Will probably begin with Sachin, allows me to get a great Pakistani fast bowler to boot...

 

[blake]

1. Herbert Sutcliffe
2. Hanif Mohammed
3. Wally Hammond
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Ricky Ponting
6. Zaheer Abbas
7. Vinoo Mankad
8. Wasim Akram
9. Maurice Tate
10. Richard Hadlee
11. Shane Warne


A pretty poor effort, it must be said. I could not find a single West Indies game, must've gone down the wrong path, all I got was Pakistan v New Zealand and India v South Africa so yes it was quite tough. Ah well, interesting idea.

 

[Toxic Muffin]

Managed to create this beauty of a team

1. Geoffry Boycott.
2. Herbert Sutcliffe
3. Len Hutton
4. Sachin Tendulkar
5. Wally Hammond
6. Adam Gilchrist (wk)
7. Kapil Dev
8. Imran Kahn
9. Shane Warne
10. Fred Trueman
11. Derek Underwood.


And then this one doing it with players' last tests.

1. Len Hutton
2. Tendulakr
3. Bradman
4. Peter May
5. Ken Barrington
6. Sanath Jayasuriya
7. Imran Khan
8. Alan Knott
9. Dennis Lille
10. Brian Statham
11. Muttiah Muralitharan

 

[Fatal Shot]

J. Kallis- A. Donald- BC Lara- W. Akram- J. Miandad- Imran Khan- DL Underwood- GS Sobers- Sir Leonard Hutton-
Wally Hammond- Jock Cameron.

1. Wally Hammond
2. Sir Leonard Hutton
3. J. Miandad
4. BC Lara
5. J. Kallis
6. GS Sobers
7. Imran Khan*
8. Jock Cameron (w)
9.W. Akram
10. DL Underwood
11. A. Donald

Haha, messed up with the keeper, but Cameron was a fine keeper and a great batsman, considering the pitches he played on. (Average of 30) No spinner, but three of the greatest all-rounders to ever play the game. Top seven all have great records with bat. Top six all average above 50 in fact. Bowlers to bowl with both the new ball and the old ball. Have so many options with the ball actually. Seven in total. So that probably means, my bowlers could give it their as I have just as good plan B's up my sleeve.

 

[aussie1st]

Adam Gilchrist - Shane Warne - Sachin Tendulkar - Imran Khan -
Derek Underwood - Garry Sobers -
Fred Trueman - Dattu Phadkar - DG Bradman - Wally Hammond
Herbert Sutcliffe - Jack Hobbs (Could go Wally Hammond then Herbert Sutcliffe if I want a part time opener. Gives the team another bowling option.)

Herbert Sutcliffe
Jack Hobbs
DG Bradman
Sachin Tendulkar
Garry Sobers
Imran Khan
Adam Gilchrist
Dattu Phadkar
Shane Warne
Fred Trueman
Derek Underwood

Will see if I can find one without Phadkar.