The Pre-Twenty20 Draft

[Villain]

@Rebel2k19

Sorry for not tagging the next person but that was intentional as I was confused who should be picking next.

 

[Aislabie]

Sorry for not tagging the next person but that was intentional as I was confused who should be picking next.

Basically, in the case of a late pick the draft just carries on, and then the late person can jump in and make their pick whenever they're available to do so.

It's not usually an issue in a draft like this with so many available players

 

[Bevab]

Waugh is an outstanding pick mate, had my eyes on him but thought he would still be left by the time I was done with a couple of more rounds.

 

[Master Bates]

Denis Compton

Writeup Later

 

[Gaurav_7]

Gordon Greenidge
Farokh Engineer
Viv Richards
Keith Miller
Richard Hadlee
Courtney Walsh
Bhagwath Chandrasekhar

@Bevab

 

[Bevab]

Absolutely shocked that this bloke still remains for selection, even after having his name referenced in an earlier pick. Step forward...

Ray Lindwall

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Reasons for selection:

• Ray Lindwall along with his new ball partner Miller shared new ball duties in the post-war period. It remains a debate on how even more legendary he would have been regarded had his early career not been disrupted by a decent career in Rugby and the small matter of World War II, but Lindwall was still considered to be a legend who earned his spot in the Ausralian Team of the Century.
• Now why have I gone for Lindwall, when there is still a plethora of world class bowlers with better numbers out there? Let this picture here explain.
• 

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• As shown here, Lindwall had a 'side-on' action comparable to players like Akhtar, Edwards and Malinga. What he also had was incredible control and a silky smooth run-up that Pelham Warner once described as "poetry!" as he ran in to bowl. Further, "whenever Lindwall began his limbering-up exercise in the outfield the ground became electric as the crowd waited for Bradman to call him up to bowl. It was the signal that Australia were about to go nuclear." Couldn't have said it better myself.
• Lindwall was one of the most complete pace bowlers in the history of cricket. He popularised and brought back the art of bowling from being a secondary craft during the interwar period (barring a short, controversial reign of Bodyline tactics) with his hero being the legendary Larwood himself, who Lindwell watched terrorise Aussies as a eleven year old.
• Just like Larwood, Lindwall had a mean bouncer or bumper as it was called back then, which he used to maximum effect versus @Sinister One's Compton and the great Hutton himself. Hutton remarked that Lindwall's bouncers were so good that "You had to play them or be hit". Lindwall also refused to bowl bouncers versus tail-enders unless on specific occasions like versus Typhoon Tyson, who asked for one and nearly got himself killed after Lindwall sent one crashing into the back of his skull.
• By now, you would assume that Lindwall was like Pandya or some of the Windies pacers who relied predominantly on pace and bounce to grab wickets. Yet, more than two-fifth of his wickets in tests came from bowled dismissals as he used the bouncer as a weapon only for the best and occasionally for the rest to throw them off their rhythm. His slingy action meant that the yorker was something that came to him naturally and he utilised it to full effect, frequently bowling unplayable yorkers at high pace that one could simply not defend. He also had a mean slower ball too that he unleashed sometimes to the complete surprise of a batsman. His yorkers were famous for having the classic late outswing that is too late to pick up and is frequently associated with side-on bowlers. Despite that, as he became older and started losing some of his pace, he started developing more cunning variations of the slower ball and by 1953, had also developed a mean inswinging yorker.
• His speed was comparable to that of Malcolm Marshall himself. While the no-ball rule was different during his period, there is no doubt that Lindwall would have still been one of the quickest bowlers in any era due to his perfect bowling action. Did I forget to mention that Lindwall could also bowl any type of delivery, including yorkers, outswingers, inswingers, bouncers, slower balls of different variations and cutters?
• Lindwall was also a very capable batsman himself though he was no Miller. He was a quick scorer, scoring the second fastest test century by an Australian in tests during the 1946-47 series and also the fastest half century in Ashes history. Lindwall was also very quick on his feet. He ran 100 yards in just 10.6 seconds once which shows how valuable he could be as an outfielder though he often fielded in the slips.
• Lindwall most famously served as the mentor for Alan Davidson when he was still a newbie in the team. While still playing for New South Wales, he once saw the young Alan Davidson bowl a bouncer at an opposing No. 8. "You've just insulted all fast bowlers", Lindwall told him. "You've admitted No. 8 can bat better than you can bowl. Get into the nets and learn how to bowl". And he took him there, and taught him. He was also the mentor for another Aussie legend, Dennis Lillee who seeked him out after his debut Ashes series.

Comparable modern T20 player:

It's a fairly easy comparison to make, ain't it? Imagine Lasith Malinga with a much better run-up, a slightly higher arm at the time of delivery, a lot more pace along with the ability to bat decently and you get Ray Lindwall. In terms of delivery variety, a frightening bouncer and run-up, a more suitable comparison would be Jofra Archer. Just like him, Lindwall approached the crease gracefully in motion, before suddenly picking up speed and slinging the ball down without any mercy in his bouncers.

Role in the team:

Lindwall will share new ball duties with Kapil Dev, hunting for wickets while Dev tries to keep the economy in line. Two overs in the powerplay, one in the middle and one in the death is my plan to utilise him now, although that might vary depending on the pitch and game situation. He is just too good a bowler to follow a set template for me. With the bat, Lindwall will look to score as quick as possible considering that barring the most spectacular of collapses, he isn't going to bat for an extended period of time usually.


1. C. Hill
2. S. Anwar
3. C. Macartney
4.
5.
6. D. Lindsay
7. K. Dev
8. R. Lindwall
9.
10.
11. J. Garner

@blockerdave to make the next two picks, interested to see who he opts for.

 

[Aislabie]

Ray Lindwall​

*snip*

Quite aside from the merits of your pick, that is a fantastic post. This is what drafting is all about!

 

[blockerdave]

My picks are one guy I've had in the team from day one as my spinner and vice captain, and one I've only thought of in the last few days but who will nevertheless captain the side.

HEDLEY VERITY
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For any team I ever pick in any draft for which he qualified there is literally only one name I'd consider for spinner – Hedley Verity.

In the words of his Wisden Obituary:

Judged by any standard, Verity was a great bowler.

His record stands comparison with any:

• 1,956 first class wickets at 14.87.
• An economy rate of 2.07.
  
• The best first-class innings figures in history – 10/10 in 19.4 overs vs Nottinghamshire in 1932. (One of 2 occasions he took all 10 wickets in an inns.)
• Once took 14 wickets in a day in a Test (vs Australia at Lords in 1934), and also took 17 wickets in a day in First Class (vs Essex at Leyton in 1933).
• Dismissed Donald Bradman more times in Tests than any other bowler. In the Don's own words: “I think I know all about Clarrie (Grimmet), but with Hedley I am never sure. You see, there’s no breaking point with him.” According to Verity’s Wisden obituary, Bradman's average against England was 91.42 but without Verity it might have been 150.
• At his time, he was the fastest England bowler to 100 Test Wickets. (Total record 144 @ 24.37 in 40 matches.)
• Never took less than 150 wickets in a full season of first class cricket, and in three consecutive years 1935-36-37 he took more than 200.
• Never appeared outside the top-5 for bowling averages in English FC season

Like @Aislabie pick with Appleyard, Verity’s default was to bowl spin at medium/slow medium pace, though he would slow it down more on wet pitches – so if there was the need to take pace off the ball he can do that. But he was also possessed of a quicker in-swinging yorker that would be a serious weapon in T20 and keep the batsman guessing. Above all though, he was absolutely known not only as a great bowler but an intelligent one. His Wisden obituary called him “a born schemer; tireless, but never wild in experiment”.

He wasn’t much more than a “non-rabbit” lower order batsman although was considered a bowling all-rounder (5,603 FC runs at 18.07), and he did open for England in an emergency. He had a first class hundred, as well as 13 first class half-centuries (3 in tests). He's the main spinner in the side, and batting he would float up and down the lower order depending on whether we need a basher or someone to steady things. He is vice captain.

Similarly, he didn’t stand out for his fielding though was considered very good fielding off his own bowling, and at backward point.

If all this wasn’t enough, he was a war hero – he died in a POW camp of wounds suffered in the attack on Catania in Sicily.

------------------------
My other pick, I really only considered the other day - I felt my side was missing an obvious captain (though Barry Richards was very strong tactically), and when Aravinda went I wanted another middle order dasher. When I looked up this guy to reinforce my memory, I couldn't believe he wasn't already on my list! Step forward:

TED DEXTER​

Dexter was a bit of a figure of fun when I was first getting into following cricket - presiding over the 4-0 drubbing in the 1989 Ashes after his opening moves as Chairman of Selectors was to pick a team with no spinners, and write a hymn "Onward Gower's Soldiers"...

But he was some player, and known as a stylish, aggressive batsman of considerable power - his nickname was "Lord Ted". Though he could rein it in when demanded, more typical of him was things such as scoring 70 off 73 balls vs Wes Hall and Charlie Griffith when coming in at 0/1 in 1963. He scored 4,502 Test runs at 47.89 with 9 centuries. Six of his test hundreds were scores of 140 or higher - he was more than just a dasher. But oh he could dash all right:

Few batsmen, or writers, announce themselves as Dexter did when batting for Sussex against Surrey at the Oval last summer. His first ball, from the pavilion end, was slightly over-pitched on middle and leg. Feet moved fractionally, head hardly at all, but the bat swung the ball for six over long leg and they fetched it back from the seats under the gasholder. (From Wisden, 1961).

He was a brilliant fielder, and a useful seam bowler - he took 441 first class wickets at 29.92. In List A, his economy rate was pretty high for the era 4.35 but his average was just 19.85 and his strike rate 27.3! (Admittedly a small sample, he played just 43 list A matches bowling 575 balls.)

As a captain he was natural in one day cricket, leading Sussex to win the first two Gillette Cups in 1963 and 1964. He was known for attacking and innovative fields. According to Simon Hughes in "And God Created Cricket", his innovations in field placements for One Day games "changed the game forever. It is no exaggeration to say that Dexter was the man who shaped modern cricket."

He takes his place in the side as captain, a man who'd take to T20 like a duck to water, capable of getting on top of any attack and able to bat anywhere from first drop down. I'm currently torn between putting Jessop up to open with Dexter at 3, or keeping Jessop at 3, Dexter at 4 and dropping the others down. Will depend on who else I get from here.

Nevertheless I'm currently very happy with the shape of the team.

1. Barry Richards
2. -
3. Gilbert Jessop
4. Ted Dexter (C)
5. Basil D'Oliveira
6. Lee Irvine (WK)
7. -
8. Franklyn Stephenson
9. -
10. Hedley Verity (VC)
11. Vince van der Bijl

back to you @Bevab

 

[Bevab]

Will post my write-up in the evening, to allow the draft to progress now.

My selection is Sir Everton Weekes.

@Rebel2k19

 

[blockerdave]

more than 24 hours so I guess @Villain can pick now?

 

[Gaurav_7]

Javed Miandad

@Villain

 

[Aislabie]

@Sinister One can now also pick

 

[Villain]

Wilfred Rhodes
A right handed batsman and a slow left arm orthodox bowler, this legendary cricketer has most number of First Class records to his name. 4204 wickets at an average of only 16.72 along with 39969 runs in his FC career.

During the period in which Rhodes and Hobbs opened every England innings by prescriptive right, Rhodes put aside his bowling. In the Australian rubber of 1911-12 he contributed only 18 overs. But then the war came, reducing the Yorkshire attack. In 1919 Yorkshire needed again the spin and flight of Rhodes, so he picked up his bowling arts exactly where years before he had laid them down, picked them up as though he had not lost touch for a moment. He headed the bowling averages of 1919, 164 wickets, average 14.42 in 1048 overs. He was nearly 42 by the calendar.

Twenty-four years afterwards, Rhodes in his forty-ninth year was recalled to the England XI and was one of the main causes of Australia's defeat and England's emergence from years in the wilderness. On this, his last appearance for England, Rhodes took the wickets of Woodfull, Ponsford, Richardson (twice), Collins, and Bardsley for 79 runs.

At Sydney, in December 1903, on the shirt-fronted polished Bulli soil pitches of that distant halcyon day for batsmen, Australia scored 485, and the might of Australia's champions commanded the crease -- Trumper, Hill, Duff, Armstrong, Gregory. Rhodes bowled 48 overs for 94 runs, five wickets. It was on this occasion that Trumper, the most brilliant of all batsmen, alive or dead, made his famous remark to Rhodes -- "for God's sake, Wilfred, give me a minute's rest."

Wilfred Rhodes: 15 startling statistics about the English legend

Villain's XI
Sir Jack Hobbs
Steve Waugh
Aravinda De Silva
Michael Bevan
Ian Healy
Sir Ian Botham
Wilfred Rhodes
Sir Curtly Ambrose



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@Sinister One

 

[NILAYSHAH60]

Waiting for my player to be picked

Another hint:-
His highest Test score came v/s Australia at the SCG

 

[Master Bates]

Fred Trueman

Writeup Later

@CerealKiller