Great Domestic Sides - Mumbai, The Hague Cricket Club and more to come!

Bevab

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Bowlers?

Decisions over who should be the bowlers will be fairly controversial due to the prevalence of almost similar and equally good medium pacers that existed in the 20th century as Eden Gardens helped them aid their medium pace.

The two fairly obvious choices should be easy to make. Given how seam friendly Eden Gardens has been for most of it's life and with the recent revival it has undergone it makes full sense to do the rare thing for an Indian side and operate with only one spinner. That spinner will be Dilip Doshi (bowling average: 17.37). As already pointed out by @Aislabie in a recent draft, Doshi thrived in conditions where spinners did not get much assistance and that should fit in perfectly given that he will be bowling on a pace friendly pitch often. He had to wait for his test debut but the legendary Grimmett is the only other person who took more than a hundred test wickets after making their debut in the 30s.

On away games to more spin friendly grounds, Utpal Chatterjee (bowling average: 21.99) who set a wickets record for Bengal in his 30s will join the bespectacled man who was famous in county cricket. Chatterjee was very unlucky to never play test cricket as despite his age, he was a very crafty operator who should have played a lot more but for regional bias.

The first choice seamer is the currently active Mohammed Shami (bowling average: 26.76). Shami is an expert on Indian pitches (averages 21 at home in contrast to 30 away) and his ability to target the stumps and exploit a pitch that slowly breaks down with his cutters and mastery of the seam will be key for Bengal particularly on away pitches. Watch out for his reverse swing too!

In a long line of illustrious pacers, the one man who stands tall above most if not all in Bengal's history is Subrata Guha (bowling average: 15.82). To call him unlucky would be an understatement. After a horror debut where Boycott made a classic double century, he had not played for two years until a recall versus Australia. What then happened was one of the few instances where media and fan pressure essentially forced a team change as on the morning of the test, the popular spinner Venkataraghavan replaced Guha after the selector, a certain Vijay Merchant talked Guha into agreeing to be dropped due to the pitch being conducive to spin. These were the days of Tiger Pataudi though and his love for the spin quartet and preference for his pacers to be all-rounders meant that Guha did not ever receive a fair opportunity despite being arguably the best swing bowler in India at that time.

Guha was also fairly tall for an Indian at six feet which meant that he could extract a bit of bounce in addition to a good off-cutter. He played 13 games on a tour of England and averaged 34, a credible record given that he wasn't utilized to his potential at all. His fitness was also mismanaged and a knee injury started to slowly limit his effectiveness in his later career. A bout of chicken pox ensured that he could not play versus West Indies when Pataudi was replaced as captain and three games against Australia where he did not bowl as much as he should have were marked the end of his international career.

The other medium pacer has to be a controversial decision though. The much maligned Ashok Dinda (bowling average: 27.53) was a pillar of strength for Bengal, serving the team with distinction for fourteen years until an acrimonious departure for the upcoming season. Ranadeb Bose (bowling average: 24.77) was another stalwart of Bengal cricket and was somehow overlooked for international honours despite having one of the greatest Ranji seasons for a pacer which did earn him a central contract. The philosophical Sudangsu 'Mantu' Banerjee (bowling average: 23.08) was curiously selected for only one test in which he also impressed. Shib Paul (bowling average: 27.99), Bengal's adopted son Nirode 'Putu' Chowdhury (bowling average: 21.71) and the man with just eight first-class seasons in his career Prashant Vaidya (bowling average: 22.18) offer stiff competition.

There is one man who despite playing only thirty-two games, managed to set a record that is unlikely to ever be broken again in Ranji history. Premangsu Chatterjee (bowling average: 16.36) was slow even by a medium pacer's standard. You could be mistaken for considering his bowling to be more akin to that of a spinners' especially as he bowled with spectacles. What you shouldn't take lightly is how effective he actually is when he starts to get the ball to move. It did not matter whether the ball was old or new, Chatterjee could make it swing well and in addition he could control the ball well and was very accurate. Chatterjee rose to prominence in the semis and finals of the 1955-56 season, picking up 22 wickets in two games to be named the Indian Cricketer of the Year. This was however the prelude to what was about to happen next. In the first match of the very next season, he would rout Assam by picking up all ten wickets to finish with a spell of 10 wickets conceding only twenty runs. To make it even more impressive, only one wicket required the help of a fielder as six of them were bowled and three were dismissed for lbw. These figures are still the third best in first-class history. Chatterjee would continue to impress even in the absence of pace and picked up six wickets versus Bombay in another Ranji final but his team could not capitalize. A real lack of pace was the only thing that ensured his absence from the international stage. On away pitches requiring a lot more pace, Ranadeb Bose will serve as a fine replacement.

  1. :bat:Pankaj Roy
  2. :bat:Arun Lal
  3. :bat:Devang Gandhi
  4. :ar:Sourav Ganguly:c:
  5. :bat:Manoj Tiwary
  6. :bat:Ambar Roy
  7. :wk:Wriddhiman Saha
  8. :bwl:Premangsu Chatterjee
  9. :bwl:Subrata Guha
  10. :bwl:Mohammed Shami
  11. :bwl:Dilip Doshi
 

Bevab

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I might do Karnataka next as it should be fairly easy given the strength of their side over the years and the presence of a Cricinfo article already for reference. Open to suggestions too. :)
 

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I might do Karnataka next as it should be fairly easy given the strength of their side over the years and the presence of a Cricinfo article already for reference. Open to suggestions too. :)
2 separate teams of Mumbai?
as 1 will be tough to choose

So far i liked the Delhi team
 

Bevab

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2 separate teams of Mumbai?
as 1 will be tough to choose

So far i liked the Delhi team

That should be interesting. One A Team and one B Team could be the way to go or I could try to make both teams equally balanced and good. I would still back them to win most games as their strength in depth is just too good! Maybe a combined Gujarat, Baroda and Saurashtra team could take them on.

Delhi is easily the best side out of the three so far. They have some adequate replacements if required and their starting XI is filled with enough stars to stand a chance versus some of the top sides I intend to post about in the near future.
 
D

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I know it wont ring many bells but the Dutch have had a thriving (must be seen in context of course!) domestic scene since the 1920's. If you like I could post a little piece on the Hague Cricket Club, if it fits the bill as it were.
 

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I know it wont ring many bells but the Dutch have had a thriving (must be seen in context of course!) domestic scene since the 1920's. If you like I could post a little piece on the Hague Cricket Club, if it fits the bill as it were.
Of course. Would love it
 

Bevab

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I know it wont ring many bells but the Dutch have had a thriving (must be seen in context of course!) domestic scene since the 1920's. If you like I could post a little piece on the Hague Cricket Club, if it fits the bill as it were.

Go for it mate. Would love to see more content here!
 

Bevab

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:ind:Mumbai Cricket Team - Batsmen Par Excellence
640px-Mumbai_cricket_team.svg.png

Why them?

No other domestic side has been so dominant in the history of first-class cricket as Mumbai. Right from the very first season, Mumbai have set records that are unlikely to be broken anytime soon although with their last title coming five years ago one wonders if other teams are catching up. Mumbai's dominance is all the more remarkable given that they are one out of three sides representing their state and still have managed to produce legendary batsmen who deserve to be considered in all-time great discussions. Give the choice to any aspiring young cricketer of choosing one place in India to hone their skills and most will plump for Mumbai without second thoughts.

Most famous achievement?

They have been the champions in almost one Ranji Trophy season out of two and also are the most successful Irani Cup (a game between the champions and the best of the rest) domestic side in history. If you would ask me though, their greatest achievement is establishing a long line of batsmen who look up to their mentors and predecessors and seek to outperform their deeds on the field. As a team, their most famous run would have to be winning every single season from 1959 to 1973, a remarkable run of victories that will likely stand the test of time.

Methodology?

I will seek to form two playing XIs that are both equally powerful as there are too many good cricketers who would be left out if only one playing XI was to be created. Of course, in a match versus overseas sides the two teams will merge to create the strongest line-up which I shall try to provide too.

Openers?

Two names immediately come to my mind when talking about openers. The first one is the founder of the famous 'Bombay School of Batsmanship' and also India's first world-class batsman. Vijay Merchant (batting average: 101.41) dominated the early days of Ranji Trophy to such an extent that at times the entire tournament felt like a side note to his rivalry with Vijay Hazare. He started out as a middle-order batsman but his proficiency versus pace was notable for an Indian batsman and he was quickly pushed to the top of the lineup where he remained for the rest of his days. His first-class average is only second to Don Bradman himself. A self taught batsman who would pore over hours of film to improve himself, his defence was nigh impenetrable but he could also punish a bad ball equally with a wide range of shots ranging from the drive to the hook. His peak years were not witnessed internationally due to the war but with the domestic season undisturbed, Merchant finished each of his six seasons with a batting average well above 100 with his best season having a batting average of 288.33. Besides all of this, Merchant was a noted philanthropist and a larger than life figure off the field who was key in shaping the beliefs of one John Arlott.

The second batsman is the Master Blaster himself. Sunil Gavaskar (batting average: 64.10) is widely regarded as one of the greatest openers to have played and is credited with being the batsman who transformed Indian cricket the most in recent history. In a time where satellite television was becoming more widely popular, Gavaskar opened the eyes of an eager audience to cricket and showed that Indian players were no less inferior to their overseas contemporaries in terms of skill and dealing with pace. He thrived particularly in fourth innings chases which includes the famous nearly chase of a frankly impossible 438 against Brearley's England. Only six batsmen averaged above 50 when he played and none of them came close to his incredible record of converting a start. He could bat all day and negate any attack. What is often forgotten that he had a below average Chetan Chauhan as his partner and yet his contribution was so good that they are one of the best opening pairs in history despite the latter averaging just 31.

To accompany them we shall have Ranji Trophy's highest run scorer in Wasim Jaffer (batting average: 58.48) and the popular Ravi Shastri (batting average: 54.70, bowling average: 23.36). The former was a cornerstone of Mumbai's successes in the 2000s and proved that he could do it with a different team by leading Vidarbha to their first two Ranji titles at the ripe age of forty. An inconsistent start early in his international career and the emergence of Gambhir later on meant that he could not truly live up to his potential for India and he was strangely ignored when the latter faltered and replaced by Vijay and Dhawan instead despite being the best opener in domestic cricket at that point.

As for Shastri, is there a man who contributed more despite being a limited cricketer? In contrast to his yes man status of today, the old Shastri was something of a rebel and a real attraction who would go from the middle order to the opener's role simply because his country needed him to. He was an enigma who could hit six sixes in a Ranji game and score the quickest double century in Ranji history but also play so defensively that he gets criticized as selfish. He was without any doubt a man for the big occasion as shown by his average versus the other big nations of his time and his bowling was more than handy when required.

The teams so far

Mumbai A

  1. :bat:Vijay Merchant
  2. :bat:Wasim Jaffer

Mumbai B

  1. :bat:Sunil Gavaskar
  2. :ar:Ravi Shastri
 

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:ind:Mumbai Cricket Team - Batsmen Par Excellence
640px-Mumbai_cricket_team.svg.png

Why them?

No other domestic side has been so dominant in the history of first-class cricket as Mumbai. Right from the very first season, Mumbai have set records that are unlikely to be broken anytime soon although with their last title coming five years ago one wonders if other teams are catching up. Mumbai's dominance is all the more remarkable given that they are one out of three sides representing their state and still have managed to produce legendary batsmen who deserve to be considered in all-time great discussions. Give the choice to any aspiring young cricketer of choosing one place in India to hone their skills and most will plump for Mumbai without second thoughts.

Most famous achievement?

They have been the champions in almost one Ranji Trophy season out of two and also are the most successful Irani Cup (a game between the champions and the best of the rest) domestic side in history. If you would ask me though, their greatest achievement is establishing a long line of batsmen who look up to their mentors and predecessors and seek to outperform their deeds on the field. As a team, their most famous run would have to be winning every single season from 1959 to 1973, a remarkable run of victories that will likely stand the test of time.

Methodology?

I will seek to form two playing XIs that are both equally powerful as there are too many good cricketers who would be left out if only one playing XI was to be created. Of course, in a match versus overseas sides the two teams will merge to create the strongest line-up which I shall try to provide too.

Openers?

Two names immediately come to my mind when talking about openers. The first one is the founder of the famous 'Bombay School of Batsmanship' and also India's first world-class batsman. Vijay Merchant (batting average: 101.41) dominated the early days of Ranji Trophy to such an extent that at times the entire tournament felt like a side note to his rivalry with Vijay Hazare. He started out as a middle-order batsman but his proficiency versus pace was notable for an Indian batsman and he was quickly pushed to the top of the lineup where he remained for the rest of his days. His first-class average is only second to Don Bradman himself. A self taught batsman who would pore over hours of film to improve himself, his defence was nigh impenetrable but he could also punish a bad ball equally with a wide range of shots ranging from the drive to the hook. His peak years were not witnessed internationally due to the war but with the domestic season undisturbed, Merchant finished each of his six seasons with a batting average well above 100 with his best season having a batting average of 288.33. Besides all of this, Merchant was a noted philanthropist and a larger than life figure off the field who was key in shaping the beliefs of one John Arlott.

The second batsman is the Master Blaster himself. Sunil Gavaskar (batting average: 64.10) is widely regarded as one of the greatest openers to have played and is credited with being the batsman who transformed Indian cricket the most in recent history. In a time where satellite television was becoming more widely popular, Gavaskar opened the eyes of an eager audience to cricket and showed that Indian players were no less inferior to their overseas contemporaries in terms of skill and dealing with pace. He thrived particularly in fourth innings chases which includes the famous nearly chase of a frankly impossible 438 against Brearley's England. Only six batsmen averaged above 50 when he played and none of them came close to his incredible record of converting a start. He could bat all day and negate any attack. What is often forgotten that he had a below average Chetan Chauhan as his partner and yet his contribution was so good that they are one of the best opening pairs in history despite the latter averaging just 31.

To accompany them we shall have Ranji Trophy's highest run scorer in Wasim Jaffer (batting average: 58.48) and the popular Ravi Shastri (batting average: 54.70, bowling average: 23.36). The former was a cornerstone of Mumbai's successes in the 2000s and proved that he could do it with a different team by leading Vidarbha to their first two Ranji titles at the ripe age of forty. An inconsistent start early in his international career and the emergence of Gambhir later on meant that he could not truly live up to his potential for India and he was strangely ignored when the latter faltered and replaced by Vijay and Dhawan instead despite being the best opener in domestic cricket at that point.

As for Shastri, is there a man who contributed more despite being a limited cricketer? In contrast to his yes man status of today, the old Shastri was something of a rebel and a real attraction who would go from the middle order to the opener's role simply because his country needed him to. He was an enigma who could hit six sixes in a Ranji game and score the quickest double century in Ranji history but also play so defensively that he gets criticized as selfish. He was without any doubt a man for the big occasion as shown by his average versus the other big nations of his time and his bowling was more than handy when required.

The teams so far

Mumbai A

  1. :bat:Vijay Merchant
  2. :bat:Wasim Jaffer

Mumbai B

  1. :bat:Sunil Gavaskar
  2. :ar:Ravi Shastri
for a moment i was shocked why Sachin isnt picked

then I realised this is FC team
 

Bevab

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A very hectic week with regards to uni has meant that this little project of mine has been put on hold again! Hope to resume over the weekend as I've completed the lineups (only two small issues of whether India's greatest close fielder or a pacer deserves a spot and an arguable fight over the number five spot remains) and all that is left is to collect more information on the players themselves.
 

Akshay.

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India's greatest close fielder

Actually the greatest close fielder ever
The only Test fielder to average more than a catch per innings over a career of 12 innings or more, Solkar's 53 victims in 50 innings,

In those 50 innings Solkar had a higher dismissals-per-innings average than India's wicketkeepers, who collectively took 38 catches and made nine stumpings

Solkar's catching stats in Indian victories are even more remarkable - 28 in seven wins, with only one catchless innings out of 14, accounting for more than 20% of India's wickets. His figure of precisely two catches per victorious Test innings places him in almost Bradmanesque statistical isolation

An eleven for fielding heaven | The Cricket Monthly | ESPN Cricinfo
 

Bevab

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Might revive this over the coming days to finish a couple of teams at least if I can spare the time. The laptop in which I had a bunch of players for the Mumbai side stored as a document is currently under maintenance though so will have to go through the pages again to finish those XIs. Or else I could do a different side like Karnataka until I get the machine back.
 

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