Draft: No Landmarks XI - Poll Added - Running till 25 April
- Thread starter Master Bates
- Start date
CerealKiller
Staff Member
I'm really sorry, i'm pulling out for personal and mental health reasons. @Master Bates
Master Bates
School Cricketer
No issues! I will make picks on your behalf! And when you feel you're good, you an make picks or replace my picks before the next person posts.
Sam Curran
There were plenty better options with the bat and few better bowlers, but finding the right combo would be difficult in this draft. So, here comes the Englishman Sam Curran.
He is not a Ben Stokes but he is neither a Stuart Binny! He is an aggressive batsman and a left-arm swing bowler. We have already seen in his short career that he is a match-winner. From the 1st test match against India at Edgbaston to the ongoing South Africa series, he has shown that he can provide a great balance in both aspects. He is not the fastest but he gets the ball move away from the lefties and into the righties.
Stats:
= 632 runs in 27 innings (Average - 27.47, 50s - 2, HS - 78) = 35 wickets in 26 innings (Average - 29.48, Eco - 3.22, BBI - 4/58)Even though he has batted only once at 7, unfortunately he will have to take one spot higher than his usual no.8.
CerealKiller's XI:
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Sam Curran8.
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@VC the slogger
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Aislabie
Test Cricket is Best Cricket
Look after yourself first! All else is just white noise
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Thank you for understanding
blockerdave
ICC Chairman
Hey man, sorry to hear this. I hope you are ok.
CerealKiller
Staff Member
Just need a break from some things, mostly ok, thanks.
VC the slogger
PlanetCricket Forever
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2010
When it comes to players without any substantial individual landmarks, it's hard to look past former England skipper Mike Brearley, who scored 1442 runs at 22.88 with a highest of 91 from 39 Tests between 1976 and 1981. There's an argument that those aren't particularly bad numbers for a keeper-batsman from that era, but here's the catch - he didn't keep wicket in a single one of his 39 Tests and played as a specialist batsman only. His runs also came at a snail-like pace of 29.79 runs per 100 balls, making him one of the slowest scoring batsmen in Test history.
But, boy oh boy could he lead a side. He captained England in 31 Tests, winning 18 and losing only 4 - which included three Ashes series victories in 1977, 1978/79 and 1981, thereby giving him easily the best win-loss ratio (4.50) among players to have captained them in a minimum of 20 Tests. His ability to bring out the best of his players meant he was well worth his place in the English Test lineup despite his poor returns as a batsman; this was perhaps never more evident than with England's star all-rounder Ian Botham, who averaged 41.36 with the bat and 18.76 with the ball under Brearley's captaincy as opposed to 33.54 and 28.40 overall. In the words of fiery Australian quick Rodney Hogg, he had "a degree in people".
VC's XI
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Mike Brearley 3)
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@Aislabie
Aislabie
Test Cricket is Best Cricket
My pick will be Tony Gray, the giant West Indian fast bowler with the best bowling average of the bunch - a scarcely believable 17.13. His career was stalled a bit when he became injured, and was overtaken in the pecking order by one Ian Bishop, but there's an argument that Gray may still have been the better bowler.
(Proper write-up in the coming days I hope)
@Master Bates
Tony Gray, the giant West Indian fast bowler with the best bowling average of the bunch - a scarcely believable 17.13. His career was stalled a bit when he became injured, and was overtaken in the pecking order by one Ian Bishop, but there's an argument that Gray may still have been the better bowler.(Proper write-up in the coming days I hope)
@Master Bates
Master Bates
School Cricketer
Mike Hendrick
My second pick will be another Englishman but a bowler. So here I present Mike Hendrick, the seamer.
His average of 25.83 is not jaw-dropping but when you see that he has taken the most wickets in test matches without taking a five wicket-haul, you will find that this is a player who has rich experience of 30 test matches, which is useful.
He was a much under-rated seamer - his average of 25.83 is lower than those of Larwood, Snow, Botham, Fraser or Gough, but he achieved nowhere near the fame of that quintet. That owed much to his penchant for the inconspicuous contribution: in 30 Tests Hendrick didn't once take a five-for, and his best figures were 4 for 28 against India at Edgbaston in 1974. But he was a very fine bowler, unstinting in his accuracy and capable of appreciable bounce and seam movement.
Stats:
= 128 runs in 35 innings (Average - 6.4, HS - 15) = 87 wickets in 54 innings (Average - 25.83, Eco - 2.17, BBI - 4/28, BBM - 8/95)He has batted at only the last two spots out of which he will occupy the lowermost (hopefully ,for now).
CerealKiller's XI:
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Sam Curran08.
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Mike Hendrick@VC the slogger
AsadRM
Panel of Selectors
- Joined
- Jun 1, 2019
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- Pakistan
Hoping that you are fine. Take care of yourself young man!
Master Bates
School Cricketer
Aislabie
Test Cricket is Best Cricket
My next pick will be Bruce Laird, who was a central cog in the Australian post-WSC batting order. Despite his lack of a truly excellent contribution, he was entirely capable - as his WSC record showed.
1. Bruce Laird
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11. Tony Gray
Bruce Laird, who was a central cog in the Australian post-WSC batting order. Despite his lack of a truly excellent contribution, he was entirely capable - as his WSC record showed.1.
Bruce Laird2.
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Tony Gray
Master Bates
School Cricketer
@blockerdave you have two picks.
blockerdave
ICC Chairman
My first pick is Ben Hollioake.
I know the draft says pick on their test record, but Ben Hollioake only played 2 tests, in 1997 and 1998. His batting average of 11 and bowling average of 49.75 were not impressive, but Ben was a rare talent.
His most memorable performances were in limited overs, a fantastic 63 va Australia on ODI debut in 1997, and 98 to win the Benson & Hedges final for Surrey the same summer. If you saw either of those inns, you knew you were watching something special.
Although he didn't immediately fulfil his early promise, it was a given that he'd be back. After years of looking for the new Botham, England had two heirs apparent with Ben Hollioake and Andrew Flintoff.
Unfortunately, Ben Hollioake died in March 2002, when he crashed his car in Australia.
He is picked therefore still on his promise, but what promise.
Will make a second pick shortly.
I know the draft says pick on their test record, but Ben Hollioake only played 2 tests, in 1997 and 1998. His batting average of 11 and bowling average of 49.75 were not impressive, but Ben was a rare talent.
His most memorable performances were in limited overs, a fantastic 63 va Australia on ODI debut in 1997, and 98 to win the Benson & Hedges final for Surrey the same summer. If you saw either of those inns, you knew you were watching something special.
Although he didn't immediately fulfil his early promise, it was a given that he'd be back. After years of looking for the new Botham, England had two heirs apparent with Ben Hollioake and Andrew Flintoff.
Unfortunately, Ben Hollioake died in March 2002, when he crashed his car in Australia.
He is picked therefore still on his promise, but what promise.
Will make a second pick shortly.
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