Supreme General
Associate Captain
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2022
Not 100% if this has been done before but after being inspired a little by a post by Amazon Prime, I decided to make Test Teams XIs (plus 2 subs for Cricket Captain sim purposes in the future) based on decades. However, this isnt just who performed the best in each decade as that would lead to certain players being in multiple lists. Consequently, to be eligible for a particular decade, it had to be the Decade that player played the most test matches in. If a player had decades with an equal amount of tests played in, well they are lucky to be eligible for both/all decades. Players are chosen based on whole cricketing career not just performances in those tests in that decade. Posting them in here to see others opinions cause there is a guarantee that I've missed someone and players I have controversially left out.
1870s
1870s
Charles Bannerman (3 eligible tests out of 3 total played)- Scorer of the first test hundred and his percentage of innings total record still standing strong. Apart from that innings though, wasn't too much of a career to speak of test or first class wise but that hundred has to secure his spot against virtually no competition from other eligible players.
Harry Jupp (2/2)- Cheating a bit here with having Harry Jupp keeping as though he didnt do it at test level, he did do it occasionally at First-class level. Talking of First-class level, he opened for Surrey and his record of 15,319 runs with 12 centuries is pretty decent for people not called WG Grace in that era.
Harry Charlwood (2/2)- was a standout batter for England on that first ever test tour including performances in New Zealand and leading England to their first test 50 partnership. Charlwood was also a top player for Sussex domestically and 7,017 runs with 5 centuries at an average of 21 were solid returns and get him the number 3 slot here.
A.J. Webbe (1/1)- his test record of 4 runs in 2 innings won't get any awards but his First-class record of 14,465 runs at 24.81 including the 1887 season where he scored 1200 runs at 47 including a 243* means that with very little other batting talent screaming out he fully deserves this spot.
Andrew Greenwood (2/2)-Kinda scraping the bottom of the barrel here but some Yorkshire grit is a must in any good test side imo so Greenwood is here to provide it despite his 18avg in FC being on the lower end of the top levels of the time.
Dave Gregory (3/3)- Australia's first captain and part of the Gregory dynasty which was very important in early Australian cricket. He was nowhere near the most talented of his family and actually his FC average of 14 with the bat is really not great but he's gritty and not having a Gregory would be doing a disservice.
Tom Armitage (2/2)- More Yorkshire grit arrives in the all rounder for the time package of Tom Armitage. Can hang around with the bat and can offer some handy overs.
Allen Hill (2/2)- A third Yorkshireman into the team. His test average of 50 maybe should say he ought to be batting higher but his 8.49 FC batting average with his test 49 being his highest ever score says otherwise. Bowling with a roundarm action, he was considered quite fast for his time something this team could use well.
James Lillywhite Jnr
(2/2)- England's first ever test captain will also captain the 1870s bunch. A prolific bowler with his left-handed "slow" bowling averaging in the 15s in his 2 tests and at FC level too. All round was just a famous name of cricket in that era.
James Southerton (2/2)-Despite being 49 on his test debut, Southerton still had it and his 2 tests picked up 7 wickets at 15.28 to go with his 1,682 wickets at 14 in FC shows he was a class act up until he became the first test cricketer to die only 3 years after his last test.
Frank Allan (1/1)- May have only got 4 wickets in his only test playing second fiddle to Spofforth in 1879 at Melbourne but his 123 wickets at 13 in FC cricket gets him in here ahead of the remaining competition
Charlie Absolom (1/1)- got a 50 in his only test and has 99 matches of FC experience to add some sort of batting and bowling depth
Tom Kendall (2/2)- he got 14 wickets in his only 2 tests at 15.35. He did only play a total of 8 FC games so is a bit of a stretch including him but those test returns have to be taken into good consideration
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