Draft: The Pre-Twenty20 Draft

Who has picked the best Twenty20 team?


  • Total voters
    6
  • Poll closed .

NILAYSHAH60

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Personally, I’m surprised that a certain keeper who was known for being an absolute slogger and a bowling all-rounder who had a cult following around him haven’t been picked so far despite having poor numbers with their consistency.

I know who you are talking about. His fellow player has already been picked. He might be on cards now.[DOUBLEPOST=1564244493][/DOUBLEPOST]
Niamh Shah means RB or SP, most likely SP.

Les Ames is a fine pick, I reckon my keeper pick is better still.

Another hint there:-
He wasn't a fast bowler
 

Bevab

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Charles Macartney

australia-cricketer-charlie-macartney-practicing-at-lords-cricket-in-picture-id457648802

Reasons for selection:


  • Macartney's authorative batting style led to his famous nickname of 'The Governor-General'. He was said to have possessed the elegance of Trumper and the determination of Bradman himself. Hell, Bradman himself has admitted that Macartney was one of his inspirations due to his strokeplay. High praise coming from one of the greatest batsmen to ever grace the game.
  • His career can be divided into two phases on either side of World War 1. In the first phase, he was a bowling all-rounder who was inconsistent with the bat. In the second phase however, he turned himself into one of the finest batsmen in test history and still bowled economically whenever called upon. He was an extremely reliable fielder too, making him an excellent all-round cricketer.
  • Macartney relied on excellent hand-eye coordination allied with quick footwork, much like most star batsmen today in the modern era. He was devastatingly good with shots either side of the wicket (in particular the cut shot) but was capable of pretty much every shot possible in his era, both orthodox and unorthodox with a unique batting style that the Wisden described as "a model to not be copied".
  • The best thing about him was the absolute disdain with which he treated poor deliveries which extended even beyond his retirement. When he stopped watching cricket, he gave this reason "I can't bear watching luscious half-volleys being nudged gently back to bowlers". Further, he held no interest in personal records or achievements and couldn't even provide any figures to anyone seeking information regarding him. A player who hated dot balls and also held zero interest in any personal numbers? Macartney would have made a killing in modern T20s with this mentality alone, let alone his outstanding record.
  • Macartney is also one of the few players in test history to score a century in the first session of play, racing to 112 before lunch. He also holds the record for the highest first-class score by an Australian on English soil and no one else has scored more runs than him in a single day of first-class cricket. Macartney also has a conversion rate of 43.75% in tests, indicating his ability to make significant contributions even if he played a risky game.
  • With the ball, Macartney was quite effective on damp and soft pitches. He bowled orthodox spin with his left arm, hitting consistent lines and lengths and bowled at a quicker pace compared to the traditional spinner. He also possessed an even quicker delivery that was deceptive in nature which he used to great effect. Most importantly, Macartney believed in bowling economical spells rather than look for wickets, an ideal trait for a sixth bowler in my side. He ranks 36th on the most economical bowlers in test history.

Comparable modern T20 player:

An all-rounder who goes after nearly every ball with maximum power with plenty of unorthodox shots and one who bowls tight and economical spells of orthodox spin while also being an outstanding fielder? Glenn Maxwell is the obvious comparison, if he was a lot more focused with the bat.

Role in the team:

Macartney plays as the number 3 in my lineup, just like Maxwell does for his team usually. He has a free role essentially in the side and will play extremely aggressive cricket to score plenty of runs at a quick pace like Maxi or ABD do. With the ball, Macartney is capable of bowling all 4 overs if needed and will usually be the guy to give us a tight spell of spin to restrict the flow of runs. On conducive pitches, Macartney's entire spell will be used if he bowls well without being held back.


1.
2. S. Anwar:bat::pak:
3. C. Macartney:ar::aus:
4.
5.
6. D. Lindsay:wkb::saf:
7. K. Dev:ar::ind:
8.
9.
10.
11. J. Garner:bwl::wi:


Will post my next pick in a few hours, a bit confused with too many appealing options right now!
 

blockerdave

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I know who you are talking about. His fellow player has already been picked. He might be on cards now.[DOUBLEPOST=1564244493][/DOUBLEPOST]

Another hint there:-
He wasn't a fast bowler

The team mate of my keeper has been picked. But I’m not aware of my keeper being a bowler so this is intriguing!

The teammate of my keeper was also a keeper
 

NILAYSHAH60

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The team mate of my keeper has been picked. But I’m not aware of my keeper being a bowler so this is intriguing!

The teammate of my keeper was also a keeper

Oh I missed that out. I was referring to someone else, but even he should be picked though.
 

Bevab

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My choices were between a bunch of openers/top order batsmen from the earliest eras of cricket with decent records available, a few spinners I've been keeping my eye on and one particular pacer I dearly hope remains available when my turn arrives next. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost out on the pace bowler though, pace bowling is the one department where the 20th century has plenty of players. Among the batsmen, only one player I've noticed has the incredibly high levels of aggression and also the numbers on paper to match. Most importantly, he has received praise from a lot of people and is a bit unfortunate to not receive the adulation that his record deserves today. Step forward..

Clement Hill
Onthenose-knox_a.jpg
Reasons for selection:
  • Hill was a master of the back foot, flat bat strokes which meant he wasn't as elegant to the eye as someone like Trumper. Nevertheless, Hill actually had a marginally superior record to Trumper in test cricket and was actually the marginally more aggressive batsman when you factor in consistency. He only respected the most perfect of all deliveries and looked to play positive cricket versus the rest of them.
  • Hill was a child prodigy in cricket and held numerous records throughout his career. He was the youngest Australian to score a first-class century and a double century, became the first batsmen to score 1000 runs in a calendar year, struck a century during the first session, held the record for most number of runs in tests until he was surpassed by Hobbs. However, it took his wife to remind him that he was the previous record holder and so this was a player who wasn't obsessed with personal records.
  • Hill had an unusual, low grip on his bat and a Jessop-esque crouch before each delivery which aided in his ability to play the hook (his favourite) and cut shots very effectively. He compensated for his relative difficulty in driving down the ground with power by quick footwork. Hill relied on placement and timing plus rather than power to score boundaries though he was very capable of striking powerfully on the legside. Most of his boundaries came as a result of shots on the ground or chipped just over the fielders' heads. He also possessed a very good defense that he used throughout his career. Later in his career, he also expanded on his offside game with more varieties of the cut shot. Most importantly, his drives became more powerful and he loved advancing down the ground to smash boundaries.
  • It was perhaps the famous tour of 1902 that cemented Trumper's position as a legend ahead of Hill's. Hill wasn't the force of 1899 but was still the second highest run scorer for Australia. Trumper was just too good in the England tour however and received all the plaudits which left Hill without much credit to claim. Hill was also not as effective on the sticky wickets of England compared to his home grounds that had harder pitches.
  • Hill's greatest innings without any doubt was his 160 versus England, where he batted for over five hours in the second innings with influenza to lead his side from a first innings deficit of 78 runs to victory by 245 runs.
  • Hill feasted on fast bowlers' deliveries and was extremely proficient in scoring off good length deliveries. While he wasn't as effective versus medium pace, Hill was the architect behind the idea of hitting South African wrist spinners in the 1910-11 test series and led by example in the very first test, advancing out to drive nearly every ball scoring 191 off just 200 deliveries.
  • Hill was a fantastic outfielder with an incredible arm for run-outs and is most memorable for two occasions of spectacular fielding in the 1902 tour. In one instance, he threw the ball from the deep with so much power that he knocked down the stumps at one end and rebounded to hit the stumps at the other end too. In another instance, he ran almost 20 metres to dive and take a low catch very close to the boundary rope, an unprecedented effort in his time.
  • His career has been partly forgotten due to his infamous spat with the cricket board over selection decisions. It ended in an ugly brawl with his opponent lying bloodied on the floor after very nearly being thrown out of the window. However, Hill was standing up for the rights of players and was fighting for the inclusion of another future great who also happens to be in my team. :p
  • The most remarkable thing about his career is his string of scores in the 90s and also the fact that he was dismissed via LBW only once in his entire test career. He was that good at playing his shots on the legside.
Comparable modern T20 player:

Hill did not rely on pure power despite being a muscular man himself. Instead timing and placement were his strengths, a bit like Hashim Amla in today's era or Sachin Tendulkar in the past.

Role in the team:

Hill will be the other opener alongside Anwar in my lineup. His ability to score boundaries without taking risks by placement is most effective during the powerplays and Hill was very good at rotating the strike back in those days too, which would allow him to bat through the innings if needed. He will have to be the more aggressive batsman initially though by scoring boundaries, particularly versus pace. While having two left handed batsmen gives the opposition an opportunity to attack using an right arm off-spinner, both Anwar and Hill were destructive versus spin and so it may not be the brightest idea to try that even if it looks good on paper.

1. C. Hill:bat::aus:
2. S. Anwar:bat::pak:
3. C. Macartney:ar::aus:
4.
5.
6. D. Lindsay:wkb::saf:
7. K. Dev:ar::ind:
8.
9.
10.
11. J. Garner:bwl::wi:

It's @blockerdave who has to pick next.
 

Aislabie

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Clement Hill
*snip*​
Ah, yes - I deliberately avoided naming him in the Syd Barnes post in case someone saw him and looked into it. Although there was someone else I've prioritised above him for my number four slot, he's certainly a good selection
 

blockerdave

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My choices were between a bunch of openers/top order batsmen from the earliest eras of cricket with decent records available, a few spinners I've been keeping my eye on and one particular pacer I dearly hope remains available when my turn arrives next. It wouldn't be the end of the world if I lost out on the pace bowler though, pace bowling is the one department where the 20th century has plenty of players. Among the batsmen, only one player I've noticed has the incredibly high levels of aggression and also the numbers on paper to match. Most importantly, he has received praise from a lot of people and is a bit unfortunate to not receive the adulation that his record deserves today. Step forward..

Clement Hill
Onthenose-knox_a.jpg
Reasons for selection:
  • Hill was a master of the back foot, flat bat strokes which meant he wasn't as elegant to the eye as someone like Trumper. Nevertheless, Hill actually had a marginally superior record to Trumper in test cricket and was actually the marginally more aggressive batsman when you factor in consistency. He only respected the most perfect of all deliveries and looked to play positive cricket versus the rest of them.
  • Hill was a child prodigy in cricket and held numerous records throughout his career. He was the youngest Australian to score a first-class century and a double century, became the first batsmen to score 1000 runs in a calendar year, struck a century during the first session, held the record for most number of runs in tests until he was surpassed by Hobbs. However, it took his wife to remind him that he was the previous record holder and so this was a player who wasn't obsessed with personal records.
  • Hill had an unusual, low grip on his bat and a Jessop-esque crouch before each delivery which aided in his ability to play the hook (his favourite) and cut shots very effectively. He compensated for his relative difficulty in driving down the ground with power by quick footwork. Hill relied on placement and timing plus rather than power to score boundaries though he was very capable of striking powerfully on the legside. Most of his boundaries came as a result of shots on the ground or chipped just over the fielders' heads. He also possessed a very good defense that he used throughout his career. Later in his career, he also expanded on his offside game with more varieties of the cut shot. Most importantly, his drives became more powerful and he loved advancing down the ground to smash boundaries.
  • It was perhaps the famous tour of 1902 that cemented Trumper's position as a legend ahead of Hill's. Hill wasn't the force of 1899 but was still the second highest run scorer for Australia. Trumper was just too good in the England tour however and received all the plaudits which left Hill without much credit to claim. Hill was also not as effective on the sticky wickets of England compared to his home grounds that had harder pitches.
  • Hill's greatest innings without any doubt was his 160 versus England, where he batted for over five hours in the second innings with influenza to lead his side from a first innings deficit of 78 runs to victory by 245 runs.
  • Hill feasted on fast bowlers' deliveries and was extremely proficient in scoring off good length deliveries. While he wasn't as effective versus medium pace, Hill was the architect behind the idea of hitting South African wrist spinners in the 1910-11 test series and led by example in the very first test, advancing out to drive nearly every ball scoring 191 off just 200 deliveries.
  • Hill was a fantastic outfielder with an incredible arm for run-outs and is most memorable for two occasions of spectacular fielding in the 1902 tour. In one instance, he threw the ball from the deep with so much power that he knocked down the stumps at one end and rebounded to hit the stumps at the other end too. In another instance, he ran almost 20 metres to dive and take a low catch very close to the boundary rope, an unprecedented effort in his time.
  • His career has been partly forgotten due to his infamous spat with the cricket board over selection decisions. It ended in an ugly brawl with his opponent lying bloodied on the floor after very nearly being thrown out of the window. However, Hill was standing up for the rights of players and was fighting for the inclusion of another future great who also happens to be in my team. :p
  • The most remarkable thing about his career is his string of scores in the 90s and also the fact that he was dismissed via LBW only once in his entire test career. He was that good at playing his shots on the legside.
Comparable modern T20 player:

Hill did not rely on pure power despite being a muscular man himself. Instead timing and placement were his strengths, a bit like Hashim Amla in today's era or Sachin Tendulkar in the past.

Role in the team:

Hill will be the other opener alongside Anwar in my lineup. His ability to score boundaries without taking risks by placement is most effective during the powerplays and Hill was very good at rotating the strike back in those days too, which would allow him to bat through the innings if needed. He will have to be the more aggressive batsman initially though by scoring boundaries, particularly versus pace. While having two left handed batsmen gives the opposition an opportunity to attack using an right arm off-spinner, both Anwar and Hill were destructive versus spin and so it may not be the brightest idea to try that even if it looks good on paper.

1. C. Hill:bat::aus:
2. S. Anwar:bat::pak:
3. C. Macartney:ar::aus:
4.
5.
6. D. Lindsay:wkb::saf:
7. K. Dev:ar::ind:
8.
9.
10.
11. J. Garner:bwl::wi:

It's @blockerdave who has to pick next.

You are quietly racking up a great team.
 

blockerdave

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My pick is LEE IRVINE

Lee Irvine was a proto-Gilchrist. A destructive attacking batsman with a test average of 50+ and a fine gloveman.

Unfortunately, he played just 4 tests, the same 4 tests of the 1970 South Africa vs Australia series as his colleague in my team Barry Richards. His last test inns was a century made on his 26th birthday.

He didn't play as a keeper in that series, as Dennis Lindsay held the gloves. But don't mistake him as a batsman first keeper second, he was a fine keeper.

He has the gloves in this team, and will float in the middle order. He will display his hitting skills such as those that led him to hitting 26 sixes in his 1968 debut season with Essex.

I'd probably have taken Lindsay as my keeper had he been available, but I don't say I wouldn't have put Irvine in the team just as a batsman anyway - he was that good. But I don't think I lose much as a keeper either - he was that good.

My team is now beginning to take shape:

  1. Barry Richards
  2. -
  3. Gilbert Jessop
  4. Basil D'Oliveira
  5. Lee Irvine (wk)
  6. -
  7. -
  8. Franklyn Stephenson
  9. -
  10. -
  11. Vince van der Bijl
@Rebel2k19 - your pick mate
 

Gaurav_7

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I have got 2 writeups to do now. Hopefully later today I will have the time to do that.

:wi: :bat: Gordon Greenidge
:ind: :wkb: Farokh Engineer
:wi: :bat: Viv Richards
:aus: :ar: Keith Miller
:nz: :ar: Richard Hadlee
:wi: :bwl: Courtney Walsh
 

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