Draft: The Quotea Draft

[Aislabie]

Tony Greig

Test stats - 3,599 runs @ 40.43 (8 centuries, best 148) and 141 wickets @ 32.20 (6 5WI, best 8/86) in 58 matches
First-class stats - 16,660 runs @ 31.19 (26 centuries, best 226) and 856 wickets @ 28.85 (33 5WI, best 8/25) in 350 matches

Time to pick up my second-choice overseas South African: Tony Greig to bat at (probably) number six and fulfil the role of second spinner. He is a curious case where his domestic record with the bat was ordinary - just 14 centuries in 230 matches for Sussex, Eastern Province and Border, at an average of just under 28, but his batting for England in Test and tour matches was far more successful: 11 centuries in 93 matches, averaging a shade over 41. Clearly, the higher the standard the better he was spurred on to play. His bowling was similarly curious - capable of both brisk medium pace with the newer ball and effective off-breaks with the older one, he was generally used in the former capacity despite being far more effective in the latter. Indeed, his 8 for 86 at Port of Spain is generally regarded as one of the best Test spells of all time. A complete enigma, he'll slot in at number six.

Throughout his career, Greig managed epilepsy - once having a fit on the field during a Currie Cup match.

1. Yacoob Omar
2.
3. Jacques Kallis
4.
5.
6. Tony Greig
7. Mike Procter
8.
9.
10. Vincent Barnes
11.

@Bevab

 

[Bevab]

A rough couple of years have hurt his average alongside the total lack of support or respect for him, but Keshav Maharaj still stands tall as South Africa's best spinner and one of the best in the world at the moment. Prior to the horror tour of India that no doubt broke any spirit left in him after he was left to suffer alone as a bowling machine against the freshly minted opener in Rohit Sharma, Maharaj averaged below 30, an outstanding achievement given that most of his trade has been on the green baskets that Otis Gibson called pitches in his tenure (to illustrate how awfully seamer friendly they were, Vishwa Fernando who averages 31 in first-class cricket and prior to that tour had been carted by Australia at home managed to pick up 12 wickets at an average of 18!). That average of 33 is no way a reflection of his true ability given how wildly varying his workload tends to be (he is frequently underbowled on the seamer friendly surfaces as someone to offer rest to the frontline pacers or else is terribly overbowled on a surface in which South Africa needs some sort of spin). To make matters worse, his side's total inability to play any form of competent spin on friendly surfaces frequently results in him having no real target to defend or no projected score to which he can realistically limit the opposition.

Enough of the negatives though. Maharaj has the second best figures for a South African spinner in a single game, is currently third for most wickets taken by a South African spinner having played lesser tests than every other person in the top five and is quite easily the most attacking spinner South Africa have had since their early days of test cricket, when their spinners were the famous stars. He has a very good record in New Zealand, one of the most unfriendly places for a spinner and averages 34 at home, a startling record given that the average for spinners in South Africa is close to 40 in this decade. Maharaj is also extremely decent with the bat and has recently put in plenty of work to be considered a bowling all-rounder in white ball cricket. That will not be needed in my side though, as Maharaj will play as an attacking spinner who looks for wickets primarily like Ashwin and look to put the opposition on the backpedal. He is the greatest spinner this country has seen since the likes of Tayfield and Hobson after all.

Herschelle Gibbs
Hashim Amla
Clive Rice
Keshav Maharaj
Lungi Ngidi


@Parth D with a double pick.

 

[Verified Enigma]

Dean Elgar

Temba Bavuma

Two promising batsmen, Elgar has been the backbone of the South African batting regiment after Amla's exit. While Bavuma gives extra cushion in the middle order. Lucky to have these two still available.

Team PD la Quotea:

Dean Elgar
AB de Villiers
JP Duminy
Temba Bavuma
Andile Phehlukwayo
Vernon Philander
​

To @Bevab again

 

[ahmedleo414]

Temba Bavuma

I had orignally selected him for my last pick, but changed it to Tahir after seeing my next pick was a not for a long time, i was hoping he was still available... but alas...

 

[Verified Enigma]

I had orignally selected him for my last pick, but changed it to Tahir after seeing my next pick was a not for a long time, i was hoping he was still available... but alas...

That's the magic of drafts......

 

[qpeedore]

Tahir, Maharaj, Bavuma...all guys I wanted. But that's drafts for you. I'll have a rethink of things, I believe I'm coming up soon.

 

[Verified Enigma]

@Bevab incase you missed last tag
(May be I didn't tag properly)

You're next.

 

[Bevab]

I'll take Dudley Nourse, one of the most unfortunate South African cricketers given the era he played in. Lost a bit of his prime years to the second World War and was a part of only two victories in his entire international career. That should not be taken as a slight against him though, any statistical exercise will easily show that his adjusted average works out to be very close to his original one given the high quality of bowling he faced and the lack of proper support he had in his side (the closest ones were fellow stars Mitchell and Rowan with Melville playing the odd game). In addition, the only sides he faced were England and Australia and so he had no opportunity to play against teams like New Zealand, West Indies or India to see how his team would have fared against a similar quality side. His double century versus England at Trent Bridge with a broken thumb remains one of the greatest and bravest performances ever seen in a test match as he led his side to an unfathomable victory on the back of it. This was one of the few times where he was not summoned quickly to the crease by South African standards. One can only imagine how good this All-Time Great would have been in a proper side that would allow his naturally aggressive style to thrive with his sheer consistency.

This ATG performance did come at a price however as the injury meant he was completely ineffective for the rest of the series after which he retired owing to his age, dragging his beastly average from 59 to a measly '53' which is still the third best in South African history. As always, a real shame that he tends to be a forgotten man these days in any sort of conversation for batting greats. He will form a brilliant partnership with Hash and be the fulcrum of my batting order.


Herschelle Gibbs
Hashim Amla
Dudley Nourse
Clive Rice
Keshav Maharaj
Lungi Ngidi

@Aislabie to continue.

 

[Aislabie]

Eddie Barlow

Test stats - 2,516 runs @ 45.74 (6 centuries, best 201) and 40 wickets @ 34.05 (1 5WI, best 5/85) in 30 matches
First-class stats - 18,212 runs @ 39.16 (43 centuries, best 217) and 571 wickets @ 24.14 (16 5WI, best 7/24) in 283 matches

I promise I'm not trying to pick all-rounders. Like Kallis and Procter, Eddie Barlow is someone who makes my team on the back of their primary skill alone, with anything else they offer coming as a very handy bonus. As a Test opener, Barlow was among the very best for South Africa and the vast wealth of domestic teams that were fortunate enough to have his services. Despite a first-class best of "only" 217, Barlow recorded first-class double-centuries for no fewer than six different teams across his long and decorated career. Indeed, the only team for which it could be argued he disappointed was Derbyshire, which is gloriously irrelevant to the South African conditions that all our teams would be playing each other in.

I'm now only allowed one more white player in my side, so it's a good job that I know what role I'm reserving for him.

1. Yacoob Omar
2. Eddie Barlow
3. Jacques Kallis
4.
5.
6. Tony Greig
7. Mike Procter
8.
9.
10. Vincent Barnes
11.

@qpeedore

 

[qpeedore]

The question has to be asked. Who is even capable of opening with Smith? And yet the answer is readily available. I don't really know how or why this guy hasn't been picked yet, but he's my international pick. Andrew Strauss was born in Johannesburg, and gives a ton of experience at the top of the order with Graeme Smith. Strauss actually could have potentially qualified for Australia too, having lived there for a number of years. But it's England that he did his trade for, and did it reasonably well with an average of 40ish. Him and Smith will take my team to a good start more often than not.

@Dale88

 

[Ed Smith]

1. Alviro Petersen
2. Loots Bosman
3. Jonathan Trott
4. Graeme Pollock
10. Paul Adams
11. Makhaya Ntini

Solid average opening the batting. Fits in nicely.

@blockerdave

 

[blockerdave]

I suspect I possibly might be stealing the guy @Aislabie was referring to when he obliquely said:

I'm now only allowed one more white player in my side, so it's a good job that I know what role I'm reserving for him.

and for the same reason: in a draft where a balanced side is difficult to obtain, multi-faceted cricketers are worth their weight in gold. LEE IRVINE only played 4 test matches, and he was overshadowed by those 4 matches being the same 4 that Barry Richards starred in as the Springboks humiliated the Australians before isolation. But he scored over 350 runs in those 4 tests, including a hundred and 2 50s at an average of 50.42. He played 3 of the matches as a specialist batsman, but he was also a top-class wicket keeper.

A keeper batsman is almost certainly the role he'll play in my side.

1. Barry Richards
2. Jimmy Cook
3. Frank Roro
4. Basil D'oliveira
5. -
6. LEE IRVINE
7. -
8. -
9. Krom Hendricks
10. -
11. -

@Yash. has the next pick

 

[Yash.]

1. Gary Kirsten
2. ?
3. ?
4. Kevin Pietersen
5. Aubrey Faulkner
6. ?
7. ?
8. ?
9. Khaya Majola
10. Alfonso Thomas
    
11. Neil Adcock

@ahmedleo414

 

[ahmedleo414]

My first Black African pick goes for Mfuneko Ngam

Due to a genetic bone defect was only able to play 3 test matches for South Africa, could've been the next Allan Donald.

1. ?
2. ?
3. ?
4. ?
5. Ashwell Prince
6. Andy Flower
7. ?
8. Shaun Pollock
9. Dale Steyn
10. Imran Tahir
11. Mfuneko Ngam

@Parth D with his next pick

 

[Aislabie]

It looks like we started this draft just in time