Coronavirus Cricket Auction Draft (Test)

FINAL: Which team would win on a slow dustbowl minefield?


  • Total voters
    11
  • Poll closed .

Norris

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It's quite a toughie. Skills has Ashwin who is absolutely devastating on a turning pitch (But that doesn't really come into play until the 3rd or 4th day really), however Moby has two spinners who can be devastating in tandem no matter how ancient they are (Or even if they exist!). I think it really depends on the toss and the team bowling first would have the greater advantage I feel. Shame we don't have that as a factor in this game. But considering he has Viv and then two spinners covered by two GOATs in Imran and McGrath, I think Moby will just about do enough to win this.
 

Mani

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But how many places do we know of outside of Asia, that produce pitches that behave like that though?
If you ask me I would say no overseas pitches as similar to one in Asia, but going into all-time draft with over hundred years of players and matches played over various decades it makes it difficult to judge some the past spinners and its difficult to guess on what kind of pitches they would have played.We only got stats to judge these players but expecting at some point mangers would come up with details of pitches, spinners of past and how the batsmen cope with those.
 

anant

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Good game @Moby . Got a bit heated, but was good fun. Also got to know a bit more about some players whose name I hadn't heard before:p
 

Himannv

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I think stats of how bowlers perform in the sub continent are flawed if the goal is to determine how well they play on a dustbowl. There are more chances of pitches being flat than anything else from those stats and you could even get some slow wickets and even the odd pace friendly one.

A better bet is to actually target stats on specific venues if they always produce dustbowls.
 

Samid

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One captain turns up for the toss, the other's still in the hutch. I should get a vote or two there :p
League rules here are that you have to have 8 players at the venue for the toss to happen. You get one over deducted for every four minutes the toss is delayed and walkover is given if you still don't have 8 players by the 31st minute.
 
QF2: EAP/TMH vs 12Oz

Samid

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Please vote for one of the teams that you believe would win on a green track.

Discussions encouraged. Write ups to follow.

Team @Edgar Allan Pillow / @The Man Himself
  1. Matthew Hayden
  2. Geoffrey Boycott
  3. Rahul Dravid
  4. Joe Root
  5. Les Ames (wk)
  6. Brain McMillan
  7. Kapil Dev (c)
  8. Wasim Akram
  9. Malcolm Marshall
  10. Morne Morkel
  11. Lance Gibbs

Team @12OunceEpilogue
  1. Bill Lawry
  2. David Boon
  3. George Headley
  4. Jacques Kallis
  5. Martin Crowe
  6. Ian Botham
  7. MS Dhoni (c) (wk)
  8. Chaminda Vaas
  9. Trent Boult
  10. Nathan Lyon
  11. Joel Garner
 

Samid

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Team @edgar allan @The Man Himself

OP - Matthew Hayden - Batting Avg: 50.74
OP - Geoffrey Boycott - Batting Avg: 47.73
#03 - Rahul Dravid - Batting Avg: 52.31
#04 - Joe Root - Batting Avg: 48.40
#05 - Les Ames (WK) - Batting Avg: 40.57
#06 - Brain McMillan - Batting Avg: 39.36 | Bowling Avg: 33.82, Econ: 2.51
#07 - Kapil Dev (C) - Batting Avg: 31.05 | Bowling Avg: 29.64, Econ: 2.78
#08 - Wasim Akram - Batting Avg: 22.64 | Bowling Avg: 23.62, Econ: 2.59
#09 - Malcolm Marshall - Batting Avg: 18.85 | Bowling Avg: 20.94, Econ: 2.68
#10 - Morne Morkel - Batting Avg: 11.65 | Bowling Avg: 27.66, Econ: 3.10
#11 - Lance Gibbs - Batting Avg: 6.97 | Bowling Avg: 29.09, Econ: 1.98

Why we'll win:

1) Pace friendly green top pitch + best pace duo of the draft.

2) 12Oz openers will be hard pressed with relentless pace attack exposing middle order to our bowlers relatively early. And that'll be a game changer.

3) We have better top order and better bowling. Too big a challenge for Kallis to bridge.

---

Team @12OunceEpilogue

1- Bill Lawry L 5k @ 47.1
2- David Boon R 7k @ 43.7
3- George Headley 2k+ @ 60.8
4- Jacques Kallis R 13k @ 55.4
5- Martin Crowe R 5k @ 45.4
6- Ian Botham R 5k @ 33.5
7- MS Dhoni (c) (w) R 4k+ @ 38.1
8- Chaminda Vaas L 3k @ 24.3
9- Trent Boult R 654 @ 15.2
10- Nathan Lyon R 1k @ 12.1
11- Joel Garner R 672 @ 12.4

Joel Garner R - 259 @ 21, 50.8
Ian Botham R - 383 @ 28.4, 57
Trent Boult L - 267 @ 27.7, 55.7
Chaminda Vaas L - 355 @ 29.6, 66
Jacques Kallis R - 292 @ 32.7, 69.3
Nathan Lyon RO - 390 @ 31.6, 63


Batting

Lawry-
The ‘corpse with pads on’ will be hard to shift on any pitch, and the left hander will score runs with aplomb and dull the new ball
Innings-123 Runs-5234 Avg-47.15 HS-210 100s-13 50s-27

Boon-
Another batsman famed for occupying the crease, Boon will relish the chance to stick around with his compatriot and score big runs. Known as a fine number 3, Boony actually opened the batting in a third of his test innings with a slightly better-than-career average in the position
Innings-190 Runs-7422 Avg-43.65 HS-200 100s-21 50s-32

Headley
- One of the greatest number 3s of all-time, ‘The Black Bradman’ had everything. A mammoth innings of 344 not out against an England touring XI was called ‘the perfect innings’ while his best Test knock was a mere 270 not out. The stroke play, the power, the selection of shots, according to the likes of Clarrie Grimmet and Don ‘The White Headley’ Bradman, has rarely been seen in cricket before or since and we have the Second World War to blame for robing us of even more of Headley’s greatness. The below four part ESPN series on Headley is well worth your time:
Innings-40 Runs-2190 Average-60.83 High Score-270* 100s-10 50s-5

Kallis-
An ATG batsman with the ideal technique and temperament to handle a lively pitch, Kallis’s many tons on good wickets speak for themselves
Innings-280 Runs-13289 Avg-55.37 HS-224 100s-45 50s-58

Crowe-
With Williamson, Martin Crowe is one of his country’s greatest ever batsmen. He makes batting look easy, almost as if he has an extra half second to read deliveries, which allows him to stay on the front foot even against devilish pace and in the early 90s he showed a competency against reverse swing few could match
Innings-131 Runs-5444 Avg-45.36 HS-299 100s-17 50s-18

Botham-
The fastest player to 1000 runs and 100 wickets, Beefy is a mercurial talent you cannot bet against. Coming in at six gives him ample opportunity to both pile on if we are dominant and to wrest the game back if we’re struggling
Innings-161 Runs-5200 Avg-33.54 HS-208 100s-14 50s-22

MS Dhoni-
Known neither for elegant shot play nor mammoth totals, MS’s versatility in the white ball game is something we’re asking him to bring here. Whether we need a repair job, somebody to rotate strike with Kallis or Crowe or a quick blast to get the runs flowing alongside Botham we’re confident MS has the tools to deliver
Innings-144 Runs-4876 Avg-38.09 HS-224 100s-6 50s-33

Vaas-
No one’s fool with willow in hand, Vaas will ably partner whoever he joins at the crease and his numbers show he can add useful runs down the order
Innings-162 Runs-3089 Avg-24.32 HS-100* 100s-1 50s-13

Boult, Lyon, Garner-
Can all bat, whether we need to eek out a few more runs or hold on until stumps


Bowling

Garner-
Whether he’s bouncing them out, making the ball talk just back of a length or breaking their toes with his famous yorker Big Bird will find a way to cause mayhem for our opposition on this good surface And as his superb average shows, he’ll do it cheaply
Innings-111 Wkts-259 Avg-20.97 SR-50.8 BBI-6/56 BBM-9/108

Boult-
This left armer is made to use the new cherry, so he’ll partner Garner first up. His fantastic ability to swing the ball both ways will be key, and the blistering pace he can generate from this green wicket will keep any batsman honest
Innings-127 Wkts-267 Avg-27.65 SR-55.7 BBI-6/30 BBM-10/80

Vaas-
Used to opening the bowling, Vaas will this time follow Boult’s lead in providing searing left arm seam and swing, while his nasty offcutter will be a formidable weapon
Innings-127 Wkts-267 Avg-27.65 SR-55.7 BBI-6/30 BBM-10/80

Botham-
Though Beefy’s skill with ball in hand is not in question it is the unexpected moments of magic that set him apart. In his first five years of test cricket Botham was a match for any batsman, and it is that form we’re hoping he will bring to bear over the five days
Innings-168 W-383 Avg-28.40 SR-56.9 BBI-8/34 BBM-13/106

Kallis-
He arguably has the skills to be a frontline bowler in his own right, but tucked away here as fifth-choice paceman Kallis can play a support role, surprising quality batsmen with beguilingly skilful, pacy or bouncy deliveries
Innings-272 W-292 Avg-32.65 SR-69.2 BBI-6/54 BBM-9/92

Lyon-
A late bloomer in first class cricket, in less than a decade Lyon has cemented himself as a great modern spinner. Known for giving the ball plenty of flight and bounce, he tends to perform better on pitches that are not thought to be conducive to spin bowling, such as the ostensibly quick-friendly track at the Gabba. As he closes in on his 400th test scalp, Lyon has proven himself a superb wicket-taking offie, but he is also unafraid of doing long hard stints for the team
Innings-184 W-390 Avg-31.58 SR-62.9 BBI-8/50 BBM-13/154
 

Fiskey

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Well matched, edging towards @Edgar Allan Pillow because of his bowling attack and I don't really like Botham, Dhoni and Vaas at 6,7 and 8. Early wickets which can happen and I'd want a bit more lower order strength.

@12OunceEpilogue
 

12OunceEpilogue

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Why we'll win:

1) Pace friendly green top pitch + best pace duo of the draft.

2) 12Oz openers will be hard pressed with relentless pace attack exposing middle order to our bowlers relatively early. And that'll be a game changer.

3) We have better top order and better bowling. Too big a challenge for Kallis to bridge.
1) Your opening pace duo is awesome, but if it's pace you want Garner, Boult, Vaas ain't bad either

2) Lawry can hang in, so can Boon. I'm not having that mine will disappear to Wasim and Marshall while yours will bat till tea versus Big Bird, Beefy, and two of the finest quicks of their generations

3) Better openers, no question with Hayden v Boon but Lawry and Geoffrey aren't poles apart and I love how it's Kallis' sole job to stabilise the innings when I've got an ATG at number 3. Also better bowling? As a unit I'd take mine all day; a fine opening pair with Vaas an ideal change for Boult to keep the left arm hostility going, Beef operating as a damaging wildcard potentially at second change, Lyon who I much prefer as a spin option on a green track than Gibbs and Kallis as the world's greatest sixth bowler.

Added to that Wasim himself rates Martin Crowe as the best player of reverse swing he and Waqar ever bowled to, a feather in the cap in this particular game of an already superb MO batsman:

 

12OunceEpilogue

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Well matched, edging towards @Edgar Allan Pillow because of his bowling attack and I don't really like Botham, Dhoni and Vaas at 6,7 and 8. Early wickets which can happen and I'd want a bit more lower order strength.

@12OunceEpilogue
I prefer what I have to McMillan, Dev, Wasim but it's a fair point, I'm asking you to come with me on Beefy having something to say with the bat over two innings that belies his relatively modest average. At his best he could take games away from teams single-handed in a tough batting era but if you're not a fan I can't blame you. Dhoni's also a fine test batsman, with a proven record of providing versatility in his approach depending on the state of play. Vaas batted more like a genuine all-rounder in the latter half of his career, and although you could argue he milked Bangladesh in 2007 and Zimbabwe earlier than that, he showed genuine skill and I like him just fine at eight.
 

Fiskey

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I prefer what I have to McMillan, Dev, Wasim but it's a fair point, I'm asking you to come with me on Beefy having something to say with the bat over two innings that belies his relatively modest average. At his best he could take games away from teams single-handed in a tough batting era but if you're not a fan I can't blame you. Dhoni's also a fine test batsman, with a proven record of providing versatility in his approach depending on the state of play. Vaas batted more like a genuine all-rounder in the latter half of his career, and although you could argue he milked Bangladesh in 2007 and Zimbabwe earlier than that, he showed genuine skill and I like him just fine at eight.
Botham is such a difficult one because he basically should've been dropped much earlier than he was. Its almost two different players. From wikipedia:

Botham's batting – although never the equal of his bowling abilities – declined as well, with a batting average of 38.80 for his first 51 Tests substantially higher than the 28.87 he managed in his last 51 Tests, again a number that would be considered unsatisfactory for a specialist batsman in most Test sides. In the first 5 years of Botham's Test career, when not playing as captain, he scored 2,557 runs at an average of 49.17 including 11 centuries and a highest score of 208, took 196 wickets at an average of 21.28 including nineteen 5 wicket hauls and held 50 catches. Such figures denote a player who would easily maintain a place in any Test side as a specialist batsman or bowler alone. During this period his reputation as one of the leading Test all-rounders was firmly established.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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Botham is such a difficult one because he basically should've been dropped much earlier than he was. Its almost two different players. From wikipedia:

Botham's batting – although never the equal of his bowling abilities – declined as well, with a batting average of 38.80 for his first 51 Tests substantially higher than the 28.87 he managed in his last 51 Tests, again a number that would be considered unsatisfactory for a specialist batsman in most Test sides. In the first 5 years of Botham's Test career, when not playing as captain, he scored 2,557 runs at an average of 49.17 including 11 centuries and a highest score of 208, took 196 wickets at an average of 21.28 including nineteen 5 wicket hauls and held 50 catches. Such figures denote a player who would easily maintain a place in any Test side as a specialist batsman or bowler alone. During this period his reputation as one of the leading Test all-rounders was firmly established.
Yep, got famous, got fat and relied on his status and skill rather than doing the work towards the end. I know it's too much to ask for everybody to assume '81/82 Botham is turning up for this while all the opposition players are going off their career averages only but I firmly believe Botham is having a say with the bat in that second innings.
 

crappycraperson

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I don't like either of these teams and wish had drawn them instead of harshad. :annoyed::p

For EAP, Brian McMillan useless in the team, having him as 6th bowler is crazy and you are better off with a specialist batsman in there. I mean even Gibbs or Morkel would be a fifth bowler in this side, bowling overkill for sure.
Oz on the other hand has average bowling unit for QF IMO. I think Marshall + Akram duo supported by Kapil is hard to overlook here despite Oz's batting being stronger
 

Himannv

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I don't like either of these teams and wish had drawn them instead of harshad. :annoyed::p

For EAP, Brian McMillan useless in the team, having him as 6th bowler is crazy and you are better off with a specialist batsman in there. I mean even Gibbs or Morkel would be a fifth bowler in this side, bowling overkill for sure.
Oz on the other hand has average bowling unit for QF IMO. I think Marshall + Akram duo supported by Kapil is hard to overlook here despite Oz's batting being stronger
Agree with this. 12Oz has good batting but no real bowling attack to speak of. This is somewhat matched by the other team having poor batting but is surviving due to Marshall + Akram.
 

12OunceEpilogue

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I don't like either of these teams and wish had drawn them instead of harshad. :annoyed::p

For EAP, Brian McMillan useless in the team, having him as 6th bowler is crazy and you are better off with a specialist batsman in there. I mean even Gibbs or Morkel would be a fifth bowler in this side, bowling overkill for sure.
Oz on the other hand has average bowling unit for QF IMO. I think Marshall + Akram duo supported by Kapil is hard to overlook here despite Oz's batting being stronger
Agree with this. 12Oz has good batting but no real bowling attack to speak of. This is somewhat matched by the other team having poor batting but is surviving due to Marshall + Akram.
I don't know how many current quicks you can name before you mention Boult in terms of greatness, but it isn't very many. He's done it at every level including with the red ball and as a left armer with plenty of swing in his locker he's a great opening partner for Joel Garner, a West Indian legend. I also seem to remember Vaas getting no love in an ODI draft, no idea why as he was a top quick bowler in his day and had to almost single-handedly carry his nation's fast Test bowling for over a decade, while other top bowlers could share the load with players nearer their calibre. Botham is a marmite player as I conceded earlier but I just don't see where he qualifies as a nothing bowler, Lyon has a great record particularly away from typical turners and Kallis is as good a sixth bowler as you could hope to find.

If you're tempted by the logic that on a fantastic bowling surface it is EAP/TMH's top top quality opening pair that tips the balance fair enough, but I'm not having for a second that I've no bowling attack to speak of.
 

The Man Himself

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EAP will be doing most of the argument/posting as typing anything more than 3-4 lines bores me nowadays :p

I just want to put a word for Big Mac. His numbers prima facie are average and doesn't seem a player who should be in 2nd round of all time drafts but as most of us have seen him, you should recall that he was one of the better going allrounders of 90s. Of course not as good as the ones in previous decade, but his batting average of ~40 increases to ~47 if Asia performances are excluded. He was 29 when South Africa were readmitted so we couldn't see a prolonged career for him but he was very important to that South Africa team when they were admitted back. So he is no Kallis from our opposite team, but we expect to do him a decent job at no. 6 in this match up. Though a decent bowler in helpful conditions, we may not need him on a green pitch when there is Akram+Marshall+Kapil and Morne to support.
 

Skills

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I'm not sure how highly I rate Trent Boult the Test bowler. Obviously in ODIs he's top, top class. Of the current Test bowlers he's comfortably behind Rabada & Cummins for me and probably equal to Starc.

Obviously Steyn and Anderson are obviously better too.
 

crappycraperson

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I don't know how many current quicks you can name before you mention Boult in terms of greatness, but it isn't very many. He's done it at every level including with the red ball and as a left armer with plenty of swing in his locker he's a great opening partner for Joel Garner, a West Indian legend. I also seem to remember Vaas getting no love in an ODI draft, no idea why as he was a top quick bowler in his day and had to almost single-handedly carry his nation's fast Test bowling for over a decade, while other top bowlers could share the load with players nearer their calibre. Botham is a marmite player as I conceded earlier but I just don't see where he qualifies as a nothing bowler, Lyon has a great record particularly away from typical turners and Kallis is as good a sixth bowler as you could hope to find.

If you're tempted by the logic that on a fantastic bowling surface it is EAP/TMH's top top quality opening pair that tips the balance fair enough, but I'm not having for a second that I've no bowling attack to speak of.
I would have voted for you on a flat wicket and perhaps even on a turner. I agree modern day bowlers like boult get underrated but his front line pacers are better than any of your pacers.
 

crappycraperson

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EAP will be doing most of the argument/posting as typing anything more than 3-4 lines bores me nowadays :p

I just want to put a word for Big Mac. His numbers prima facie are average and doesn't seem a player who should be in 2nd round of all time drafts but as most of us have seen him, you should recall that he was one of the better going allrounders of 90s. Of course not as good as the ones in previous decade, but his batting average of ~40 increases to ~47 if Asia performances are excluded. He was 29 when South Africa were readmitted so we couldn't see a prolonged career for him but he was very important to that South Africa team when they were admitted back. So he is no Kallis from our opposite team, but we expect to do him a decent job at no. 6 in this match up. Though a decent bowler in helpful conditions, we may not need him on a green pitch when there is Akram+Marshall+Kapil and Morne to support.
Problem is that you don't need another allrounder you need a proper specialist batsman. On a green pitch if you require your 6th bowler to chip in then Akram and Marshall have already failed which is not a good sign ...