Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

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Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Damn you- he was mine! :p

Hmmm, well fine, I'll see your Lindwall and raise you a:

spofforth.jpg


"The Demon Bowler"- Fred Spofforth

Tall, spindly, and a player who consistently tested the wits of opposing batsmen, Fred "The Demon" Spofforth was Australia's first true fast bowler. His first-class career spanned the 23-year period between 1874 and 1897 and, throughout that time, his accuracy, his lionhearted endeavour and the phenomenal rapidity of his wicket taking made him a revered figure. Although he possessed a relatively unremarkable run-up and action (the most notable feature of which was a high leap just before he released the ball) and was never regarded as a tearaway fast bowler, Spofforth was an inspiration both for his peers and succeeding generations of pacemen. From the time of his debut for New South Wales, he was a larger than life character in the sport - the quality of his performances matched in kind by his ability to enhance the growing popularity of cricket in Australia.

Notwithstanding the relative superiority of bowlers over batsmen during his era, Spofforth's raw figures were outstanding; he claimed 94 Test wickets in 18 matches at an average of less than 20 runs apiece. He was also the first bowler to clinch a Test hat-trick; he claimed ten wickets in a match on four of those 18 occasions, and his analysis of 14/90 against England at The Oval in 1882 still stands as the second best performance in a match by an Australian bowler in the entire history of Test cricket.

To celebrate his outstanding overall record in the sport, Spofforth was honoured with induction into the Australian Cricket Hall of Fame when that institution's original ten members were named in late 1996.
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Code: 
Batting and fielding averages    	
              Mat  	Inns  	NO  	Runs  HS  	Ave  	100  	50  	Ct  	St
Tests 	18 	29 	6 	217 	50 	9.43 	0 	1 	 11 	0


Bowling averages 	
        Mat    Inns 	Balls 	Runs 	Wkts 	BBI 	BBM 	Ave 	Econ 	SR   5w 10w
Tests 	18 	30 	4185 	1731 	94 	7/44 	14/90 18.41 2.48 	44.5 	7 4

Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Frederick Spofforth

Fred Spofforth - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Heh. I wanted both, but I knew I wouldn't get them. I actually typed half a profile for Spofforth, then decided I'd take Lindwall first and see if he lasted. Probably my first genuine loss in that he's a player that at the beginning I thought, with my draft order, I would probably get.

Oh well.
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Time to sort out my opening pair so I'll start with a great Victorian and a member of one of the first great opening partnerships and unfortunately someone has taken the other member :(

Bill Woodfull

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Australia

Player profile

Full name William Maldon Woodfull
Born August 22, 1897, Maldon, Victoria
Died August 11, 1965, Tweed Heads South, New South Wales (aged 67 years 354 days)
Major teams Australia, Victoria
Batting style Right-hand bat


Bill Woodfull, who collapsed and died while playing golf on a course near Brisbane on August 11 1965, aged 67, played as an opening batsman in 35 Test matches for Australia and captained them in 25. Known as "The Rock" because of his imperturbable temperament, he possessed immensely strong defence and great patience. Yet, though the backlift of his bat was very short indeed, his weight and strength of wrist enabled him to score at a faster rate than many a more attractive player.
During a Test career extending from 1926 to 1934, he hit 2300 runs for an average of 46.00, the highest of his seven centuries being 161 against South Africa at Melbourne in 1931-32. He shared nine three-figure stands in Test matches, three with his fellow Victorian, WH Ponsford, during the tour of England in 1930 - 162 at Lord's, 159 at The Oval and 106 at Old Trafford. In all first-class cricket he hit 49 centuries, the highest of which was 284 for an Australian XI against a New Zealand XI at Auckland in 1927-28. Three times he toured England and on each occasion he well exceeded 1000 runs. In 1926, after making 201 against Essex at Leyton in his first innings on English soil, he headed the batting figures with an aggregate of 1809 (eight centuries), average 58.35; in 1930, as captain, he made 1435 runs (six centuries), average 57.36 and four years later when again leading the side 1268 runs (three centuries), average 52.83.

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1927
Australian Cricket Hall of Fame 2001
Click to expand...

Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Bill Woodfull

Team so far
Woodfull (1), Ponting(3), Grimmet(10), McGrath(11)
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Went on to become principal of Melbourne High School. The school oval is named after him and Keith Miller, who went to the school. :p
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Craig McDermott is my next selection.

Took nearly 300 wickets at a solid average of 28. Can't complain with that really.
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

grr my next 3 picks were all taken today. lindwall, spofforth and langer. back to the drawing board
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Im guessing it my turn to have a crack?

Now I've decided to pick my keeper before i end up with P Emery. (one test wonder at its purist)

My choice is William 'Bert' Oldfield

Full name: William Albert Stanley Oldfield
Born: September 9, 1894, Alexandria, Sydney, New South Wales
Died: August 10, 1976, Killara, Sydney, New South Wales (aged 81 years 336 days)
Major teams: Australia, New South Wales
Batting style: Right-hand bat
Fielding position: Wicketkeeper

Matches : 54
Innings: 80
No: 17
Runs: 1427
HS: 65*
Average: 22.65
100's: 0
50's: 4

Catches: 78
Stumpings: 52 (still a test world record.)


Bert Oldfield was a true gentleman of the game, often to the point where he was embarrassed to have taken a wicket and was a genuine walker. A great glove man that kept to the likes of O'Reilly and Grimmet, taking wrong'uns and sharp turning leggies with ease. even though 130 dismissal's isn't a great number, the amount of byes conceded was something else. He did not concede a bye in his last test match, which exemplifies his ability and dedication to the art of wicket keeping, even in the twilight of his career.

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ref: nla.pic-an23449085
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

The Voice ..

My Pick was one I had to do some serious research on.. being that I was on the clock for a wicketkeeper.

My Pick is Wally Grout..

5448.html
cricinfo




Arthur Theodore Wallace ("Wally") Grout (20 March 1927, Mackay, Queensland–9 November 1968, Brisbane, Queensland) was a Test cricketer who kept wicket for Australia and Queensland.
Grout played in 51 Test matches between 1957 and 1965. He made his Test debut against South Africa at Wanderers Stadium, during which he caught a record six wickets behind the stumps in the second innings. Australia never lost a series in which Grout played.
For many years, Grout played second fiddle to Don Tallon in the Queensland state team, and was unable to cement a regular spot as wicket keeper. In a Sheffield Shield match against Western Australia at Brisbane in 1960, he took 8 catches in an innings,[2] setting a world record.
He died suddenly from a heart attack at the age of 41, only 3 years after ending his playing career.


All of this was taken from Wikipedia...
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

I'm going to be honest and tell you that this one was a coin toss. I wasn't sure which one to risk leaving until the next round, so I've just gota hope people can read my mind and are kind enough to leave my next pick alone :p

Kevin Douglas Walters

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Code: 
        Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave BF SR 100 50 4s 6s Ct St 
Tests 74 125 14 5357 250 48.26   15 33  23 43 0 
ODIs 28 24 6 513 59 28.50 732 70.08 0 2 37 0 10 0 
First-class 258 426 57 16180 253 43.84   45 81   149 0

Code: 
         Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10 
Tests 74 72 3295 1425 49 5/66 7/89 29.08 2.59 67.2 3 1 0 
ODIs 28 10 314 273 4 2/24 2/24 68.25 5.21 78.5 0 0 0 
First-class 258  14576 6782 190 7/63  35.69 2.79 76.7  6 0

Walters, the country boy with the bush technique, was a knockabout who disliked training and going to bed early, and favoured drinking, smoking, solitaire and cribbage. Quick on to the back foot against the spinners, he was a fine straight-driver and hooker, and a valuable partnership breaker with his medium pace. Crowds relaxed and related to his instinctive and aggressive Test batting that three times brought up centuries in a session, the most famous arriving when he smacked the last ball of the day from Bob Willis for six at the WACA in 1974-75. He could play pressure innings as well, like the 112 against West Indies at Port-of-Spain in 1972-93, when Lance Gibbs had three short-legs by 35 minutes on day one and Walters scored 100 between lunch and tea. "By any standards it was a magnificent innings," Wisden reported. The grit never stuck to his stories, forcing him to open his autobiography with a spoiler. "It rather amuses me when journalists refer to me as happy-go-lucky and unflappable. I feel the pressures and tensions as much as the next bloke."

Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Doug Walters
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Okay... been almost three days since we had a pick so D.K and bundy are overdue. I'll pick mine then PM them and el-cap.
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

W.A. Johnston

Bill_Johnston_bowl.jpg


Full name William Arras Johnston
Born February 26, 1922, Beeac, Victoria
Died May 25, 2007, Sydney, New South Wales (aged 85 years 88 days)
Major teams Australia, Victoria
Batting style Left-hand bat
Bowling style Left-arm fast-medium, Slow left-arm orthodox

Matches 40
Runs scored 273
Batting average 11.37
Wickets 160
Bowling average 23.91

The man Bradman called Australia's greatest-ever left arm bowler, Bill Johnston started his career as an orthodox spinner. However his success with his quicker ball prompted him to work at a faster bowling style, and led to the development of a pace bowling action incorporating a short run-up, smooth delivery and a ball that swung late and both ways. His delivery was slower than Miller or Lindwall, but the accuracy and lateness of his swing made him tricky to play. Combined with this was his ability to revert to left-arm orthodox spin on sticky or deteriorating wickets, with the substantial turn he was able to generate and the awkwardness and speed of the delivery playing havoc with batsmen.

He was an ageing ball specialist, who would often appear as first change after Miller and Lindwall had taken the shine off the ball, then return late in the innings when conditions were conducive to his spin. He had the capacity to bowl large numbers of overs at any stage in the match yet retain his effectiveness - his economy rate was a mere 2.07 per over. And despite his role as a workhorse, he still captured a large number of wickets at a highly respectable average - indeed, on the 1948 Invincibles tour, he was the leading wickettaker.

A solid addition to my bowling lineup.
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Terry Alderman

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Full name Terence Michael Alderman
Born June 12, 1956, Subiaco, Perth, Western Australia
Current age 52 years 311 days
Major teams Australia, Gloucestershire, Kent, Western Australia
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast-medium

Terry Alderman was distinguished by the constant smile on his face when he bowled, and by his impeccably aimed awayswingers and offcutters delivered at an honest fast-medium clip that had their highest expression on the England tours of 1981 and 1989, yielding him more than 40 wickets both times. His bowling, like his smile, was inscrutable. He reduced Graham Gooch to such a shambles in 1989 that he asked to be left out of the Test team, a personal victory for Alderman that symbolised the series. Alderman twice spent long periods out of the Australian team, firstly after damaging his shoulder while tackling a English ground invader at Perth in 1982-83, then after joining a rebel tour to South Africa. He was sorely missed in England in 1985. He had productive spells with Gloucestershire and Kent, and is still heard in Australia as a radio commentator.

Bowling averages Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4w 5w 10
Tests 41 73 10181 4616 170 6/47 10/151 27.15 2.72 59.8 5 14 1
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Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Doh- Alderman was going to be my next pick.

I'll go with more pace then.

Brett 'Bing' Lee

brett_lee_test_295-1902.jpg


From his memorable debut agaisnt India, to his taking over the mantle as our leading express bowler after the retirement of McGrath, Lee's career has had its up and downs, however no-one can doubt his commitment to the Australian team or his love for the game.

Love him or hate him, the guy's taken over 300 test wickets- he gets the job done with bat and ball, and he's worthy of a place in my team! ;)

Lee is an express bowler, one of the fastest the game has known, and is capable of bowling at 160 km/h (99 mph). Lee's fastest recorded delivery to date is 160.8 km/h (99.9 mph) which he bowled in his first over on March 5, 2005 at Napier, New Zealand against Craig Cumming. He is also an athletic fielder and aggressive lower-order batsman with a batting average exceeding 20.

Lee ranks with Pakistani bowler Shoaib Akhtar as the fastest bowler in contemporary cricket.[4] Akhtar's delivery at 161.3km/h (100.2mph) stands as the fastest recorded to date.

Lee's speed allows opposition batsmen less time to react, increasing their chances of making a mistake and has bowled with great accuracy as Australia's bowling spearhead. He has a Test bowling average of just under thirty, which sees him ranked in the 5th in the International Cricket Council's Test bowling rankings.

Lee is at his most effective on the pitches of the southern hemisphere, where the pitches have greater bounce. In the northern hemisphere, he has taken 53 wickets in 19 Tests at an average of 42.11. In the southern hemisphere, he has taken 178 wickets in 40 matches at 28.48. He has had the most success against the West Indies and New Zealand, averaging in the low twenties. He averages more than 40 against England, Bangladesh and Pakistan, and in the 30s against other teams.
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Code: 
     Mat  	Inns  	Balls  	Runs  	Wkts  	BBI  	BBM  	Ave  	Econ  	SR  	4w  	5w  	10
Tests 	76 	150 	16531 	9554 	310 	5/30 	9/171 	30.81 	3.46 	53.3 	17 	10 	0

     Mat  	Inns  	NO  	Runs  	HS  	Ave  	BF  	SR  	100  	50  	4s  	6s  	Ct  	St
Tests 	76 	90 	18 	1451 	64 	20.15 	2739 	52.97 	0 	5 	182 	18 	23 	0

Cricinfo - Players and Officials - Brett Lee

Brett Lee - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Lee :D I think my next batsman would love to face him

Dean Jones
Australia

_38665463_jones3x3_get.jpg


Full name Dean Mervyn Jones
Born March 24, 1961, Coburg, Melbourne, Victoria
Current age 48 years 27 days
Major teams Australia, Derbyshire, Durham, Victoria
Playing role Higher middle order batsman
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm offbreak
Other Coach, Commentator

Matches: 52
Innings: 89
Not Outs: 11
Runs: 3631
Average: 46.55
HS: 216
100's: 11
50's: 14

Also took 1 wicket @ 64


Could have been one of the great batsmen but wasnt very popular (Seems to be a common trait for the great Victorian batsmen, I guess the rest of the country is too scared to see them succeed :p) and it cost him quite a few matches. Played some awesome innings for Australia and was a very attacking batsman just before test cricket turned attacking.

Deano scored 3631 runs @ an average of 47, he made 11 centuries which included 2 double centuries, the most famous being in the tied test against India where he battled the toughest of conditions and illness to produce a great innings and if you're lucky you may even hear him talk about it but he can be a very quiet person who doesnt talk himself up much.

Sitting behind Ponting in this batting lineup they could tear an attack apart and blow them out of the match in just a session

Dean Jones wrote the book on one-day cricket - literally. He played a new game in which he walked down the pitch to fast bowlers, ran frenetically between wickets and turned outfielding into an attacking occupation. He was a natural showman who was for a while as popular as any other player in Australia. Yet he was also a classic cricketer who once made a triple-century for Victoria and remains their record run-maker. He averaged 46 in Tests, and in the tied Test at Madras in 1986-87 played what Bob Simpson said was the greatest innings for Australia. At the end of his 210 he ended up in hospital on a saline drip.

Jones was a significant part of the team's revival, playing in the '87 World Cup and '89 Ashes wins, but was dropped while still in his prime. Turbulent stints as captain of Victoria and Derbyshire followed, for his personality was bound not to please everyone. He remained devoted to the game and since retirement has been a forthright commentator, although he made a costly on-air slip in 2006 when he referred to the bearded Hashim Amla as a "terrorist".

Wisden Cricketer of the Year 1990
Member of the Order of Australia, Jun 2006
Click to expand...

http://content.cricinfo.com/australia/content/player/6044.html
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

(1)Langer (5)Border (7)Rod Marsh (8)Davidson (11)Alderman.
Need a few middle order players:)
Got a few players lined up to:)
Can someone put up the players chosen so far.its getting a bit tricky now:S

Cheers,
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

I think this is it, someone might have a more organised list :p

Border, Warne, Gilly, Bradman, Healy, Miller, O'Reilly
Boon, Lillee, S.Waugh, Marsh, Trumper, Benaud, G.Chappell, Ponsford
Davidson, Hayden, Lawry, Simpson, Harvey, Martyn, Thompson, Mcabe
Langer, Lindwall, Spofforth, McDermott, Oldfield, Grout, Walters
Johnston, Alderman
McGrath, Ponting, Grimmet, Woodfull, Jones
 
Re: Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Picks so far:

hattrick
David Boon
Don Bradman
Damien Martyn
Jeff Thompson
Wally Grout (wk)

PostmanPav/ants14
Bill Ponsford
Shane Warne
Dennis Lillee
Stan McCabe
Kevin Walters

D.K.
Matthew Hayden
Steve Waugh
Adam Gilchrist (wk)
Craig McDermott
*pick 5*

bundybullz08
Allan Border
Rod Marsh (wk)
Alan Davidson
Justin Langer
Terry Alderman

Caesar
Victor Trumper
Neil Harvey
Keith Miller
Ray Lindwall
William Johnston

el-capitano
Bob Simpson
Ian Healy(wk)
Richie Benaud
Fred Spofforth
Brett Lee

eddiesmith
Ricky Ponting
Clarrie Grimmett
Glenn McGrath
Bill Woodfull
Dean Jones

Mousey/A.B. de Villiers
Bill Lawry
Greg Chappell
Bill O'Reilly
Bert Oldfield (wk)
*pick 5*

So there's still three wicket keepers required up for grabs! :)
 
Australian All-Time Test Team Draft

Right, now for an opening bowler, and the stocks are getting lower and lower.

My choice is Rodney Hogg.
054435.jpg

Full name Rodney Malcolm Hogg
Born March 5, 1951, Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria
Current age 58 years 47 days
Major teams Australia, South Australia, Victoria
Batting style Right-hand bat
Bowling style Right-arm fast

Mat Inns NO Runs HS Ave 100 50 4s 6s Ct St
Tests 38 58 13 439 52 9.75 0 1 45 1 7 0

Mat Inns Balls Runs Wkts BBI BBM Ave Econ SR 4wi 5wi 10wm
Tests 38 66 7633 3503 123 6/74 10/66 28.47 2.75 62.0 7 6 2

Blond, blue-eyed, aggressive and menacingly fast, Rodney Hogg announced himself with 41 wickets for World Series-depleted Australia against England in 1978-79. The way he regularly beat Geoff Boycott for pace thrilled Australia at a lean time. Injury and a rebel tour to South Africa interrupted, and cricket life was never quite so bounteous again. Nevertheless, Hogg was generally in Australia's first rank. A quirky character, he once had his wife erase the videotape of a soft dismissal while batting in a Test, saying he did not want his son to see him as a coward. Later, he fulfilled a long-held ambition to open a greengrocery.

Cricinfo - Player Profiles - Rodney Hogg
http://content.cricinfo.com/ci/content/player/5685.html
 
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