Let’s have a State of Origin clash in cricket
Columnist
By Kersi Meher-Homji, 28 May 2010 Kersi Meher-Homji is a Roar Expert
- Tagged:
- Cricket, NSW, Queensland, state of origin cricket
Wednesday’s State of Origin rugby league match, which drew over 66,000 spectators at ANZ Stadium in Homebush, gave me an idea: why not have an annual State of Origin cricket match between NSW and Queensland?
Then I backpedaled. These two teams play each other twice in a season attracting a “grand” attendance of less than 2,500 in those eight days.
So I used my imagination and selected the best of NSW and Queensland teams of the last 12 years.
It was challenging but exciting all the same. But first some ground rules in selection.
State of Origin meant that we cannot include Simon Katich and Stuart MacGill in the NSW team as both are originally from Western Australia.
Also, Nathan Hauritz and Shane Watson, although currently NSW cricketers, will play for Queensland in this match as they were born there. Same with Mitchell Johnson, although currently playing for Western Australia, was born in Queensland.
The good news for NSW is that they can include match-winner Adam Gilchrist in their line-up.
Although Andrew Symonds was born in England, he is a fair-dinkum Queenslander who has not played for any other state in Australia. So I have made an exception for him.
The criteria for selection is that the cricketer should have played at least one international (Test or ODI) in the 1998-2010 period.
So, here is my NSW team of 1998-2010 in batting order: Mark Taylor, Michael Slater, Mark Waugh, Michael Clarke, Steve Waugh (captain), Michael Bevan, Adam Gilchrist (wk), Steven Smith, Brett Lee, Stuart Clark and Glenn McGrath.
12th man: Phillip Hughes. Reserves: Brad Haddin, Phil Jaques, Nathan Bracken and Doug Bollinger.
McGrath and Lee will open the attack with S. Clark as first change. Smith, ‘Chinaman’ Bevan and M. Clarke will be the spinners. Steve Waugh will turn his arm over to break a stand.
Now to the Queensland team of 1998-2010 in batting order: Matthew Hayden (captain), Shane Watson, Jimmy Maher, Andrew Symonds, James Hopes, Ian Healy (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Nathan Hauritz, Michael Kasprowicz, Andy Bichel and Ryan Harris.
12th man: Martin Love.
Johnson and Kaprowicz will open the attack; Bichel, Harris, Hopes and Watson will bowl medium-pace, Hauritz will be the leg-spinner and Symonds the quickish offie.
On paper NSW appears a more powerful team with superior bench strength but when it comes to State of Origins, the Bulls rise to the occasion using their will power and horns. Call it a horn of dilemma for the baby Blues!
Most of the 22 players are under 40 and almost half of them are current players. Many are big names: Hayden, Gilchrist, the Waughs, Taylor, Johnson, Slater, Healy, Clarke, Clark, McGrath, Lee, Watson, Symonds, Bevan…
So with the power of publicity and promotion, this match could become a reality and a crowd- puller.
It won’t pull in 60,000 but much more than 300 spectators a day a Sheffield Shield match normally attracts!
Enjoy sports? Enjoy a bargain? All Sports Online has your favourite sporting brands at up to 70% off. Online only, premium quality sporting goods and merchandise at discounted prices. Get a deal now.
Do you have what it takes to become a sports writer? Write for the roar
Cricket articles
- What we do and don’t know about our Baggy Greens (112)
- Success of Twenty20 spells trouble for ODI cricket (106)
- Channel 9 commentators an annoyance this summer (102)
- One Day Cricket is suffering from Middle Child Syndrome (89)
- Cricket Australia must take a stand against racist spectators (89)
- Dave’s Warner-ful switch-hit panned by precious critics (84)
- Khawaja shouldn’t have been Shaun from the Test side (71)
- Mathews heroics almost shakes Clarke’s resolve
- Resurgent Pakistan inspire new generation to play
- Clarke stars as Australia beat Sri Lanka
- Australia vs Sri Lanka, Perth ODI: cricket live scores, commentary (197)
- Hall of Fame for Indian legend Gavaskar
- Sri Lanka to target ‘weak’ Aussie bowlers
- India backing Rohit Sharma to find form
- Resurgent Pakistan inspire new generation to play (0)
- Australia vs Sri Lanka, Perth ODI: cricket live scores, commentary (197)
- Twenty20 cricket not up to the test (6)
- Pakistan’s win over England a triumph of character (21)
- Steve Waugh is right about cricket’s succession plan (5)
- India vs Sri Lanka, Perth ODI: cricket live scores, commentary (180)
- Let’s talk about selection, Test fans (28)
- Explore:
- Cricket, NSW, Queensland, state of origin cricket
mds1970 said | May 28th 2010 @ 8:12am | Report comment
Ryan Harris is ex South Australia, I don’t think he’d qualify for a Queensland origin team. Ironically he was born in Sydney.
But it’s an interesting concept. And you’ve picked some good teams. I’d love to watch such a match.
Vinay Verma said | May 28th 2010 @ 8:41am | Report comment
Kersi, I would be interested in the type of format you envisage for such a game. I hope you are not thinking Twenty20 as this does not give scope for appreciating the talents of these cricketers.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | May 28th 2010 @ 9:15am | Report comment
Thank you, mds1970, for the Harris correction, and the compliment.
Vinay, I was thinking of a 4-day concept as in a Sheffield Shield match. But a Fifty50 one-dayer will bring in a lot more spectators. Also the age of some (Tubby Taylor, Healy, the Waughs, Bevan, Maher…) would indicate that a Fifty50 would be a better way to go. But I am open to suggestions. But no Twenty20 pleeeease!
Vinay Verma said | May 28th 2010 @ 1:31pm | Report comment
Kersi, the more I think about this the better it sounds…maybe a compromise and 40 overs a side. This will be an oppurtunity for the fans to celebrate the stars of yesterday and gen-now. I hope CNSW is reading this.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | May 28th 2010 @ 1:40pm | Report comment
Thanks, Vinay. I’ll e-mail this post to Mark Taylor and Dr Harry Harinath of CNSW, once I get more suggestions from Roarers.
Brett McKay said | May 28th 2010 @ 1:46pm | Report comment
Vinay, I think 40 overs would be a decent enough format to provide some meaning to a game such as this, but I think we all know that if it was to be pitched to TV, it would sure-as-the-sun-rises end up as a T20 “hit & giggle” affair.
This all said, Kersi, if you were to try and play this game now, my perception would be that NSW and Victoria would have the most “expats” in the other states to pull back in. Outside of Watson, Johnson, and Hauritz, how many other ex-Queenslanders would be currently running around for other states??
formeropenside said | May 28th 2010 @ 3:42pm | Report comment
Edmondsen and Noffke are Queenslanders turning out for WA.
Michoacan said | May 28th 2010 @ 2:39pm | Report comment
Good post Kersi. Could we have your all-time NSW v Queensland line up? How about your all-time Australia v. India teams? There’s an article in this month’s issue of Scientific American questioning the very concept of time, so don’t let Einstein’s old fashioned ideas hold you back.
Kersi Meher-Homji said | May 28th 2010 @ 3:15pm | Report comment
Thanks Brett and Michoacan.
Brett, I agree that a country of origin between Victoria and NSW in cricket would provide a sterner tussel. But to most of us Country of Origin is Qld vs NSW.
Michoacan, It would be exciting selecting the best ever NSW vs best ever Qld teams. Also selecting the best ever Aus vs Ind is very close to my heart, the two countries I love dearly and admire greatly. But to do a thorough job would take time. Perhaps my next post in The Roar would be this story, thanks to you!
sheek said | May 28th 2010 @ 5:51pm | Report comment
Kersi,
Between about 1910 & the mid-70s, State of Origin meant SA & WA trying to knock the blocks off Victoria in Australian football.
Although I think the SOO concept for AFL started about 1972 when the migration of players from SA & WA became a flood. Rugby league followed with its SOO in 1980.
MyGeneration said | May 28th 2010 @ 3:31pm | Report comment
Good idea, Kersi, especially as I think the Blues could win this Origin contest!
Tasnim said | May 28th 2010 @ 4:32pm | Report comment
I would love to watch this match. Great idea.
sheek said | May 28th 2010 @ 5:45pm | Report comment
Hi Kersi,
Interesting conversation piece but I don’t think it would work for cricket. It’s also been discussed for rugby union, & I have to put myself in the camp of the “nay-sayers”.
State of Origin works so well for rugby league because there are only two states. You play , or were born, for one or the other. Cricket has 6 states, & from next year rugby union will have 5 provinces.
In those two sports, the populous NSW has often been required to outsource extra players to weaker states/provinces. For cricket, to Tasmania when they first entered the Sheffield Shield in 1977/78, & for rugby union, to ACT, WA & now Victoria as they entered the comp respectively in 1996, 2006 & 2011.
Queensland has been a secondary provider to ACT & disastrously for them (Qld), to WA.
I much prefer the movement allowed in the cricket & rugby union versions. We have no choice where we were born, but we do have a choice where we want to live & when it happens, die. And by extension, who we want to play for.
i like to think the different structures work well for each sport. Another point, rugby league doesn’t have the international presence of either cricket or rugby union, so it makes sense for them to promote State of Origin as a pseudo international series. It certainly has the intensity of an international series.